OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
MARCH 18.2011
Wed a Minute
Remembering seven weeks of same-sex marriage
BY MARTY DAVIS
here were you seven years ago, in early
March 2004?
I, along with many other sodden persons,
spent many consecutive days hanging out
at the Multnomah County Building on
SE Hawthorne. Why? Because late in the
evening of March 2 it was announced that,
starting the next day, Multnomah County
would accept, and process, applications for
same-sex marriages.
If you were there you remember the ripple
effect o f the shock as news spread across
Portland. You see, this was completely out o f
the blue. No one had a clue. Well, a handful
o f people knew, but the greater community
was caught totally off guard. That would be
the greater community right on up to the
governor’s office, by the way.
Word spread quickly— very quickly, given
it was a time before Facebook. Before, I even
think, most o f the local media had websites
with blogs and daily, hourly updates. Can
you imagine? People had to use phones and
emails to spread the word. Funny thing,
though, it worked and word spread rapidly.
The story immediately became easy to fol
low, what with all hell breaking loose like
it did.
All this is coming to mind now, not on the
fifth anniversary, now quietly past, nor on the
10th, as would seem logical, but now mark
ing the seventh anniversary— thanks to the
First Unitarian Church o f Portland setting
the celebratory stage with its Politics o f Love
event.
There are enough stories, memories, pain,
turmoil about those seven weeks in M ult
nomah County to fill several books. What
was at best well-intended, at worst foolishly
thought out impacted lives in a way no one
W
ever could have predicted. Political careers
were destroyed and friendships were cast
aside. The “Mean G irls” were bred, creat
ing the lowest point o f what was by then
a total debacle. An unknown Ted Wheeler,
now Oregon state treasurer, was cast into a
role that could eventually lead him to the
governor’s seat, as then County Chair Diane
Linn was sent into political and personal
exile. Wheeler would not be where he is
today if Basic Rights Oregon had not sat
down for tea and talk about same-sex mar
riage with the Multnomah County Board o f
Commissioners.
My memories start with the first night. As
word spread that the county would accept
marriage license applications the next day,
eager couples lined up to be the first, with
many staying in line overnight. My memory,
now seven years older, recalls Christine
Tanner and her spouse-to-be camping out
to be the first in line. Tanner is known for
Tanner v. Oregon Health Science University,
a landmark lawsuit that won the right for
O H S U same-sex couples to receive health
and life insurance benefits for their partners.
It seemed more than fitting that she would
be among the first o f many same-sex couples
to be wed in Oregon. Basic Rights Oregon
selected Mary Li and Rebecca Kennedy to
carry the honor as first to be married but that
was a staged media opportunity— as were
many o f the events surrounding this very
interesting moment in Oregon history.
The lines grew longer and longer and stayed
wrapped around the Hawthorne building for
several days. I recall it raining pretty much
the whole darned time. It was cold and wet;
it was festive and happy. People came by and
handed out flowers, cookies, hot beverages
The Ladies Professional G o lf Associa
tion has its first out lesbian player. Muffin
Spencer-Devlin, 42, told Sports Illustrated
that she plans to marry her lover, musi-
cian/composer Lynda Roth, in May.
Keith Meinhold, the only person to suc
cessfully challenge in court the old ban on
gay men and lesbians in the military and
remain on active duty, retired from the
military on March 27. He ended his 16-
year military career by deciding to take a
package o f early retirement benefits.
REFLECTION
15 Years Ago in Just Out
• San Francisco’s new Main Library opened
April 18 with a unique and historic archive.
The library contains the James C. Hormel
Gay and Lesbian Center, named for the
gay philanthropist who is its biggest bene
factor. The center is the first specifically
devoted to documenting gay and lesbian
history in a public library.
The Metropolitan Human Rights Com
mission approved on March 12 two
resolutions expressing its opposition to a
series o f proposed ballot measures that it
contends would negatively impact upon
the civil and human rights o f the people o f
Portland and Multnomah County.
Barry Burns seized the title of Mr. Portland
Leather 1996 during the Contest Weekend
held Feb. 23-25. Burns will represent Port
land in the International Mr. leather compe
tition in Chicago from May 23 to 27.
With a pending court decision in Hawaii
and snacks. Cars honked, people waved. One
lane o f traffic in front o f the building was
blocked off tor protestors. And protestors
came and took their place. It was in front o f
this building that I first met Nelson Jones,
holding his sign o f support for people who
were about to obtain a right for which he’d
waited a lifetime.
In another eyebrow-raising move, the
Board o f Commissioners waived the stan
dard three-day waiting requirement and
allowed marriages to be performed immedi
ately upon receiving the application. Couples
were literally coming out o f the doorway and
being hustled off to a corner to be married
by waiting clergy. Basic Rights Oregon set
up camp in the upper balcony o f the Keller
Auditorium, where hundreds o f wedding
ceremonies were performed. It was surreal,
at best. Ceremonies were also held at H olo
cene, where I encountered a lesbian couple
who had flown out from a southern state to
take this opportunity to be wed. They were
so fearful someone at home would find out
that they would not allow their picture to be
taken or share their full names. They lived
completely closeted lives in their home state,
but they felt compelled to fly to Oregon and
have this memory, this moment for them
selves. Some months later they would, along
with all the others, receive a refund for their
license fee and a notice that their marriage
was voided.
I hurriedly went from location to location,
taking hundreds o f pictures, all o f which I
now cannot find. I know they are here some
where, in a yct-unopened box from our move
o f nearly fours years ago— and I will find
them. Seven years ago I was still using film,
so there are no digital copies o f these archives.
I will find these photos— a 10th anniversary
is coming up, photos will be needed.
Memories are one part o f this story,
questions are another. Did the Multnomah
County Commissioners make the right deci
sion? Would Ballot Measure 36 have been
passed had this not happened? Was it the
right thing to do?
I don’t know, what do you think?
that could pave the way for legal marriage
between same-gender couples, the culture
finally appears to be catching up— and,
not surprisingly, many people as well as
panicky lawmakers nationwide appear
alarmed by the concept o f equal marriage
rights for same-gender couples.
iÄ ’
just out
VOL. 28, NO. 8
MARCH 18. 2011
INSIDE
» FEATURE
16 SPRUNG!
Just Out springs about home, garden, town
and more
16 GET OUT, STAY PUT
Three cool vacations, all within PDX city limits
17 GREEN THUMBS, START
YOUR ENGINES...
Kick off the season with the Sassy Gardener
19 SPRINGING OUT OF
THE CLOSET
Spring cleaning with Sir Lennox
20 COLORING THE SEASON
The M ARS Factor
» NEWS / EVENTS
5 NORTHWEST NEWS IN BRIEF
10 BETTER TO HAVE LOVED
AND LOST
Couples to celebrate same-sex marriage licenses
given but taken away
» COMMUNITY
14 TRANSFORMING SUPPORT
Resources connect the trans and
genderqueer population
15 ONE TO KNOW
Power o f One Conference comes to
Reed College
30 FAMILY MATTERS
I
To put it simply, most o f us would not want
to be in Chuck Carpenter’s shoes. During
the past year, the 34-year-old Republican
legislator lost his job with Nike and gener
ated a torrent o f bad feelings among many
within the gay and lesbian community due
to his public campaigning on behalf o f
Gordon Smith, a failed (now resurrected)
U.S. senatorial candidate who believes that
it is a “special right” for people to receive
legal protections from discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
Oregon’s first and only lesbian and gay
softball association is starting its second
season on April 21. Rose City Softball
Association will pitch off as Margie Boulé,
Oregonian columnist and jazz vocalist,
sings the national anthem, accompanied by
the Rose City Gay Freedom Band.
3
YWCA’s C am pO U T enters 35th year of
LGBTQ_family camping on the coast
» ARTS 6 CULTURE
21 OUT & ABOUT
25 ON STAGE
28 A BIG BANG
Milagro Theatre explores hope through
transformation with ROOM CRACKLEFLY
32 SISTERS, MISTERS AND
TALE SPINSTERS
Sister Spit launches diverse
Next Generation tour
| 34 JOB WELL DONE
Poison Waters to absorb love and low blows in
Royal Roast
» COLUMNISTS
26 PETLANDIA
27 LADY ABOUT TOWN
36 ASK A GAY
37 REMEMBER TO BREATHE
I
» PHOTOS
42 LATINO STARS &
FRIENDS OF ATHENS
43 BEEF CAKE WALK