Oregon: Senate Approves Bullying Bill, Heads to Governor

The Oregon State Senate today strongly endorsed a proposal to strengthen Oregon’s anti-bullying law. In a 26 to 2 vote, the Senate approved the bill and sent it to the Governor’s desk. Read more

Oregon: Anti-Bullying Bill Passes House Education Committee

Oregon’s House Education Committee today approved a proposal to strengthen Oregon’s anti-bullying law. In a 9 to 1 bipartisan vote, the Committee approved the bill and sent it to the House for a vote. Read more

Oregon Legislature in Session, Gay Rights Group With Clear Legislative Agenda

It’s day one of Oregon’s 2009 legislative session and Basic Rights Oregon, Oregon’s largest GLBT advocacy group is ready to roll. Read more

UPDATED: Oregon’s Domestic Partnerships in Court Right Now

Right this second sides are arguing before a three judge panel in downtown Portland on whether or not a failed signature gathering attempt by out-of-state anti-gay groups will fly or not. They lost the first round and are on their appeal. Just Out is busy at the courthouse live blogging. We’re going to give them mad props and post some of the discussion between the judges and counsel. Read more

Oregon Awaits Ruling on Domestic Partnership Referendum

PORTLAND, OR – Next Tuesday, July 8th, we could find out the fate of Oregon’s Domestic Partnership law that has been in effect since the beginning of February. Read more

Oregon: Not out of the anti-gay woods yet

And let me tell you, the anti-gay woods are a very dark and scary place.

So we’ve all heard now that Oregon’s Tennessee’s Arizona’s… Let’s try this again. Ech hem. Read more

9th Circuit grants motion to expedited schedule for Lemons v Bradbury

On April 29, the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted plaintiffs’ motion for expedited review in Lemons v. Bradbury, the lawsuit filed by out-of-state groups seeking to revive last year’s failed referendum against Oregon’s domestic partnership law Read more

Oregon Anti-Gays Doomed For Failure

Could it be? Shall we plan celebration parties already? Well not quite yet – but on the heels of Basic Rights Oregon appealing (to the Oregon Supreme Court) the language of two initiatives (IP 144 & IP 145) that would aim to repeal Oregon’s newly enacted Domestic Partnership and Anti-Discrimination laws, and the possibility of the same thing happening to the third filed by anti-gays… they may be up shit creek.

Yesterday we talked about the group “Concerned Oregonians” who actually happens to be led by David Crowe who now resides in Tennessee. Make of that what you will. In any case – their desperate pleas for tens of thousands of dollars, even if answered, would still leave their anti-gay crusade in limbo. And funny enough currently it looks as though they are in debt.

Giving credit where credit is due.
Basic Rights Oregon has proven once again that it will relentlessly fight these initiative attempts to strip families of their basic rights as citizens of this state. Thanks BRO! (ech hem – donate here)

Credit should also be given to everyday Oregonians. Oregonian’s don’t see this as a Measure 36 – and rightly so. They see this simply for what it is, workplace protections against blatant discrimination and as I said above, the ability to legally provide and care for your family.

No victory dance yet folks.
Again, lets not get our hope up too high. But come July when anti-gay forces must turn in over 83,000 valid signatures to qualify and they can’t do it – I’ll be the first cracking open that bottle of bubbly.

Counting down the days.
Just think, each and every day that this bigoted attempt to strip Oregon families and individuals of their basic human rights is delayed, that’s just another day these folks cannot gather signatures.

Related:
Appeal to Oregon Supreme Court Sparks Delay in Anti-Gay Plans

Basic Rights Oregon Endorses Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate

This morning Basic Rights Oregon weighed in on the U.S. Senate race between Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick. Basic Rights Oregon announced that it has endorsed Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate in Oregon’s Democratic Primary. Read more

Oregon Anti-Gay’s RE-FILE Domestic Partnership Repeal

Racist and homophobic Oregon State Senator Gary George and Sal Esquivel made a stupid mistake when filing IP 144 to repeal Oregon’s Domestic Partnership law – the language in the initiative petition read “civil unions”. Not surprisingly it took them this long to figure out the problem. They just re-filed, making it IP 146. Read more