A group that has
fought antigay initiatives in two states by publicizing
petition-signers' names this week extended its efforts to
Oregon, where two recently passed LGBT civil rights
laws are under attack.
When a marriage
supporter in Oregon contacted Aaron Toleos, codirector of
Massachusetts's KnowThyNeighbor.org, the group added that
state to its growing list of battlegrounds. This week
KnowThyNeighbor.org promised to launch a new Web site
that will list the names and addresses of people
who've signed petitions to put a measure before Oregon
voters to repeal two rights bills.
Such petitions
are public records, as many signers in Massachusetts and
Florida found to their chagrin, Toleos told Gay.com.
The two Oregon
bills, passed by the legislature this spring and signed
May 9 by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, create strong domestic
partnerships for Oregon gay men and lesbians and
outlaw discrimination against LGBT people in the
workplace, public accommodations, and housing.
The Constitution
Party and Restore America are two known groups behind
the push to invalidate the Oregon Family Fairness Act (House
Bill 2007) and The Oregon Equality Act (Senate Bill
2).
Led by former
state legislators Kevin Mannix and Marilyn Shannon, the
laws' opponents have until September 26 to collect 55,179
signatures to put the questions on a statewide ballot.
If they are successful, neither bill will be enforced
pending the outcome of the November 2008 election.
"Given the low
threshold for signatures, we are proceeding on the
assumption that the petitions will make it on the ballot but
don't think they'll be successful if the people vote
on it, however," John Hummel, executive director of
Basic Rights Oregon, told Gay.com on Wednesday.
"Oregonians are with us on equality."
Oregonians were
not on the side of equality, however, in 2004, when the
state was one of 11 that passed antimarriage ballot measures
on the same day. Oregon's ballot Measure 36 was a
reaction to same-sex marriages performed in Multnomah
and Benton counties after their county commissions
said the Oregon constitution and state law did not prohibit
issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
This time the
fight is a bit different. First, the public has been moving
in the direction of same-sex marriage in many places, and
some polls show a plurality of Americans favoring
civil unions. In addition, these initiatives, if
successful, would take away basic nondiscrimination
rights--rights that a supermajority of Oregonians, and
Americans, support.
"Even some of the
leaders behind 36 said at the time they didn't oppose
domestic partnership," Hummel said. "Now opponents are
trying to scare people and mislead them into believing
they're about gay marriage. This time it is not about
marriage but rather family fairness and protection."
Framing both
bills in terms of protecting families is one way Basic
Rights Oregon plans to lure ordinary citizens away from the
bills' foes, Hummel said.
Toleos, a
straight father who works for marriage equality, and his
business partner, Thomas Lang, will offer the Oregon group
guidance on messaging as well as technical assistance
and hosting and Web site services.
He said
KnowThyNeighbor.org injects peer pressure into the equality
debate, by showing people, online, who signed up to
discriminate.
In addition, "we
uncovered a lot of fraud with similar petition drives
in Massachusetts and Florida," Toleos told Gay.com on
Wednesday. "It turned out that a lot of names were forged."
Beyond exposing
fraud and those who legitimately signed on to deny
equality, Know Thy Neighbor puts pressure on LGBT citizens
as well, Toleos said.
"When you see who
signed the petitions and they're your friends and
neighbors and bosses and coworkers, the question becomes,
Now what will you do about it? It's a trigger moment.
It's no longer a generalized threat but specific
people who signed up to prevent your rights."
In this election
equality supporters may have even more help from
mainstream religious organizations. The Community of
Welcoming Congregations, an Oregon and southwestern
Washington interfaith ministry, will be reaching out
to its 81 member congregations and other faith groups
to advocate for both laws, the Reverend Tara Wilkins, the
group's executive director, told Gay.com.
"The interesting
thing is, the folks gathering signatures this time are
not the usual suspects," Wilkins said. "The Oregon Family
Council said that they felt they were already heard by the
legislature, especially regarding the religious
exemption, which was their big issue." (Larry Buhl,
Gay.com)