MARCH 21, 2008 jusisuLiz
Georqe Speaks
Excerpts from March 21 interview with Newberg senator
Stephen Marc Beaudoin: Why are you sponsoring this repeal
initiative?
Gary George: I’ve had people approach me for special rights for
homosexuals, and I don’t believe anyone should have special rights. I’ve
had members of the gay community come in and ask, and I’ll say, “I’m sorry,
1 don’t give anyone special rights.”
If you do feel like you’ve been discriminated against as a gay, you have
hard feelings. I remember when I was heavy and wore glasses as a child and
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I was picked on. We all know the gay person that nobody notices—I think
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that is where we need to head. Everybody knows where the line is, so when
I see I’m offending someone, I have to back away from that. We have to
adjust our behavior so as to not be offensive. If you push anyone too hard,
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they will react.
SMB: What sort of special rights do you feel that the Oregon Equality
Act offers?
GG: First off, I though^ that was a fabrication of definition, in the sense
that you gave special rights, it picks out another group, a lifestyle group, and
My plea to the gay community would be, hey, mature. We have brilliant,
brilliant people within the gay community.
says hmm, you have all these protections.... [If] that person’s gay, so what?
SMB: Who are some of those brilliant gay people?
GG: [Laughs] We know a bunch of them; they’re some of the brightest
Forget it, ignore it, as long as he’s not making advances on you, which is
and wealthiest people in the country. I go back to the ’50s and ’60s. We had
against the law, he’s fine. The main thing that bothered us with the whole
bill was the fact that, here we go again, adding one more class of people that
friends that were quote homosexual, and they kept to themselves.
need to have special rights.
moment ago?
GG: [Bisexual former legislator and secretary of state candidate] Kate
GG: If I discriminate in favor of you, it automatically requires I discrimi
nate against someone else. I was hoping with your generation, we can stop
calling each other “Asian American” or “Latino American.”
There’s one talk show host, and he has really severe, hard feelings against
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SMB: Who are some of those brilliant gay people you referenced a
SMB: Can you give an example?
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Brown, when Kate was practicing that lifestyle. She’s one of the most bril
liant people I know. I harken back to a conversation I had years ago with
Kate Brown. She said you can do it all [gain the requisite rights for same-sex
couples] with a contract, and I said OK what’s that all about.
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affirmative action. Because of the race that he is, I believe he’s Italian, he
was discriminated against because he’s not black. I have dear, dear friends
SMB: You talk about instances of “reverse discrimination” and want
in the Legislature who are black, but sometimes I really get tired of hearing
ing to “level the playing field.” As a legislator, how have you addressed
about their color.
this?
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SMB: What if an employee is fired because of his or her sexual orien
GG: Maybe it is time for us to go through the law and find every point of
discrimination and just eliminate it.... Do carpenters [for example] deserve a
tation or gender identity? Isn’t the Oregon Equality Act in place to guard
special privilege over someone else? There are a lot of things in Oregon law
against such discrimination?
highly discriminatory outside of the sexual question.... It gets down to this:
GG: As an employer, I don’t want to hear about it. This workplace is
for work purposes. My advice to the gay community is shut up, just don’t
Let’s just end any kind of preferential treatment for any group. If I had my
way, we would start backing out of discrimination laws.
talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom,
you should be on the pervert channel. Do you believe you have a right to be
homosexual? Then you believe I have the right to think it’s a bad idea.
•
in Florida and California?
what I’m saying: I think we’re seeing a backlash; in other words, if you push
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SMB: What is your relationship with [anti-gay former state Sen.]
Marylin Shannon?
paign. We have common friends who said: “You know what? Something
needs to be done about this, and it needs to be aired in public.” Marylin has
GG: Obviously, murder is murder; there’s no excuse for that. Here’s
ccb#172574
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GG: I’ve known Marylin for years.... She was an encourager of my cam
SMB: What is your reaction to the recent murders of out gay youth
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me too hard, don’t be surprised if I react. Gays will tend to react violently if
people are oppressive toward them. If gays are oppressive toward straights,
SMB: What do you think is the likelihood of these repeal initiatives
then you’ll see a violent backlash. You’re going to have a point where these
to pass?
GG: We have no idea.... For the last five years there’s been a systematic
groups develop and say, “I’m tired of these special privileges.”
assault on the right of the people to make law. What we’ve seen the Legis
SMB: Are you suggesting that gays, by virtue of being out and open,
are inciting these types of violent reactions?
GG: You have to recognize for every action there’s a reaction...we’re
obviously not going to tolerate anyone who beats up any other person.
lature doing is the idea that we’re continuing to tell people they don’t have
the right to speak on initiatives. You have every right to participate in this
process, and so do I. This is the right of the people to speak. The Legislature
right now is heading in the direction of professional politicians.
Willi Georqe Oui, Who’s In?
by Stephen Marc Beaudoin
Nortness has thrown his hat into the contest.
as “complete horseshit.... 1 mean, good Lord.”
is
A self-employed litigation consultant and
Boquist, meanwhile, did not respond to re
imminent, but it signals yet
sometime pop musician, Nortness said he would
peated e-mail and telephone requests from Just
a battle
work to attract new industries to the poorest
Out for comment on his candidacy. But ac
for the seat he’s about to leave
parts of the district. He would also offer some
cording to the Oregon Family Council Voter’s
vacant.
In the Republican-held grip of District 12,
thing his opponent can’t: protection of equal
Guide, his record on equal rights for sexual mi
rights for all of his constituents, sexual minori
norities would seem to place him squarely in line
with George’s stated ideology: “I don’t believe in
and Benton counties, that means it’s an uphill
ties included.
“The repeal of the Oregon Equality Act is a
fight for Democrat Kevin Nortness, a Willamina
terrible idea, and I’m opposed as a citizen and
Nortness, for his part, is gearing up for a real
city commissioner. In a surprise 1 lth-hour filing
a voter,” he said. When asked for reaction to
showdown with Boquist. “1’11 give it my very best
challenge to Rep. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, long
George’s much-discussed Just Out interview,
considered the sole candidate for the seat,
Nortness characterized the senator’s comments
shot and everything 1 can," he said. “Every vote
that 1 get will be well-earned.’ ■®
from
the Oregon Senate
another
beginning:
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ary George’s end-of-term exit
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special rights for homosexuals.”
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