From: emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Marsh)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.politics.homosexuality,alt.sex,soc.singles
Subject: The Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon
Date: 15 Oct 1992 01:42:13 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: hernes-sun

 
 
   No on 9 Campaign: The Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon
 
        PO Box 3343 Portland, OR 97208 (503) 2324501
 
 
"It is no surprise that the Oregon Citizens Alliance anti-
homosexual initiative in Springfield has quickly led to an
attempt to censor reading material deemed inappropriate by
self-proclaimed morality police. After all, a limit on
freedom of speech is at the heart of the OCA's campaign of
hate.
 
"And if you think that only homosexuals should be worried
about the OCA's attack on this most precious American right-
think again."
 
      -Pendleton, East Oregonian, May 28, 1992
 
 
"In October, the Oregon Citizens Alliance became the Oregon
chapter of Christian Coalition, a national political
organization association with former presidential candidate
and Christian Broadcasting president, Pat Robertson.
 
"Christian Coalition national field director Guy
Rogers...praised OCA as a `model' of the kind of
organization that Christian Coalition is building in other
states in the nation. He mentioned that no other state
chapter was as well organized as Oregon."
 
      -OCA's Alliance, December, 1991
 
 
 
Dear Friend,
 
 
     What is going on in Oregon?
 
Oregon is in the midst of an all-out battle for the heart
and soul of our state. On November 3, 1992, Oregonians will
vote on a ballot measure so extreme that, if it passes,
Oregon will be the only state in United States history to
amend its constitution to take rights away from a group of
people: lesbians and gay men.
 
 
     How did we get in this terrible situation?
 
In 1991, the Oregon Citizens Alliance, a far-right group
that claims membership in Pat Robertson's Christian
Coalition began promoting several measures designed to
single out the gay community for discrimination.
 
 
     What is going on in Springfield?
 
One of the OCA's discriminatory measures passed in the
primary election in Springfield, Oregon.
 
Within days of the Springfield Ordinance's passage, the OCA
moved to investigate and censor the holdings in the
Springfield public library.
 
Then the OCA declared that the city's participation in
organizing a regional meeting of the Northwest Coalition
Against Malicious Harassment violates the Springfield
Ordinance because the conference includes two workshops
regarding homosexuality. We've heard that the OCA is
planning now to sue the City of Springfield for their
participation in the conference.
 
 
     What impact would Measure 9 have on working people in
     Oregon?
 
The day the OCA handed in the signatures they gathered to
qualify their state wide measure for the ballot, OCA head
Lon Mabon was quoted as saying that homosexual teachers
would need to be "fired or reassigned."
 
If Measure 9 passes, school teachers, pediatricians,
coaches, librarians, counselors, juvenile court judges,
ministers, physical therapists, must be investigated and
replaced if they are believed to be homosexual and have any
contact with children in their jobs.
 
 
     What about the faith community?
 
If Measure 9 passes, congregations supporting lesbian and
gay people would not be allowed to use public meeting spaces
for their services, because they "promote" homosexuality.
 
Programs'funded by church-based organizations such as
Ecumenical Ministries' HIV Day Center would lose state and
county funding because they "facilitate" homosexuality by
serving a gay clientele without condemnation or judgement.
 
 
     Would Oregon business be affected by Measure 9?
 
The mass boycotts experienced by the state of Arizona after
that state's failure to ratify a Martin Luthor King Holiday
foreshadow the loss to Oregon's economy should Measure 9
pass.
 
Early communications from across the country to the No on 9
Campaign indicate convention business loss, a state wide
public relations disaster, and millions of dollars in lost
revenue by consumers not willing to support a state which
requires discrimination.
 
Businesses which include sexual orientation in their non-
discrimination clause would not be allowed to use public
facilities and could be denied public contracts based on
their facilitation of homosexuality.
 
Businesses perceived to "promote" homosexuality by catering
to a gay clientele risk loss of licenses; theater and art
communities would risk mandated censorship.
 
 
     Is education at risk with Measure 9?
 
Perhaps most chilling of all the aspects of Measure 9 is the
impact it would have on education. Requiring Oregon's
schools, from kindergarten through university level to set a
"standard for Oregon youth that recognizes homosexuality,
pedophilia, sadism and masochism as abnormal, wrong,
unnatural and perverse and that these behaviors are to be
discouraged and avoided," is one of the Measure's prime
directives.
 
Critical thinking. Academic freedom. Analysis and debate.
Access to uncensored information. Under Measure 9, these
tenets of education would be crushed. In exchange, Oregon's
educational agenda would be dictated by a small group of far
right zealots and their propaganda tracts.
 
Teachers would be forced by law to teach things that would
not be taught elsewhere in this country. And Oregon's
schools -and our Medical School- would likely have
accreditation problems for mandating curriculum condemned by
professional organizations.
 
 
     What is REALLY happening here?
 
Measure 9 is not merely an attack on lesbian and gay rights.
It's about who gets to participate in the freedoms, rights
and responsibilities we expect as Oregonians. If the OCA has
their way, the only people who get to be full partners are
people just like them.
 
Today, the OCA is going after lesbian and gay citizens.
Tomorrow, it could be people of color, next week, people
with disabilities, the week after that, Jews, and the next,
and the next...
 
If Measure 9 passes in Oregon, the OCA has already pledged
to export their program to the state of Washington, and to
Idaho, quickly. If we do not stop them in Oregon, we'll soon
be fighting the battle across this country.
 
 
     What effect is this battle already having on citizens?
 
Since filing of the OCA's initiatives in May of 1991,
incidence of hate crimes directed toward lesbian and gay
citizens have increased dramatically. Oregon's Homophobic
Violence reporting line reports an increase of 40% in calls.
 
And, the No on 9 Campaign's offices were broken into,
equipment stolen, communications cut off. Homophobia in
Oregon has taken its gloves off. There is an attitude of
intolerance and granting permission for violence, brought
about by Measure 9.
 
     What else can we do to fight Measure 9?
 
The No on 9 Campaign: Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon is
spearheading efforts against Measure 9. Our campaign
combines grassroots voter identification and educational
follow'up with a significant media campaign.
 
You can help immediately by making a contribution to support
No on 9's grassroots and media work. With every contribution
we receive, we are that much closer to pulling the plug on
this attack on civil rights and the democratic process in
Oregon.
 
Your gift of $500 helps us conduct an ambitious voter
identification project, and do the necessary follow-up to
ensure that we get our voters to the polls in November.
 
Your gift of $250 purchases air time for radio commercials,
and print space in newspapers, to counter the OCA's lies and
distortions.
 
Your gift of $100 pays for postage for our newsletter,
connecting grassroots activists in rural Oregon with our
Campaign.
 
As you make your contribution to No on 9, challenge yourself
to be as generous as you possibly can. This battle will be a
key battle for civil rights in our country. Please be a
significant part of our victory.
 
     What else can I do?
 
As much as we need your financial support, we also need your
volunteer time. Victory will require thousands of volunteers
donating hundreds of thousands of hours. Nothing short of
that level of commitment can ensure our win in November.
 
As we work together to defeat the OCA's discriminatory
measure, we are doing the right thing for Oregon and for the
rest of the country. Won't you join us in this fight? Send
your contribution today.
 
In Solidarity,
 
Peggy A. Norman Campaign Manager
 
 
P.S.  Ever play dominos? When the first piece falls, in the
blink of all eye, it knocks down the rest. Please don't
allow Oregon to be that first domino that sends the country
reeling. We CAN win this battle-with your support. Send your
check today.