The fight for gay and lesbian rights in Oregon has never been easy. But at least with Lon Mabon and the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) heading up the opposition, civil rights activists knew they could rely on the opposition tripping themselves up with their own hi-jinx, over-the-top bigotry, or outright illegal behavior. In 1991, for […]
Scott Moore
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Discrimination By Any Name
Civil Rights Attorneys Try to Hit a Moving Target
The plaintiffs in Li v. State of Oregon–nine same-sex couples, all married in March–claim that the Oregon constitution is unconstitutional because it discriminates against them. That lawsuit was started this past summer and is awaiting decision at the Oregon Supreme Court. But what happens to the question of constitutionality when the constitution changes? The answer […]
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How the Right Outsmarted the Left
What Gay Activists Can Learn From the Mistakes of “No on 36”
Even though they had a whopping $3 million in the bank ($2 million more than their competition), the “No on Measure 36” campaign paid the biggest price of all on Tuesday night–a solid defeat at the hands of Oregon’s conservative faction. And from the look of it, they have only themselves to blame. Clearly the […]
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How Much Does Bigotry Cost?
Measure 36 Supporters Buy Way into Purgatory
Who’s paying to keep Measure 36 afloat? Though the Defense of Marriage Coalition is refraining from soliciting funds from national organizations, it’s drawing most of its campaign money from small, individual contributions and churches. The largest individual contributions to the DOMC–which drafted and is sponsoring the anti-gay marriage Measure 36–came from Alan Folkman, a Tualatin-based […]
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“TRADITIONAL” FAMILY VALUES?
Who’s Who Behind Measure 36
Kelly Clark, attorney representing DOMC (Defense of Marriage Coalition) in their legal battle against same-sex marriage Clark’s first marriage ended when he took up with another woman, who eventually left him. But not ready for that relationship to end, Clark stalked her, ultimately breaking into her home in the middle of the night, cutting her […]
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Homophobia Pays
Anti-Gays Make Big Money From Measure 36
If nothing else, the raging debate over the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage has produced a clear winner–at least financially: The Defense of Marriage Coalition’s director, Tim Nashif. Not only is Nashif the titular head of DOMC and the Multnomah County chair of the Republican Party, he is also the CEO of a company […]
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Shooting From the Hip
Candidates Square Off On Police Issues at Final “You Promised!”
The third and final installment of the Mercury‘s “You Promised!” candidate forums went down last Thursday at the Metro Assembly of God Church along Alberta–an appropriate location for the mayoral and city council candidates to deliver five promises to make the city more livable and the police more effective. Over the summer, there has been […]
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Yes on 36 Hits the Airwaves
Homophobia: Bad for Your Constitution
Last week, the raging debate over Measure 36 went primetime with the Defense of Marriage Coalition airing its anti-gay marriage message in three television ads. Two of DOMC’s ads rely solely on conservative and religious sentiments. But one of the commercials attempts to present a legal argument for Measure 36. With a backdrop of legal […]
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Is God Homophobic?
Local Pastors Get Out the Anti-Gay Vote
Joining the growing number of churches that have added their voices to the debate over same-sex marriages, last Sunday First United Methodist opened its doors for a public forum on the issue of marriage–specifically, on Measure 36. The event drew a small crowd of about 50 people, evenly split between members of the congregation and […]
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Green and Mean
Candidates Talk Parks at Mercury‘s Townhall
Last Thursday, as rain clouds gave way to a clear summer evening, the four candidates for city hall began addressing local environmental issues. Appropriately, they were outside in one of the city’s most spectacular venues–the high walled amphitheater at Mt Tabor. More appropriately, just a few hundred yards away were the reservoirs that caused so […]
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A Gay Game Plan
Can Anti-Gay Ballot Measure 36 Be Defeated?
Four years ago, the infamous Measure 9 was voted down by a narrow 53 to 47 percent margin–a difference of only 77,000 voters. That ballot measure urged the state to outlaw the “promotion” of homosexuality in public schools. This November, it is likely that the decision whether to ban same-sex marriages or not will be […]
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They Promised!
Candidates Pledge Undying Support for the Arts
Last Thursday, the Mercury kicked off “You Promised!,” its series of townhall meetings for local candidates. Held in front of a packed room of 200 attendees at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the first in the three-part series focused entirely on the candidates’ pledges to bolster Portland’s arts. The instructions were simple: Each candidate–mayoral […]