It was only a matter of time. Yesterday, anti-gay activists, Oregon State Senator Fred Girod and State Rep. Sal Esquivel, filed an initiative that would repeal Oregon's new domestic partnership rights, which were established by the Oregon Family Fairness Act (OFFA). The initiative, if passed, would also also invalidate currently registered domestic partnerships, stripping happily partnered couples of their hard fought recognition and of crucial legal protections.Who's really destroying the family here? Senator Girod and Representative Esquivel want to forcefully divorce me and my partner, as well as the 1,300 other same-sex couples who have registered their partnerships since February 4. And remember, Girod and Esquivel don't just want to hurt loving, committed couples, they want to hurt children as well. The OFFA ensures that children of same-sex couples will have the benefits that flow from having two legally recognized and legally pertnered parents. These kids will also benefit from the stability and protections that state law provides to their families. Sorry kids, according to Girod and Esquivel, you don't deserve the same rights and protections as other children.
Apparently, that's not enough for Oregon bigots, though. Today, anti-gay radicals filed another initiative to repeal the Oregon Equality Act (OEA), which protects Oregonians from being discriminated against based on their sexual orientation in the areas of housing, employment, and public accommodations. Remember, these laws protect heterosexuals from discrimination too!
I don't expect these terrible initiatives to make it on November's ballot--83,000 homophobes would have to sign each petition by the beginning of July for that to happen--but the fact that these initiatives have even been filed is a disturbing reminder of how much hate our society still harbors toward those who it doesn't understand. Also, these are the same devious people who are still under investigation for using illegal practices while gathering signatures last year in an attempt to refer the OFFA and OEA to the 2008 ballot, so we can't relax just yet!
Please, Oregon, don't forcefully end my marriage and legalize discrimination against me. I'm counting on you!
Sources:
[Basic Rights Oregon]
[Blogtown, PDX]
2 comments:
Just another rallying cry for those in the extreme right in an attempt to stop the inevitable. . . The election of a Democratic President, and the expansion of Democrats in Congress.
Let's hope it doesn't work twice.
Very well said here! It is a hostile takeover of our unions and our families. It is an attack on loving committed citizens. It is a hateful attempt to subjugate same-sex individuals under their punitive control. Thanks for this post! Wendy
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