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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 2019)
PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 23, 2019 The hidden impacts of the anti-LGBTQ city charter By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes In 1993, residents of Keiz- er approved an addition to the city charter that some members of the Keizer City Council are now seeking to eliminate. It’s known as Section 44, and it specifi - cally targets members of the LGBTQ+ community for exclusion when it comes to city practices. It states that city offi cers “shall not make, pass, adopt, or enforce any ordinance, rule, regulation, policy or res- olution that extends minori- ty status, affi rmative action, quotas, special class status, or any similar concepts, based on homosexuality.” In addition, it bars the city from using funds to promote homosexuality or express approval of homosexual be- havior. The language of the section grants only two mi- nor mercies. It does not allow the city to deny a permit or license based on sexual ori- entation or preferences and it does not limit libraries from providing materials involving LGBTQ+ issues The 1993 effort to pass the measure in Keizer was a last-ditch attempt by mem- bers of the No Special Rights Committee and Oregon Cit- izens Alliance to put in place such language wherever they could. After several attempts to have similar measures passed statewide failed, the groups targeted a more lim- ited number of individual cit- ies and counties where they thought the ideas might gain traction.Keizer was on the short list and didn't disappoint the idea's supporters when it hit the ballot box. Keizerites approved the measure with a 55 percent majority. In some ways, the issue was already moot when Keizer approved the addition to the city’s founding document. The Oregon Legislature had already passed a measure making all such local provi- sions unenforceable. The Leg- islature returned to the issue in 2017 with a statute putting any local government that tried to enforce on the hook for court challenges. Despite the neutering, the language has remained in the city's founding document for more than 25 years. Even though state law ren- dered the charter amendment toothless, seven states – Tex- as, Arizona, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ala- bama and Mississippi – have enacted similar legislation and a research brief by GLSEN, pronounced “glisten,” lays out some of the ways the pres- ence of such language are detrimental to the LGBTQ+ community. “In cases where the law prevents any representation of homosexuality, LGBQ stu- dents may feel invisible as they are prevented from learning about themselves and their communities,” wrote the au- thors of the 2018 brief. Those impacts extend to transgen- der individuals and other non-conforming identities. The brief looks spe- cifi cally at the impacts on youth and how “no promo homo” laws affect their lives. GLSEN studies revealed that LGBTQ+ students were less accepted by their peers, 39.4 percent compared to 51.1 percent in states without such laws. The same youth were more likely to be subjected to verbal or physical harassment. When it came to class- work, there were fewer positive representations of LGBTQ+ individuals and students were more likely to be taught about LGBTQ+ people and events in a nega- tive framework. Students also reported less access to books or information on LGBTQ+ topics and an inability to ac- cess such information on school computers. When it came to teachers, the studies found that they Colored pencil workshop coming to Keizer Art in Sept. The cost of attendance is $199 which includes tuition for the two-day class, plus a workbook that includes step by step instruction for the class project and drawing paper with the line drawing printed on it. Students are responsible for bringing the materials on the supplies list. Accommodations can be made for those who may need them, when registering be sure to email erin. fl ood@annkullberg.com if accommodations are needed. SOAR plans on bringing three to four events a year to KAA. Visit annkullberg.com to register or for more details. Submit an obituary through our website at keizertimes.com or send an email to: editor@keizertimes.com James A. Willhite November 23, 1932 – August 13, 2019 James Willhite was born in Portland, Ore. and graduated from Benson High School. Through studies at various locations including Oregon State University, he became a registered professional engineer. He worked for the Bureau of Public Roads and the Federal Highway Administration for 36 years in Vancouver, Wash., Boise Id., and headquarters in Washington D.C. His focus areas were bridge construction and highway safety including work in Honduras on the Pan- American Highway. After retirement, Jim focused on genealogy research and volunteered for book repair for the Willamette Valley Genealogical Society at the Oregon State Library. He also hosted a Willhite DNA website. He was a member and offi cer in the National Active and Retired Federal Employees and Thor Lodge Sons of Norway. Jim was also an avid Volcanoes and San Francisco Giants baseball fan and exerciser at the Courthouse Club Fitness in Keizer. He was a member of the Keizer Elks. Jim is survived by sons James Jr. (Linda) of Malvern, Pa and Douglas (Julia) of Warner Springs, Calif.; brother Paul (Rosemary) of Keizer, and wife Pat Ehrlich. Also survived by fi ve grandchildren, six great- grandchildren and one great- great-grandchild. Jim was predeceased by his parents James and Olaug Willhite, daughter Brenda Cheaqui, brother David and his fi rst wife Marilyn Dube. At his request there will be no services. If desired, donations in his memory may be made to the Germanna Foundation, P.O. Box 279, Locust Grove, VA 22508. Arrangements by Crown Memorial Center. Celebrate with Cherriots Sept. 7 Cherriots is hosting a Sat- urday’s Alright (For Riding) event on the north block of the downtown Transit Center n Saturday Sept. 7, from 10 a.m to 4 pm. The event will celebrate the new Saturday service in addi- tion to free rides on Saturdays during the month of Septem- ber. The event will include food trucks, music, prizes, Caesar the No Drama Llama, kids activi- ties, and a special presentation at noon. M emorial C enters ◆ C remation & B urial Simplicity - Convenience - Low Cost ASK MR. TRASH Q. I heard about China’s ban on recycling. What IS recyclable now? A. Be very careful to only recycle the things on your hauler’s approved list. PLASTIC BAGS, STYROFOAM, AND WAXY CARTONS WERE NEVER RECYCLABLE! PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING GOOD RECYCLABLES EMPTY, CLEAN AND DRY: • Cardboard and uncoated greyboard boxes (Shipping & cereal type). No frozen food boxes! • Print-quality paper - newspaper, junk & office paper, and magazines; • Tin & Aluminum Cans Only - NO foil, trays, or scrap metal; • Plastic Bottles and Jugs Only - NO bags, tubs, clamshells, bubble Pak, or other plastics. ©1986 BY LAUREN MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Keizer Art Association (KAA) is partnering with SOAR for a colored pencil workshop at the Keizer Cul- tural Center, 980 Chemawa Rd NE, Keizer. The Radiant Swan on White Paper workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15, with an hour for lunch both days. SOAR is a network of 13 colored pencil art instructors who have been trained and certifi ed to present professional art workshops all over the U.S. and Canada. The network was created by Ann Kullberg, publisher of COLOR magazine. For the past 20 years Kullberg has been teaching portrait workshops, she created SOAR to give more variety of styles and skills to a greater number of cities. SOAR certifi ed instructor Andria Burchett will be teach- ing the Radiant Swan on White Paper workshop in Keizer. were less likely to receive professional development on LGBTQ+ issues and were less likely to display visual signs of LGBTQ+ support in their classrooms or offi ces. School administrators were also perceived as less support- ive in states with no promo- tion laws. However, it should be noted that even in states without such laws, only 10.5 percent of faculty received LGBTQ+ trainings and only 13 percent of teachers dis- played visual support for the community. In another telling statistic, only slightly more than half a percent of teachers in “no promo” states were willing to serves as advisors to gay- straight alliance clubs, but even in states without such laws only fi ve percent of teachers were willing to serve in such a capacity. Lastly, even when account- ing for demographics, school characteristics, region of the country and state educa- tion expenditures, schools in states with “no promo” laws still had more hostile envi- ronments and less access to LGBTQ+-supportive re- sources. obituaries Serving Keizer for Nearly 50 years! LOREN'S VA L L E Y SANITATION & RECYCLING SERVICE, INC. RECYCLING & DISPOSAL, INC. 503.393.2262 503.585.4300 WorshipDirectory These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit. Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051 KEIZER CLEAR LAKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH a member of Open Door Churches of Salem-Keizer REV. ALYSSA BAKER, Lead Pastor Services are Sunday at 10 am (Nursery & Sunday School for Children) 7920 Wheatland Rd N • 503-393-2402 • www.kclumc.org PEOPLESCHURCH 4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM 503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m. Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m. 9:00 am Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries 1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer 503-390-3900 www.dayspringfellowship.com and 10:45 am Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor Worship - 10:30 a.m. Education Hour - 9:15 a.m. Nursery Care Available www.JohnKnoxPresKeizer.org 9:30 am & 11:00 am Sunday Worship Services SUNDAY SERVICES 4505 River Road N, Keizer • 503-393-4507 www.FLCkeizer.org Sunday School - 9:00 am Worship Service -10:00 am 452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404 8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm Faith Lutheran Church , ELCA Pastor Linda Matz Easterling John Knox Presbyterian Church JOIN US FOR SUNDAY WORSHIP www.KeizerChristian.org
