February 18, 2015
The
Portland Observer Black
INSIDE
The
Week in Review
S PORTS
page 2
Page 3
This page
Sponsored by:
L OCAL N EWS
Public Service Denied
pages 10-11
Ambridge
Center won’t
rent to black gay
support group
BY O LIVIA O LIVIA
M ETRO
History Month
page 13
T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER
An application to rent the
Ambridge Event Center in Portland
from a black gay support group has
been turned down because the owner
of the facility has a religious objec-
tion, a rejection that appears to vio-
late Oregon’s public accommodation
laws.
The Portland Black PFLAG (for-
merly Parents, Friends, and Family
of Lesbians and Gays) chapter now
finds itself searching for a new venue
while considering legal action and a
formal complaint with the Civil
Rights Division of the Oregon Bu-
reau of Labor and Industries.
Located next door to the Oregon
Convention Center, the Ambridge
Event Center is owned by the Holy
Rosary Catholic Church, which is
also located in the same northeast
Portland neighborhood.
Despite advertising itself as “in-
finitely flexible, warmly accommo-
dating” for meetings and confer-
ences, Ambridge Center managers
said they have a contract with the
church that prevents them from rent-
ing to people related to the LGBTQ
community.
“If it was for the Ambridge itself
we would host the event no prob-
lem. We love having all sorts of
events here. This is just strictly be-
cause of our contract with our church
doesn’t allow us to host this event,”
an Ambridge official wrote to the
group in a Feb. 13 email.
The organization wanted a big
enough venue to seat and cater to a
party of over 250 guests for their
anniversary scheduled for mid April.
Khalil Edwards, one of the coordi-
nators for the organization, said the
event might have to be postponed
if they cannot find another suitable
venue by the end of the week.
Rev. Vincent M. Kelber of the
Holy Rosary Church confirmed that
the church had a management con-
tract with the Ambridge Center but
could not comment on the details of
that contract.
As the first African-American
PFLAG group in the nation, the
Portland chapter focuses on sup-
porting, educating and creating
advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender people and their
immediate families, providing op-
portunity for dialogue about sexual
orientation and gender identity, and
supporting acts to create a society
that is healthy and respectful of
human diversity.
Charlie Burr, who manages me-
dia for the Bureau of Labor and
Industries, said he could not com-
ment directly if this was a discrimi-
nation case, but indicated that it
may violate the Oregon Equality
Act in which no person can be de-
nied access to housing or public
accommodation.
There are exceptions for religious
organizations, but they are narrow,
he said, indicating that an investi-
gation would be necessary to deter-
mine further action, including pos-
sible fines and other penalties.
pages 12-18
C ALENDAR
C LASSIFIEDS
O PINION
pages 22-23
page 19
page 21
Poised to Become Governor
Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, pictured in an archive AP photo, is scheduled to be sworn
in to office Wednesday as Oregon next chief executive at the State Capitol in Salem. Gov. John
Kitzhaber is stepping down amid allegations over influence pedaling. See story, page 8.