Eugene, OR Measure 51
Eugene Local Measure 51 was a response to repeal ordinance no. 18080. Ordinance no. 18080 prohibited discrimination against sexual orientation in housing, public accommodation, and employment in Eugene, Oregon.  In 1977 ordinance no. 18080, passed. A year later, Volunteers Organizing and Involved in Community Enactment (VOICE) started a petition and campaign against the ordinance. VOICE collected enough votes for a referendum on the ordinance on May 19, 1978.  Measure 51 passed with a 29% margin, legalizing discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation. The measure came to be right after Ordinance 18080 . Only a year after gaining rights in Eugene, the LGBTQ+ community was limited in their accessibility to employment, housing, and public accommodations. Ordinance 18080. Ordinance 18080 On October 24, 1977, the Eugene City Council held a council meeting. During this meeting, a human rights ordinance was proposed on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Ordinance no. 18080 would add sexual orientation to the list of groups and classes protected against discrimination in the areas of housing, public accommodation, and employment. The Human Rights Council proposed this addition to the human rights ordinance stated during the meeting that “it was not a  matter of Council forcing moral codes on private citizens, but rather a human right issue. Those opposed to the ordinance argued that this bill would be encouraging homosexuals. They argued that it would create an unstable and immoral community and started quoting passages of the bible. Once the meeting ended, the council had a closed meeting discussing the amendment. Council members who argued against this bill stated that between ages 12 and 15 would be influenced by homosexual role models. They believed that if they passed this bill, it would make teenagers homosexual. Councilwoman Smith argued that this amendment was  not about approving or encouraging sexual orientation. It was a human rights issue. At the end of this meeting, the vote for adding the amendment failed, but the main ordinance passed. This required a second hearing that would be on November 28th, 1977. On November 28th, 1977, the ordinance held a second hearing. During this meeting, the bill passed. Becoming ordinance no. 18080, a human rights bill protecting sexual orientation from discrimination. The Eugene register stated in the article the next day that “opponents announced that they will immediately begin a campaign to put the issue to a vote.” Measure  51. Measure 51 Eugene’s Local Measure 51 was a response to the Ordinance 18080 which made discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation illegal. Only hours after the ordinance was passed, people and organizations began campaigning against it. A successful campaign against Ordinance no. 18080 would once again make discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation legal. Volunteers Organizing and Involved in Community Enactment (VOICE) was the primary organization that was actively campaigning against Ordinance no. 18080, gathering signatures in order to pass Measure 51. According to notes of the public  hearing on the issue, supporters of Measure 51 utilized quotes from Bible passages, conveying that LGBTQ+ community sexual activity was unnatural. Another argument for Measure 51 was that “the amendment would increase cases of child molestation and encourage young people to follow the same life style”, by the LGBTQ+ community “infiltrat[ing] the school system” In opposition of Measure 51 was Eugene’s LGBTQ+ community and those in support of their community. The main organization working on the campaign opposing Measure 51 was Eugene Citizens for Human Rights. They also worked to gather signatures, but in opposition to Measure 51. Their  campaign was greatly centered around the human rights component of the measure. On the day of the election, May 19, 1978, Measure 51 passed with a 29% margin, once again legalizing the discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation.