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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2011)
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M ississippi # 104 P ort land , OR 97227 503-249-1432 5 0 3 -2 2 6 -6 6 7 8 KNOW YOUR STATUS Free & confidential HIV rapid tests for gay & bisexual men at 1425 Beavercreek Road Oregon City 9 7 0 4 5 Call 5 0 3 -6 5 5 -8 4 7 1 for an appointment Tuesdays 3 :3 0 - 6 :3 0 C lackamas Common Ground Wellness Cooperative join a community owned cooperative bathhouse and wellness center! Clothing optional, gender inclusive, healing bathhouse Most hours open to all genders, some hours held for men only, women only and transgender/ gender queer only Call for reservations 50 3-238 -IO 6 5 Bring this coupon in and receive two hours for the price of one! Expires 10/1/11. Must be used in same visit, can not be combined with other offers. www.soakandsauna.com Stay tuned fo r updates on this story as it develops. In the meantime, visit change.org/ petitions/port land-trail-blazer s-m ake-an- it-gets-hetter-video to sign Zeller's petition. New York Gay Marriage Decision Provides Momen tum for Marriage Equality in Northwest Oregon City Clinic www.man2manpdx.us camp. Notably, she said that during the off-season the company would be utilizing their organizational pre sentations and their intro ductions with new employ ees and athletes to stress the importance of knowing what it means to be in— and represent—Portland, and what it means to be a Trailblazer. She said this conversation moving for ward will include a message of inclusivity and respect. For now, though, any tan gible plans for a PSA, com mercial or video are in the infancy stages. “It’s something we’re absolutely taking very seri ously,” said Rose, who also referred to the Trailblazers’ work in programs with the Special Olym pics to eliminate the use of the “R” word. “We want to get behind this, locked arms with the rest of the NBA. What we com pletely and clearly understand is that the expectations are very different in this com munity. We need to know and be of the values of this community, and that’s going to be different all around the country. This message, though, is united. For us to be able to get the word out in Portland is one thing; being able to really get behind a na tional movement as well is where the change really happens.” 5010 NE 33 rd Avenue Oregon marriage equality advocates were just one contingent of a large swath of Americans celebrating the news that New York’s GOP-led legislature had approved a bill to legalize gay marriage in the state June 24. But with marriage equality legisla tion having been introduced earlier this year in the Washington state Senate, as well as the perennial push for a ballot ini tiative in Oregon to overturn Measure 36, questions are brewing over what’s next in the Pacific Northwest’s fight for fairness. Both Basic Rights Oregon and Equal Rights Washington agree that the marriage equality victory in New York is an opportune time to galvanize visibility, awareness and momentum for the LGBTQjnovement. “All states that are getting close to mar riage equality are buoyed by New York for both the momentum it builds and the money it frees up for efforts around the country,” explained ERW vice chair Ty Stober. “We’re very excited about the New York vote and the recent polling here in Oregon, WWW.JUSTOUT.COM ICKR USER J. < nwnews > JULY 1, 2011 both of which show the evolution of thought around marriage equality,” said Jeana Frazzini, executive director for BRO. “It also shows that when we make marriage personal and not political, minds can change.” Frazzini is referring to a new survey con ducted by Public Policy Polling, which found that 48 percent of Oregon voters support marriage equality, compared to 42 percent against it. The numbers mark a shift in public opinion about gay marriage since the 2004 election, in which nearly 57 percent of Oregonians voted to approve Measure 36—a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in the state. Both BRO and ERW have remained cautious about taking on the introduction of a ballot measure in 2012, choosing in stead to gather more information, insight and perspective from the communities of their respective states before embarking on such a costly campaign. Both organizations have said a decision could be announced nearer to this fall. The statistics found by Public Policy Polling show that though there are promis ing upswings in the attitude toward gay marriage in general, a ballot measure would face a tough fight. The same poll asked voters to choose among gay marriage, civil unions—which are already allowed in Oregon—and no le gal recognition for gay couples. In that scenario, 43 percent backed gay marriage, 33 percent supported civil unions and 22 percent said there should he no legal recog nition for gay couples. These numbers have led to the fear that opponents of gay mar riage could stymie support for a ballot measure by contending that civil unions are sufficient enough for gay couples. “Once we enter a heated political cam paign, it will be impossible for our message of love, commitment and fairness to be heard over the din of the opposition’s nega tive advertising,” Frazzini said. “In the coming months, we ll continue to engage Oregonians in conversations about why
