Well known Portland Attorney Beth Allen who has played large roles in the Li v. Oregon and Martinez v. Oregon cases has penned a no hold barred op-ed in the Oregonian today blasting anti-gay forces who have infiltrated Oregon. These forces are masquerading themselves as saints attempting to alter the Oregon initiative process - when in reality it has little to do with the process itself, but the end result. The end result being to advance their extremist, out-of-state, anti-gay agenda here in Oregon.

Allen asks the question, "At what cost do we unravel our process?".

And here is her op-ed:

The Legislature last year passed a bill that would finally grant Oregon's gay couples state rights and responsibilities similar to those of married couples. The governor signed the bill in May, to go into effect on Jan. 1.

Some Oregonians, angered by the Legislature's vote, attempted to refer the issue to the ballot. They gathered petition signatures, but their usual constituency had apparently grown tired of the divisive issue, and the ballot measure's proponents turned in for review less than 62,000 signatures. They needed 55,179 valid signatures.

The process used to determine the validity of the signatures was the same process that has been used for years. The secretary of state's office employs a statistically appropriate sampling method to determine whether enough signatures are likely to meet the threshold number of valid signatures. This allows the state to avoid the burden of verifying every single signature, which would be prohibitively costly.

While reviewing the signatures submitted for the referral, people for and against the ballot measure peered over the shoulders of the signature verifiers, often offering comment. But unless there was a good reason to doubt the veracity of any signature, it was counted. By Oct. 8, the ballot measure proponents knew that the number of signatures they submitted was insufficient.

All of this should have come as no surprise. Oregonians (and, yes, too often out-of-staters) have been engaging in this process for decades. It's well-known that some signatures gathered in the petition process on Oregon's streets will be invalid, so it's advisable for advocates to submit significantly more than the threshold amount to ensure success. In this case, they didn't. And most people in Oregon breathed a sigh of relief -- one less discriminatory ballot measure to divide the state.

The days, weeks and months ticked by. And then, just as the law was about to go into effect, enter Joseph Infranco, an out-of-state lawyer with something called the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative anti-gay group. He ran to federal court to cry foul on the state. And now, we all must wait for the law to go into effect while he attempts to argue why our state should review signatures the way he wants them reviewed.

To Joseph Infranco, I say this: This is not a football game, as portrayed in the analogy of your commentary in The Oregonian ("Hijacking Oregon's democratic process," Jan. 16), and no one was cheated of the opportunity to participate in democracy.

What you clearly don't understand is the damage that you are doing to the democratic process. If you and your anti-gay allies are successful, the victory will be Pyrrhic. It will become more difficult and much more expensive to get any measure on Oregon's ballot. If unsuccessful (my expectation), you will have wasted Oregonians' tax dollars, which are being used to defend our state's process, and hurt real Oregon families who could have benefited from the law while it was held up in court.

Oregonians will rue the day you rode into town. When you're done, you'll ride away, probably to muck about in some other state's political processes, looking for ways to oppress the civil rights of people you find distasteful.

Oregonians, on the other hand, will be left to wonder: Are we so afraid of gay people committing to one another that we're willing to allow outsiders to unravel our initiative process and continue to divide our state?

Only time will tell.

Labels: domestic partnership, lawsuit, oregon, referendum

In response to the lawsuit filed yesterday, Basic Rights Oregon responds - as does the Secretary of State.

Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director John Hummel said that a lawsuit filed by anti-gay activists in a gambit to revive a failed referendum on Oregon's new domestic partnership law is completely without merit.

"This lawsuit demonstrates our opponents' commitment to dismantling Oregon's anti-discrimination laws," Hummel said in a statement today. "We have to be vigilant, and prepared to meet them at every turn. We are confident that this case will be dismissed."

The complaint filed in Federal Court by out of state attorneys alleges that Oregon's Secretary of State and a dozen county clerks erred by not creating special procedures to reinstate the signatures of people who said they had signed the petition, but whose signatures were found to be invalid using well established criteria.

Basic Rights Oregon has monitored the signature verification process on many occasions over the years. The process we observed on these petitions was consistent with what we have seen year after year, Hummel said. "The Secretary of State's job is to ensure the uniform and efficient administration of elections, and we're confident that all of the proper rules and regulations were followed as usual.

In early October, Oregon's Secretary of State certified the results of the referendum effort and found that that the petitions fell short of the number of required signatures to force a referendum on the domestic partnership law. The law takes effect on January 1, 2008.

Hummel said the lawsuit’s chance's of success are slim to none. “On January 1st, same sex couples in committed, caring relationships will have the legal recognition they need to take care of each other," he said. "Nothing is going to prevent this law from going into effect."

Then comes word from the Secretary of State's office. Let me just raise a glass to Scott Moore for the following statement (mainly the last sentence).

"What it comes down to is there are statutes that govern how signatures on initiative petitions are verified and those statues were applied in exactly the same way as every other initiative petition that's delivered to this office. The law is applied fairly and neutrally across the board," says Scott Moore, chief of communications for the Secretary of State. "To bend the rules to allow for an exception in this case would be granting special privileges to a select group."

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon, referendum

This is not a test and not a joke. Could it possibly be true that David Crowe, head of Restore America - the extremist anti-gay group who was attempting to put Oregon's new Domestic Partnership and Anti-Discrimination laws on the Novemeber 2008 ballot - has moved to Tennessee?

That's what we just heard from always reliable blogger The One True B!X. A post on his blog 'Furious Nads' from Oct. 20 says:

Anyone have any idea why David Crowe of the Oregon-based Restore America's Bigotry is described by the press as being from Tennessee?

And just two days ago on Oct. 22 he has a new post stating something very surprising:

Remember when I wondered why the press was referring to David Crowe of Restore America's Bigotry as being of Tennessee? I asked The New York Times, and here's why: "They just moved from Oregon to Tennessee."

Wow. They told the NY Times that they have moved to Tennessee. Could it be possible that they've realized that Oregon isn't a place where their sort of fringe extremism would be tolerated so they have to go to a place like Tennessee?

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, oregon, referendum, restore america

David Crowe of the defunked and illegal 'political action committee' called Concerned Oregonians is crying fowl weeks after his failed referendum attempt.

From OregonLive today:

Opponents of the domestic partnership bill that passed the Legislature are still trying to get the law referred to the ballot, even though the secretary of state's office ruled earlier this month that they fell 116 valid signatures short of the 55,179 required by law.

The Medford Mail Tribune reports that opponents of the law - which allows same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships that include many of the legal protections given to married couples - are pressuring the Jackson County Clerk Kathy Beckett to count several signatures she had earlier invalidated.

Because the secretary of state validates petitions by using just a sample of the signatures, opponents figure they can make up their deficit by persuading the clerk to allow just six of the invalidated signatures to be counted. The group seeking the referendum, Concerned Oregonians, has rounded up eight people who say they signed the petition but had their signatures unfairly invalidated.

At this point, Beckett gives no indication she will change her mind. But if nothing else, it's a sign of how every angle of Oregon's initiative and referendum process is coming under intense scrutiny and pressure.

Give up already. When gay and lesbian Oregonians lost Constitutional Amendment 36 in 2004, sure we cried and were deeply upset - upset for very good reasons. Oregon's Constitution was scarred that fateful day. It was no longer the Constitution of the people, it was the Constitution for some.

Now, after your blatant failure to put the 26th and 27th (I think) anti-gay measure on the ballot (more than any other state in the nation) you are crying fowl. Take your defeat as just that. Oregonians simply aren't into your politics of bigotry and fear. That was so 2004.

You claim that Oregon's new Domestic Partnership law "violates the intent of Oregon voters who in 2004 adopted a constitutional ban on gay marriage." So why go through all these months of collecting tens of thousands of signatures?

If it was violating Measure 36 then you would file a lawsuit. If in fact it did violate Measure 36, you would win. I will give you some credit here though. Deep down you know that Domestic Partnerships in no way violate Measure 36--nor the "spirit of Measure 36". Hence why you and your fellow self-righteous bigots have failed to do so.

You also fail to notice that the proponents of Measure 36 have stepped back and are not participating in the referendum attempt. They even know that Domestic Partnerships are a far cry from marriage.

"The spirit of Measure 36"... what exactly is that? The way I see it the spirit of Measure 36 is damn evil by not only permanently inscribing blatant discrimination in Oregon's most sacred document, by locking Oregon families out of vital rights, protections and responsibilities.

I think families are the backbone of society, whereas you could not be further away from this belief. Selectively shutting out couples, especially with children from protecting one another is just plain wrong. As one of your cohorts said in a voter guide statement: "Speaking of families, raising a successful and loving family in the '90's can be challenging".

Damn right--10 years later it's even harder.

Now you are also falsely claiming that:

"...the legislature's results fail to provide a sufficient religious exemption to protect churches and religious organizations from being forced to hire homosexual individuals, and further it leaves to "a court to decide what is or is not closely connected with the primary purposes of the church."

The pair of plans also would require school districts to teach homosexual, bisexuality and transgenderism in their classrooms, and the domestic partnership proposal itself, would create discrimination."

Must I again remind you that the proponents of Measure 36, the Oregon Family Council decided not to involve themselves in the referendum attempt. In fact they called the religious expemtion "iron clad."

Let it go. Oregonians just aren't that into you.

Labels: 2008 elections, anti gay, anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, HB 2007, house bill 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2, senate bill 2

From the Oregon Secretary of State:

SALEM - Today the Elections Division of the Secretary of States Office announced verification of signatures for referendum petition #304 submitted for the November 4, 2008 General Election ballot has been completed.

The result of the signature verification is referendum #304 did not contain enough valid signatures to qualify to the ballot. Referendum #304 was filed on SB 2 passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature.

This proposed referendum required 55,179 valid signatures to gain ballot access. The referendum contains 53,875 valid signatures, or 90.15% of the 59,761 total unverified signatures submitted for verification.

Labels: anti-discrimination, oregon, referendum

The anti-gay referendum attempt on Oregon's Anti-Discrimination law has FAILED. Supporters of discrimination could only muster up 53,875 valid signatures and they needed at least 55,179 to force the vote in November 2008.

This means that both Oregon's Domestic Partnership law (referendum failed earlier this week) and Oregon's Anti-Discrimination law will go into effect as planned on January 1, 2008.

Good job my fellow Oregonians. More to come as this story unfolds.

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, oregon, referendum

Today at 5pm was the deadline for Oregon's counties to complete their signature verification process. Tomorrow the Secretary of State will announce whether or not it has been certified.

Just a refresher on the situation.

This law, signed by Governor Kulongoski on May 9th of this year (video of signing), will ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodation.

A few fringe anti-gay groups organized together (and I use organized very lightly) in an attempt to put a referendum on the November 2008 ballot. They needed to collect 55,179 valid signatures to accomplish this. When they turned in their signatures with just about 30 minutes left to spare on their 3 month window, they claimed they had 63,000.

The Secretary of State's office then went through the first round of verification. In that round they look for any major irregularities or incorrect sheets and discard them. Following that process there were 59,761 signatures. From there samples went out to Oregon counties for further verification.

Now here we are. Just hours until we find out if anti-gay groups have succeeded in forcing a public vote on whether or not a person should be fired from their job SIMPLY for being gay - or even being denied housing JUST because they are gay or lesbian.

Our prediction at here at GRW is that they will fail based on the other referendum attempt on the Domestic Partnership law also passed n May 9th. After the first round of verification it had 60,531 that then went to the counties for further scrutiny. That one ended up failing by 116 signatures earlier this week.

We'll be watching this story closely tomorrow and will announce the outcome as soon as we hear.

Labels: 2008 elections, anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, oregon, referendum

Just minutes ago anti-gay groups turned in what they are claiming is around 63,000 signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State's office. The threshold was 55,179 leaving it unclear whether they will qualify or not.

These petitions seek to force a public vote on Oregon's anti-discrimination law and Oregon's domestic partnership law.

More to come...

Labels: oregon, referendum

Anti-Gay petition gatherers have just 2 hours and 45 minutes to turn in 55,1798 valid signatures. Basic Rights Oregon is ready down in Salem to respond to whatever happens.

Reports are that they have broken 60k to turn in. Stay tuned.

-G.S.

Labels: oregon, referendum

An Open Letter To Former Oregon State Senator Marylin Shannon:

For those of you who are unaware of who Marylin Shannon is, she is one of the three ring-leaders who are trying to overturn Oregon's new Domestic Partnership and Anti-Discrimination laws via a referendum.

My Dearest Schizo Bigot,

I sincerely apologize Mrs. Shannon, but after a long train of thought while taking a pee this morning, I've decided we could never be friends.

Here are my concerns.

1.) You think that gay people are immoral, perverted and destroying the world. That's a pretty big one for me.

2.) On one documented occasion while on the phone with a reporter, you claimed that you could not send a photo of yourself for the paper claiming, "[T]he homosexuals hacked into my computer and now it won't work." Mrs. Shannon, this concerns me.

3.) You were endorsed by Sen. Gordon Smith in your run for Oregon State Senate.

4.) You were on the "US Justice Department's Task Force on Families in Crisis"... yet you lack the basic judgement necessary to see that in Oregon, same-sex couples and their families are indeed in crisis, unable to establish a legal relationship to one another. So what do you recommend when these families, some of them your own neighbors, are in crisis?

5.) You claim that Oregon's new Domestic Partnership law "violates the intent of Oregon voters who in 2004 adopted a constitutional ban on gay marriage."

If this were in fact the case, file a lawsuit. If in fact it did violate Measure 36, you would win. I will give you some credit here though. You know that Domestic Partnerships in no way violate Measure 36--nor the "spirit of Measure 36". Hence why you and your fellow self-righteous bigots have failed to do so.

Oh and! I see that you fail to notice that the proponents of Measure 36 have stepped back and are not participating in the referendum attempt. They even know that Domestic Partnerships are a far cry from marriage.

6.) "The spirit of Measure 36"... what exactly is that? The way I see it the spirit of Measure 36 is damn evil by not only permanently inscribing blatant discrimination in Oregon's most sacred document, but locking Oregon families out of vital rights, protections and responsibilities.

7.) I think families are the backbone of society, whereas you could not be further away from this belief. Selectively shutting out couples, especially with children from protecting one another is just plain wrong. As you said in your voter guide statement: "Speaking of families, raising a successful and loving family in the '90's can be challenging".

Damn right--10 years later it's even harder.

In closing Mrs. Shannon, no "homosexual hacked into your computer". They are not "destroying your life", nor do they interfere with your life. In fact, you interfere with their lives.

You are a coward Mrs. Shannon. Your name will go down in Oregon's history books as a failure, a bigot and a woman who held little regard for the welfare of Oregon families. Shame on you. Shame.

Labels: 2008 elections, anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, oregon, referendum

I'm pretty impressed. The folks at Basic Rights Oregon launched a new campaign today called "50 Voices for Equality". It features 50 straight, yes straight Oregonians who are coming out in support of equality for gay and lesbians. They are also obviously voicing their support for the two recent laws passed in May. One being the Domestic Partnership law and the other being a statewide Anti-Discrimination law.

Sadly, anti-family, anti-fairness groups are currently attempting to do a referendum on these laws. Check out the video below about the new 50 Voices for Equality campaign and visit the site at www.50VoicesForEquality.com.

Labels: anti-discrimination, basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, gay rights, referendum, straight allies

Today in the Daily Astorian there is a fantastic editorial blasting the individuals and groups who are leading a referendum effort on the two gay rights bills signed by Gov. Kulongoski last week. While we wouldn't normally put an entire editorial up here, it's worth it.

We don't need to fight this battle again
Newcomers to this state have always had some trouble with Oregon's libertarian you-leave-me-alone, I'll-leave-you-alone conservatism. This is especially true of newcomers of the authoritarian fundamentalist Christian variety who confuse it with "liberalism."

In the early 1990s, newcomer Lon Mabon became alarmed at Oregonians' toleration for homosexuals and formed The Oregon Citizens Alliance. The OCA put several initiatives on the ballot prohibiting state and local governments and public schools from "promoting" homosexuality by saying anything about not discriminating against homosexuals.

The OCA's Measure 9 was defeated in 1992, but the Christian Right became increasingly shrill, and eventually put Measure 36 on the ballot - a state constitutional amendment declaring marriage must be between a man and a woman. It passed.

During the campaign on Measure 36, some of its most vocal supporters declared they were only protecting the "sanctity of marriage" and did not oppose laws that would give same sex couples the domestic legal protections that heterosexual couples had.

With that distinction in mind, the Legislature passed and Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 2 banning discrimination against homosexuals in housing, workplaces and places of public accommodation like restaurants or theaters. The Legislature also passed House Bill 2007, creating domestic partnerships that grant committed same-sex couples similar legal benefits in taxation, insurance, hospitalization, etc. that heterosexual couples have.

Then Jack Brown of Grants Pass, the chairman of the Constitution Party of Oregon, announced he is circulating a petition to refer both bills to the voters. Brown says the bills "violate the spirit" of Measure 36. They do not, of course. The bills simply violate Brown's personal prejudices.

The Constitution Party, headed by former Republican Howard Phillips, openly advocates theocratic, Christian government for the United States, so Brown is likely to have national money to hire signature gathers and buy their way onto the ballot as many interest groups have done in recent years.

Labels: HB 2007, house bill 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2, senate bill 2

In a very surprising editorial this morning, the uber conservative David Reinhard writes a rather supportive piece on Oregon's Domestic Partnership bill that passed last week-to be signed by the Governor this week. His statements are below and some of our thoughts below that.

David Reinhard's Editorial:

Oregon's war over gay marriage ended this week, not with a bang but a whimper. The Senate passed not a bill establishing homosexual marriage or civil unions but one establishing domestic partnerships -- a legal contract giving gay and lesbian couples some of the benefits of marriage.

[...}

The domestic partnership bill the Senate passed last week and Gov. Ted Kulongoski will sign into law soon is the whimper -- and, really, "a big whup" for traditionalists. At least, it should be.

But social conservatives should look closely at what actually passed. It isn't marriage. That will remain between a man and woman in Oregon. The Democratic Legislature and Kulongoski only handed up a super-contract between two adults of the same gender.

Their domestic partnership act isn't marriage by another name, and even the bill's supporters know it. One Eugene gay man said, "It is kind of separate but not equal," and Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, had this to say last Wednesday on the Senate floor: "It's shameful that in the name of equality, we must set up a system of inequality."

[...]

It's hard to see this as much of a triumph for gay-rights forces -- or much of a threat to traditional marriage. Social conservatives should be honest with themselves, and be fair to gays and lesbians.

One, gay and lesbian couples do have justifiable, practical concerns. The domestic partnership bill may not have been the best way to address them, but it's good that these real concerns will be attended to. Having the law recognize that homosexual couples exist and face practical problems hardly gives homosexuality some societal stamp of approval or places same-sex arrangements on par with traditional marriage.

Two, far greater threats to marriage exist than the kind of domestic partnership arrangement we're talking about here. And homosexuality or gay rights -- or even same-sex marriage -- have little to do with these threats.

Truth to the tell, heterosexuals and heterosexuality are the real menace to marriage. Out-of-wedlock births and family nonformation, too-easy marriage and too-easy divorce, a me-centric approach to marriage on the part of adults and a silly, sex-obsessed popular culture -- no, heteros have been doing a bang-up job of undermining marriage all on their own.

If social conservatives want to do something to bolster marriage, their time would be better spent working on these matters than fretting over Oregon's new domestic partnerships law.

While for the most part I completely agree with him for once, I can't help but wonder what the intent is. There is no doubt that I think he believes what he is saying, though it comes on the heels of "The Oregon Family Council" saying that they have "no plans" to do a referendum on the Domestic Partnership bill (House Bill 2007).

Am I just being paranoid in thinking that this all just plays a part in a bigger strategy of attempting to calm the Oregon Family Council's base? I mean they did get their folks in a frenzy around this legislation and now they have decided to not go for a referendum which is contrary to what they said they would probably end up doing if House Bill 2007 passed.

And not to beat a dead horse, but them doing a referendum, or even testifying against the bill is contrary to their prior public statements--like the following statements from the Oregon Family Council and the so-called "Defense of Marriage Coalition":

"Same-sex couples should seek marriage-like rights through another avenue, such as civil unions." Tim Nashif, Oregon Family Council Director and an organizer of the Measure 36 campaign, Bend Bulletin 8/20/2004

or

"If same-sex couples need legal protection, they should consult their legislative representatives. If they need legislation to do that, no one is going to stand in their way." Defense of Marriage Coalition Executive Director Mike White, Lincoln City News Guard 11/10/2004

Thoughts?

Labels: ballot measure, domestic partnership, HB 2007, house bill 2007, legislature, oregon, referendum

When the extremists aren't extreme enough. The crazies must step in. Today, I personally got a chance to witness the Oregon House votes on SB 2 and HB 2007. I also happened to be on my cell phone outside of the House Gallery while David Crowe of "Restore America" was also on his cell phone talking to a fellow extremist as they planned their next moves... meaning their next email.

Here it is...

House Defies the People of Oregon: Enshrines Another form of Marriage and Morality Into Oregon Law
April 17, 2007

LAKE OSWEGO, Oregon - By a vote of 34-26 along party lines, the Oregon House of Representatives Voted today to override the will of the Oregon people, instituting same sex marriage by another name, 'domestic partnerships,' formerly titled 'civil unions.'

With every House democrat and three republicans voting for the first of Governor Kulongoski's political payoff bills, the House defied the people of Oregon who clearly said in 2004 that they wanted marriage to be between a man and a woman only.

Installing Coerced Acceptance of Immoral Behavior
By a vote of 35 to 25 with the same three republicans and one more joining all the democrats, the House completely ignored the well reasoned, objective, and clearly demonstrated objections to the bill by House Republicans.
In effect, they ignored the wisdom of several millennia, basing their arguments not on facts, but anecdotal stories, even asserting that all the categories provided protections in SB 2 were biologically determined, when in fact there is not one shred of evidence to support their position.

In short it was a scene of the worst sort of obfuscation, assertion without facts, feelings without wisdom, and political chicanery you can imagine. Clearly, there was an agenda without factual support, and the democrats could not withstand the truth. So they ignored it for what they believed was political benefit, to them and their supporters.

What Now?
The people of Oregon deserve people in office who respect their wishes, not those of a small minority who wish to impose their morality upon others while forcing acquiescence by using the authority of human law, in disregard of God's Law.
Our next step in opposing these bills is a Referral to the people of Oregon. They have the right to approve or disapprove the actions of the legislature. And considering the clear disinterest of the democrat majority to honor the will of the people, that is what should be done.

Given the fact that the Oregon Family Council (OFC) has stated publicly that they do not intend to initiate a referral, Restore America will. Christians are commanded to love our neighbor, not just place sandbags around the church to the neglect of those we, and He, say He loves. We are to stand for Truth and Righteousness, and that we shall do.

55,179 valid signatures of registered voters is required to place the Referendum on the next General Election Ballot. These laws would not go into effect until 30 days after that election.

Please continue to read and forward our Updates, Alerts, and Commentaries. More details will follow in the next few days.

How Our Representatives Voted
My next email will outline how our representatives voted. For now, it is important to get this information to you as quickly as possible.

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15
"Be not deceived, God is not mocked." Galatians 6:7
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
"We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Romans 8:37
"Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee." I Chronicles 22:16

David Crowe
Executive Director

So there you have it. Not only do you have your fill of Bible verses for the day, you also see that "Restore America" doesn't think that The Oregon Family Council is extreme enough and that SB 2 and HB 2007 will go to the ballot on "Restore America's" dime.

Labels: anti-discrimination, domestic partnership, HB 2007, oregon, referendum, SB 2