The Gayly Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 1, 1992 Page: 4 of 20
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
LESBIAN/GAY RIGHTS
RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS
The Human Rights Campaign Fund recently
announced its “National Endorsement Campaign”
to secure prominent Americans as supporters of
lesbian and gay rights laws. The National En-
dorsement Campaign will gather the support of
hundreds of prominent religious, labor, business,
entertainment, minority community, sports, and
political leaders across the country who support
extension of “existing civil rights laws by local,
state and federal legislation to prohibit discrimi-
nation against lesbians and gay men in jobs,
housing and public accommodations.”
While a number of Washington, D.C., local
legislative efforts and statewide initiatives have
garnered impressive support from community
leaders, that support can be more effective on a
national level, said Campaign Fund Executive
Director Tim McFeeley.
“Business leaders are increasingly realizing
that discrimination is not only wrong, but hurts
business as well. The same is true of every other
sector of society. The Endorsement Fund will
publicize that fact.”
Steve Endean, founder of the Campaign
Fund, will spearhead the Endorsement Fund
project which will establish a list and mobilize
support of nationally-promment community lead-
ers. The Endorsement Fund will be working with
activists m a number of states across the country’
to secure support within their states or congres-
sional districts. In some cases, the Endorsement
Campaign will simply follow through on en-
dorsements that have already been given on gay
rights or even on AIDS issues, but in other cases,
the endorsements will represent real ground-
breaking mobilization of support.
The Endorsement Fund project has already
begun a pilot program in Minnesota. The Pilot
Project has already secured the endorsements of
the Governor, Lt. Governor (both Republicans),
the State Attorney General, Secretary of State,
State Treasurer, and the State Auditor, as well as
the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and
several prominent religious leaders.
The vehicle used to secure these endorse-
ments was a letter signed by Wheelock Whitney
(former Republican candidate for Governor and
a close friend of President Bush), Joan Mondale
(wife of former Vice President Mondale), and
Beverly McKinr.cll (President of the Minnesota
League of Women Voters). Among those to sign
the letter is Alan Page, a well-known former
Minnesota Viking football player. Page, now a
lawyer, was the first defensive player to be se-
lected Most Valuable Player in the NFL and is
now in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Those interested in building the endorse-
ment lists within their state, congressional dis-
trict, or city, should contact the National En-
dorsement Campaign, Human Rights Campaign
Fund, P.O. Box 1723, Washington, D.C. 20013,
or call (202) 6284160.
STATES DEFEND AGAINST
ANTI-GAY POLITICAL
ONSLAUGHT
Lesbians and gay men in several states arc
bracing themselves against the political onslaught
of extreme nng wing political actions. In Or-
egon, a far right Christian organization has bom-
barded the gay and lesbian community with sev-
eral anti-gay initiatives to be placed on the balloLs
this year. Meanwhile, in Alabama, the state
Senate is poised to vote on a bill which would
mandate that schools teach that homosexuality is
unacceptable and a criminal offense. At the same
time, in Colorado, activists arc waging a battle
against a state-wide anti-gay initiative.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
! Policy Institute (NGLTF) is helping local activ-
DON'T MISS
THE LARGEST GAY EVENT IN THE MID-WEST!
PLAINS REGIONAL RODEO
Oklahoma City
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
May 22,23,24, 1992
THOUSANDS of Cowboys & Cowgiris, rai» m>u
Spectators from across the United States and
Canada will be in Oklahoma City on Memorial
Weekend.
MAKE YOUR PLANS TODAY!
HOST HOTEL w/ PRIVATE CLUB
Hilton Inn Northwest & Arthur's
Reservations: I-800-848-4811 or
1-800-880-1053
FOR COMPLETE RODEO INFORMATION
CALL 1-800-880-1053
\ Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm CST
Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm CST
OKLAHOMA STATE FAIRGROUNDS ARENA
FOR SPECIFIC RODEO INFORMATION
CALL (405) 042-9305
GPR OFFICIAL TRAVEL AGENCY
Trawl Inc.
I-800 880-1053
ists organize against these attacks. NGLTF is
offering technical assistance, conference calls to
create strategies, and supporting documentation
to activists in Oregon, Alabama and Colorado.
The Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), a far
right group that initiated a successful anti-gay
measure in 1988, introduced two statewide and
three local initiatives. The statewide measures
will be on the ballot in November if the necessary
signatures are gathered by the July deadline. The
local initiativec will he on the ballot during the
May primary.
One statewide initiative amends the state
constitution to prohibit local, regional and state
governments in Oregon from “promoting, en-
couraging or facilitating” homosexuality. It also
requires that those governments and the public
school systems must “assist in setting a standard
for Oregon’s youth which recognizes that these
behaviors are abnormal, wrong, unnatural and
perverse and that they are to be discouraged and
avoided."
The cities of Springfield, Corvalis, and Port-
land were targeted by the OCA for similar local
I initiatives. The OCA gathered the necessary
signatures in Corvalis and Springfield, while gay
activists defeated their signature-gathering ef-
forts in Portland through a successful “Bigot
Buster’campaign. “Bigot Busters” shadow (XTA
petition gatherers and explain to potential signers
the drastic implications of the measures.
These initiatives would mean that gay men
and lesbians could lose their jobs or homes sim-
ply because of their sexual orientation, with no
legal recourse. Governments could not issue
permits for gay pride marches, public facilities
could not be rented to gay organizations, public
libraries would be required to remove books that
treat homosexuality neutrally or positively, and
public schools would be required to teach stu-
dents that homosexuality is "abnormal, wrong,
unnatural and perverse.”
The second statewide initiative amends the
state hate crimes law which currently protects
victims who are attacked because of their sexual
orientation. The initiative would delete “sexual
orientation” and substitute “abnormal and un-
natural sexual behavior.”
“These initiatives are a horrendous threat to
the lives and livelihood of gay and lesbian Orego-
nians,” said Robin Kane, Public Information
Manager of the NGLTF Policy Institute. “And
the threat doesn’t end at the Oregon border. The
right wing is making this a test case, and if they
win, they will take this show on the road through-
out the nation.”
Gay activists around the country are en-
couraged to send funds to battle these initiatives.
The Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon is a
professional statewide coalition of groups orga-
nizing to defeat the initiatives through media,
education and voter registration. They can be
reached at (503) 2324501 or P.O. Box 3343,
Portland, OR 97208. No on Hate is a statewide
grassroots organization that will use“Bigot Bust-
ing” and other tactics to involve many people in
the campaign against the initiatives. It can be
reached at (503) 222-9885 or P.O. Box 2725,
Portland, OR 97208. Bigot Busters, which are
mobilizing statewide, can be reached at (503)
625-5795 or P.O. Box 36, Sherwood, OR 97140.
The Human Rights Coalition is a cooperative
effort by gay, religious, civil rights and other
organizations to defeat the local initiative in
Corvalis.
Meanwhile, in Alabama, the stale Senate
Health Committee unanimously approved of a
bill mandating specific limits on sex education in
public schools. If passed, the bill would require
that schools remove abortion and safer sex dis-
cussion in sex education classes, teach total ab-
stinence as the only form of prevention of AIDS,
and leach that homosexuality is unacceptable
and a criminal offense. The full Senate is ex-
pected to vote on the bill, SB #72, in the upcom-
i ing weeks.
Colorado is in the middle of a heated cam-
paign by a right wing organization to add an anti-
| gay amendment to the state constitution. The
Colorado for Family Values (CFV) initiative,
which will be on the November ballot, will ex-
clude sexual orientation from protected class
status in any civil rights laws of the state. Con-
troversy has already erupted there in February
when Colorado University football coach Bill
McCartney held a press conference, wearing a
CU sweater and speaking behind a CU podium,
and denounced homosexuality, supporting the
efforts of CFV. The Equal Protection Campaign
is leading the battle to defeat the initiative. They
can be reached at (303) 839-5540 or P.O. Box
300476, Denver, CO 80203.
SUBSCRIBE to
The Cayly Oklahoman
A COMMUNITY EVENT!!
••••••••••••••••a*
Saturday fSunday
April 4th April 5111
Multi-Club Poker Run!
Most OKC Clubs
are Participating!
Start at the Bunkhouse, then to
Club Burgundy • Sneakers • DejaVu
Hi-Lo • Coyote • The Park • Tramps
• Finish Line • Porthole • DJ’s and
back to the Bunkhouse.
Buy a beverage at each club
to receive their special
playing card.
Best Poker hand wins!
Begins at 4:30 p.m.
$5.00 entry fee.
Spring Fling proceeds help produce
the Great Plains
Regional Rodeo/OKC in May.
Outdoor Rodeo Play Day!
Featuring:
Rodeo Events - People Events
• Pole Bending • Team Roping
• Break-Away Roping
• Calf Roping on Foot
• Flag Race • Barrel Race
Food & Beer
Live Entertainment
1 p.m. $3.00 Admission
B & Lazy R Arena
on N. Post Road
(Exit on Britton from North 1-35,
Go 5 1/2 miles East to Post,
then 3/4 mile south,
OGRA signs will be posted)
For info call (405) 942-9305.
Page 4 ▼ The CAYLY ▲ April 1, 92
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Shaffer, Ron & Hawkins, Don. The Gayly Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 1, 1992, newspaper, April 1, 1992; Oklahoma City, Okla.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc824395/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.