Opponents aim to put gay rights to vote -- New Oregon domestic partners and civil right law targeted

[Ferret Annica]

Source: oregonlive.com

Two landmark gay-rights laws, signed less than a week ago by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, were officially targeted Monday for referral to voters.

Jack Brown of Grants Pass, chairman of the Constitution Party of Oregon, and two other southern Oregonians filed papers with the Oregon secretary of state so they can begin collecting the 55,179 signatures they will need to put the two laws on the ballot in fall 2008.

They are challenging Senate Bill 2, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, work and public places such as restaurants and theaters, and House Bill 2007, which creates legal domestic partnerships, giving state benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.

Brown said he's launching the referral effort because he sees the laws defying the spirit of Measure 36, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2004 that declares marriage as legally valid only between a man and a woman. The domestic partnership law also unfairly leaves out other couples who head households but cannot marry, such as two sisters, he said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/117919773264540.xml&coll=7

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/117919773264540.xml&coll=7

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I hope they fail to get this on the ballot. Many Oregonians, including myself have worked long and hard defeating Oregon Citizen's Alliance (OCA) referendums attacking homosexuality, and it is time for this bigotted assault on civil liberties to stop here in Oregon -- and elsewhere.

[BOSSHOG]

1. So some citizens of Oregon WANT TO DISCRIMINATE

Want to codify their hate?

Marriage only between a man and a woman??? Only in the land of the free? I urge all gays to start chucking the tea into the harbor. No equal representation, then no taxation.

[Parche]

4. Oregon

And I live here, what do we expect from 'Grants Pass' Oregon, home of the intolerant
reminds of the Oregon Citizens Alliance, from years ago, the head director actually looked like
Hitler himself, Lon Mabon, they were the same type of group, filled with hate and bible slurs.......

Why doesnt the religious wrong stay out of the bedroom................:mad: :mad:

[rocktivity]

5. That is why such matters SHOULDN'T be voted on

This is a matter of civil rights, not majority rule.

:headbang:
rocknation

[gratuitous]

2. Not surprising at all

But one of the selling points for Measure 36, according to its then proponents, was that the measure didn't take a stand on anything except "marriage," and that there would be nothing said about separate but equal institutions like domestic partnership or civil unions. At the time, opponents of Measure 36 knew that was a lie and said as much. And for their trouble, some of the wise old folks around the state tut-tutted and wondered why we were soooo cynical.

Well, the masks are off, and it's time to drop the gloves. I hope the assholes who sat on their hands and didn't oppose Measure 36 because it was just about the Sacred Institution of Marriage wake the hell up. The campaign against this misguided bit of filth should be very intentional about highlighting the hypocrisy between Measure 36 then and the new measure to come out next year.

[bluestateguy]

3. I have mixed opinions here

If these issues are put before the voters, the bigots just might lose. Oregon is one state where the long-term demographics of the state are moving in favor of supporters of gay rights. Look at this exit poll from the 2004 initiative to ban gay marriage (a yes vote is to ban gay marriage; a no vote is against the ban):

VOTE BY AGE TOTAL Yes No
18-29 (13%) 44% 56%
30-44 (27%) 51% 49%
45-59 (31%) 49% 51%
60 and Older (29%) 63% 37%

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004//pages/results/states/OR/I/02/epolls.0.html

It was the old folks that got that initiative banned. As more of these folks are called away by Father Time and more younger voters enter into the Oregon electorate, things will change for the better.

On the other hand, having these issues on the ballot legitimizes the notion that civil rights are up for a majority vote. That is not good.

Edit: added the link