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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 2011)
THE YEAR IN politics OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE DECEMBER 9, 2011 17 - J S BY RYAN J. PRADO When 2011 began, a majority of Oregon voters either upheld or evolved their positions on marriage equality in Oregon. The proof was in the polls, with just over 50 percent of Oregonians expressing support for statewide marriage equality. Hoping to become the first state to put gay marriage on the ballot and win, Basic Rights Oregon applied the pres sure with public campaigning via television spots, online surveys and, at the zero hour, a network of statewide equality advocates to advise the organization on whether 2012 would be the year to give legal gay marriage a real go. Despite a majority of Oregonians re sponding that they favored marriage equality, the tough decision came down just weeks ago that BRO would not be moving forward on the issue for the 2012 ballot. Leading the list of reasons to wait varied from the cost of waging an expensive cam paign in the midst of an economic crisis to BRO’s Board of Directors' fear that the slim majority of Oregonians in favor of gay mar riage was not large enough to ensure victory. BRO executive director Jeana Frazzini noted that though marriage equality wouldn’t be on the voting block next year, Oregon equality advocates are now in a better position to re galvanize support in the future thanks to the flurry of education and visibility for the cause Hoping to become the first state to put gay marriage on the ballot and win, Basic Rights Oregon applied the pressure with public campaigning via television spots, online surveys and, at the zero hour, a network of state wide equality advocates to advise the organization on whether 2012 would be the year to give legal gay marriage a real go. promoted by the campaign. “We’re going to win the freedom to marry in Oregon,” said Frazzini in an op-ed piece for Just Out in November. “It’s not a matter of if—only a matter of when. Our entire board and staff deeply want our state to be moving faster in the direction of equality and inclu sion. We’ve been working tirelessly for three years to move the needle of public opinion and build the infrastructure we ll need to win at the ballot. And when the time is right, we’ll go ‘all in’ to win this.” Just days after BRO announced its deci sion, a group of marriage equality advocates in Washington state rolled out their own campaign to be the seventh state in the coun- Washingtons 2012 gay-marriage campaign will target the Legislature, the matter could wind up on that fall’s ballot—either because a referendum clause is required to get enough legislative votes, or if opponents gather signa tures to challenge it. Should that happen, Washington would be in a position to become * the first state in the nation’s history to legalize gay marriage by voter approval. State Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle), himself openly gay, is the leading political figurehead of the current push, and has said that 2012 is the best chance the state has ever had to make marriage equality a reality. Currently, Washington United for Marriage, with coalition member Equal Rights Wash ington, is pushing the agenda with a series of try to legalize gay marriage. Lead by Wash town hall-style meetings, phone banking and ington United for Marriage, a coalition of online opinion polls across the state. dozens of gay rights, civil liberties, labor and Furthering Washington’s equality scope, religious groups, the effort will pressure the ERW was instrumental in passing legislation Legislature to pass a marriage equality law in that recognizes all same sex unions from all 2012. The group said it is prepared to defend jurisdictions as domestic partners while they the law from any referendum challenge, simi are in the state; that updated the state’s anti larly to the case in 2009 when the state’s “ev bullying law to include state community col erything but marriage” domestic partnership leges and universities and to require mental law was approved, then challenged on the health and suicide prevention education; and ballot as Referendum 71. The law was upheld that updated the state’s Universal Parentage by public vote later that year. Act to provide rights, protections and respon As reported by The Seattle Times, while sibilities for domestic partnerships. --------------------------------------------------------- 1 #1 H ighest Rated FOR THE LOVE o/ C A R S Mazda Dealer in Portland! 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