Following Friday's ruling from a Multnomah County Federal Court delaying Oregon's Domestic Partnership law from going into effect on January 1st (story here), there are a myriad of emotions swirling around each and every one of our heads.

The sorrow, the anger, the crushing of a thousand dreams, the basic aspiration that one day very soon each and every Oregon family would be granted their basic human right to take care of one another in times of crisis.

Right now we feel defeated. Right now we feel trampled on. For far too long we have fought tooth and nail to just get to this day. And now with the banging of a gavel, we again are forced to wait in a state of what seems like perpetual limbo. Many of us want to take to the streets demanding that our voices be heard and be heard loud... but that won't get our families anywhere. Right now we must remain focused on those actions that can truly make a positive difference. Actions that will show the strength and unity of our community and allies.

The magnitude of what we as Oregonians have accomplished to get to this day cannot and will not go unnoticed. For many of us it is far too easy to become discouraged. My fellow Oregonians, we have been here before and what did we do? We dusted ourselves off and got right back up.

As a voice in this community I urge all of us to give everything we've got to give. We are so close to putting an end to inequality for gay and lesbian couples. If we give up right now - we could lose it all.

I call upon all of you. Gay, straight, fellow Oregonians and fellow non-Oregonians. We can create lasting change in Oregon by taking the opportunity to close the book on this chapter of history.

Please join my partner and me in making a donation to the one organization in Oregon that has the power, the means and knowhow to seal the deal on equality. Click here to make a donation to Basic Rights Oregon. They have set up a legal defense fund specifically for this case and your gift is 100% tax- deductible.

Again, whether you are straight or gay has no bearing. We're all in this together, one Oregon, one hope and one shared vision of basic equality. Please make a contribution to the Basic Rights Oregon legal fund now. Be it $25 or $500, each and every dollar helps. Or, make a $60 contribution - the exact amount that it would have (and will someday soon!) cost to register for a Domestic Partnership.

And for those of us craving an opportunity to demonstrate our strength as a community, meet up at Q Center (69 SE Taylor at Water Avenue) for a candlelight vigil organized by BRO on Wed., January 2nd from 5:30 to 7pm. Community leaders, our families, neighbors and allies will be there to stand with us, and together we will make sure the public understands the harm this delay will cause to committed couples and our families.

I leave you now with the words of a dear friend. Her beautiful words sum up what we're feeling and offers her very personal account of her journey to equality.

Did you hear that sound?

That's the sound of me being kicked in the stomach again. Yeah, it hurts. It's the same pain I felt after Measure 36, when the state ruled my marriage was invalid.

There it is again. That sound.
When we received the refund check from the county for our marriage license.

That sound? I hear it every day. Every week. All the time. It's the sound of inequalities of gay and lesbian couples in Oregon who are denied the benefits of marriage that our friends, family and other members of the Oregon community enjoy.

Enjoy? They're actually benefits that really matter mainly in times of life or death. The stories I've heard..of the partner of a war veteran denied being handed the flag at his partner's funeral. Of an emergency room scenario where a partner is denied access to be at the bedside of their loved one. Of a partner whose name was crossed through on their child's birth certificate because she was not "wed" to the birth mother. The list goes on and on of the stories I've heard. They're horrible, and tragic, and they hurt.

And today? There's the sound again.

Just days before AdRi and I planned on going to the county courthouse and registering as domestic partners, a judge has delayed the laws. Thanks to the outside influence of an Arizona based organization fighting the laws here in Oregon, AdRi and I will just cool our heels. Again. And wait. Despite that we've been together over ten years. Despite that we celebrated our marriage with friends and family 3 years ago. Despite.....the list could go on forever, really.

Sigh. Yes, we'll wait. We'll wait to stand in line to get a partial list of benefits that the majority of people in this country benefit from, when this makes it through the courts.

Make the difference. Unite with your family, friends and neighbors and make a contribution to the BRO legal fund to ensure that Oregon's Domestic Partnership law rightly goes into law. Again, it is 100% tax-deductable so make your donation quick before the end of the year if you'd like to get it on your 2007 taxes.

Candlelight Vigil Wednesday in Portland
Join with us and a community that supports you, at a candlelight vigil, Wednesday, January 2nd, at Q Center with Basic Rights Oregon. 5:30-7pm. 69 SE Taylor (at Water Avenue)

Labels: basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, lawsuit, oregon

What's Next?
U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman will hear arguments Feb. 1 about whether the state correctly counted petition signatures gathered by opponents of domestic partnerships. If he rules for the state, the law takes effect immediately, and gay couples can register. If he rules against the state, opponents want the judge to order a statewide vote on domestic partnerships. Either way, his decision can be appealed and probably will be.

Also, I just came across some info from Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams:

We can help.

Oregon's domestic partnership law is a matter of basic fairness to all Portlanders and Oregonians.

I will ask the Portland City Council to authorize the Office of the City Attorney to provide legal help as needed to fight off this out-of-state effort to block implementation of Oregon's domestic partnership law.

In case you have missed the coverage of Oregon's Domestic Partnership law getting a temporary restraining order halting it for at least a month - here is the wrap up of some blog coverage and traditional news coverage.

From us (oldest to most recent):

DELAYED: Oregon Domestic Partnership Law

Squashed: The Hope and Dreams of Oregon Families

Judge Who Made Yesterday's Anti-Gay Ruling Has Shady Past?

Associated Press:

Oregon Domestic Partnership Law Halted

LeLo in NoPo:

Did you hear that sound?

Willamette Week:

More Details On The Temporary Injunction to Domestic Partnership

Just Out:

Making Sense of the Injunction

Labels: domestic partnership, lawsuit, oregon, wrap up

In an April 2003 story in the Oregonian entitled, "Smith's Pick Stirs Gay-Rights Controversy", it talks about the now District Court Judge Michael Mosman as possibly having an anti-gay side.

From the Oregonian:
What once seemed like a slam-dunk nomination for the federal judiciary in Oregon could turn into a test of political wills for Oregon's two senators, Republican Gordon Smith and Democrat Ron Wyden.

Michael Mosman, the U.S. attorney in Portland, is Smith's choice for a vacant district judgeship and is still regarded as a favorite of the Bush White House. But recent revelations of Mosman's views on gay rights, first expressed in 1986, have delayed his selection and what otherwise would likely be easy Senate confirmation.

Now, gay-rights groups are demanding explanations from Mosman, putting Smith's carefully crafted reputation as a friend to the homosexual community on the line. Wyden, meanwhile, could be the only defense against a filibuster by the Senate's increasingly restive Democratic minority if he chooses to support Mosman's nomination.

The senators have cooperated in filling the vacancy created when U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones took senior status in 2000. But they could face rough going if national gay-rights groups actively oppose Mosman's nomination.

"If the gay-rights community makes this nomination a litmus test, then quite frankly, they're in the middle of it and they're going to have to take sides," said Jim Moore, an independent political analyst in Portland.

It's unclear whether that will happen. But gay-rights activists say they're still waiting for answers from Mosman.

"What I want him to show is that he has come to understand that relationships need to be judged on their quality, not whether they are gay or straight," said Roey Thorpe, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, an advocacy group in Portland.

Mosman, 46, emerged as the top candidate in January after Ray Baum, a lawyer for Smith's family business, withdrew. But controversy erupted in March, when Basic Rights disclosed Mosman's role in a pivotal 1986 case, Bowers V. Hardwick (read about the case on Wikipedia here).

The group uncovered and presented to Smith two "bench memos" that Mosman had written as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. Mosman urged Powell to uphold Georgia's anti-sodomy law against a claim that police invaded a man's privacy by arresting him in his home.

Read the entire story here.

Labels: basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, federal court, gay rights, oregon

We've got more information on the ruling out of the Multnomah County Federal Court surrounding Oregon's new Domestic Partnership law. It's sort of a wrap up on the events of the day. Don't let the title of this post fool you, the fight is far from over. Read on for the whole story - but first! This just in! My mother emailed me as she received the email in California from Basic Rights Oregon about the ruling. This is what she had to say (and yes, this is all):

The delay of the partnership law really makes me ill - that some evil idiot sicko could get this law stopped... So not right.

Thoughts,
Mom

How can you not love my mother?!

Additional information from Just Out's Julie Sabatier who was in the courtroom today:

Judge Mosman presided over the preliminary injunction hearing today on the 16thfloor of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland. He made it clear at the outset that he thought the case depended heavily on whether or not the plaintiffs could demonstrate that the signing of a petition utilizes the same fundamental right as the signing of a ballot. Mosman pointed out that he had not seen any case law in the briefing materials that clearly argued this point. "I'd be tentatively inclined not to find a fundamental right where none has been found before," he said. Then, the lawyers for the plaintiffs pulled out some case law that hadn't been in the original brief. It was a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court in Idaho that they argued basically defined the signing of a referendum petition as a fundamental right. There was a brief recess to consider this new bit of information.

When the session resumed, the judge heard arguments for and against the fundamental rights issue and eventually decided that the case did, in fact, involve a fundamental right. Therefore, the plaintiffs had shown that they had a strong possibility of prevailing on the merits of their case. Judge Mosman also ruled that any denial of a fundamental right is equal to irreparable harm. Thus, he said, he was obligated to put a temporary injunction in place until Feb. 1, when he will hold a hearing on a permanent injunction, which will essentially be a hearing on the merits of the case.

And finally, we normally wouldn't post an entire email from someone, but in this case it is different. The following comes from Jeana Frazzini, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon:

I couldn't have been more shocked and saddened when, sitting in the courtroom today, I heard Judge Mosman announce that he was temporarily delaying the implementation of Oregon's domestic partnership law.

This decision is nothing short of an outrage. As Basic Rights Oregon argued in our amicus brief to the court, this delay tactic results in very real harm to countless Oregonians and their families, and is absolutely unnecessary.

The suit, brought by right-wing, out of state interest groups The Alliance Defense Fund and Restore America is an eleventh hour effort to keep gay and lesbian Oregonians from critical and necessary rights, and it is shameful.

The suit was brought against the State of Oregon and Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, who oversees Oregon's elections. Since BRO was not named as a party to this lawsuit, it was the State's attorney who argued the case in court. Nevertheless, we hired the top election attorney in the state to craft our "friend of the court" brief. In this brief, we explained in both legal and personal terms why it was absolutely critical that this law go into effect on January 1st.

But Judge Mosman grossly underestimated the harm that will be done to Oregon families. The law will not go into effect, at least until the next hearing which is scheduled for February 1st.

Moving forward, Basic Rights Oregon is conferring with our attorney about how we can become even more aggressively involved in the case. And we need YOU - our supporters - involved now more than ever.

But we must take action to ensure our domestic partnership law is not lost. Join BRO vigils in Ashland, Portland, Bend, Corvallis and Eugene on the evening of January 2nd - the day we should have been celebrating the beginning of domestic partnerships. Details are below.
In solidarity,

Jeana Frazzini
Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon

TWO THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO POST RULING:

1.) Give and give big to Basic Rights Oregon who will not rest until this fight is over and we are victorious. Click here to donate to BRO now.

3.) NEVER forget that after 34 years and 17 consecutive legislative sessions of trying, Oregon passed and signed into law a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination law that will still go into effect on January 1, 2008.


- Bryan Boyd

Labels: anti-discrimination, basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, lawsuit, oregon

Details are just filtering in but what we do know is that anti-gay forces have succeeded in delaying Oregon's Domestic Partnership law. The law, slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, is now delayed until February 1st, 2008 - then the anti-gay groups will go for a permanent stay via the court.

More to come shortly.

Labels: domestic partnership, lawsuit, oregon

UPDATE: 3:20pm - Calls made to various sources for a status update. No status to report as of yet. More to come.

Due to the State's motion to quash the subpoenas to the county clerks, the Court rescheduled the TRO/PI hearing for 2PM Friday afternoon. The Judge will conduct a telephone hearing at 10AM on the State's motion to quash the subpoenas.

We were going to be there live blogging at 10am this morning and now that it is postponed we cannot make the 2pm.

We'll provide an update as soon as we hear what happens.

Labels: domestic partnership, federal court, lawsuit, oregon

Labels: video

So unrelated to the gays... it was supposed to dump snow in Portland today but instead we're only seeing a rain/snow mix. Nothing is sticking. You'd think that those of us in the Pacific NW would be used to wet, winter weather but that's not the case. People here can't even drive in the rain, let alone snow. Here is a scene from the last winter storm from January 2007. A bit painful to watch, but we're assuming everyone was OK... just a little bowling with cars.

Labels: portland

Just Out, Portland's own (fabulous) GLBT newspaper, will be coming out with an issue next Friday, January 4th profiling queer bloggers in the Portland Metro. I don't want to spoil the surprise but there are some pretty great folks on the roster including someone I adore a whole heck of a lot.

Oh - and we'll be in it too!

Look for it on January 4th!

Labels: kudos, portland

We'll be blogging live from the first oral arguments this Friday starting at 10am. The case, Lemons v. Bill Bradbury (Oregon Secretary of State) and a bunch of other random people that the sue happy "Alliance Defense Fund" and "Restore America" are challenging after their inability to get their anti-gay referendum on the ballot. They are seeking an injunction/restraining order to stop Domestic Partnerships from going into law on January 1st. They've had since October to file this suit and they waited until now.

Basic Rights Oregon has submitted a friend of the court brief and have retained the counsel of Margaret Olney - not to mention the fact that they have an amazing legal team from the best firms across the state who work pro bono. All great people.

In any case, we'll be there. Hopefully they will have wireless and allow laptops - otherwise we'll be blogging via iPhones!

Labels: domestic partnership, federal court, lawsuit, live blogging, oregon

This just in from the opposition.

Oral arguments have been set for Friday, December 28th at 10AM by the Multnomah County Federal Court in which a motion was filed yesterday by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that could prevent HB 2007 creating 'domestic partnerships' becoming law in Oregon January 1.

According to the filing, "The instant action is one for injunctive and other relief wherein the constitutionality of Oregon's statutory and administrative scheme relating to petitions and/or referendums to place a statewide advisory question upon the ballot, is in issue. Plaintiffs are signers of Referendum 303 (my hilites) and claim that, inter alia, the statutory and administrative scheme utilized by the Defendants unconstitutionally disenfranchised them."

Oh cry me a river. FYI Restore America is asking that you pray for them. Get to it kids!

One of Basic Rights Oregon's attorney's, Mark Johnson, helped explain what it all means. (Thanks Just Out)

According to Johnson, "A temporary restraining order is an order a judge issues that freezes everything in place until the court can make a ruling. A preliminary injunction in this context would be a ruling that would stop the law from going into effect while the case is pending." He says these are common tactics in a case like this, where someone is trying to prevent something from happening.

The temporary restraining order is usually very temporary, and could just be a way for the judge to put things on hold while he decides whether or not to issue the permanent injunction, which could put the law on hold until the case is decided. Johnson explained that in order to get the preliminary injunction, the ADF would need to show that the plaintiffs would be "irreparably harmed" by the law going into effect and they have to show that they have a likelihood of winning the case.

Basic Rights Oregon has previously made a statement recently regarding the lawsuit:
Hummel said the lawsuit's chance's of success are slim to none. "On January 1st, same sex couples in committed, caring relationships will have the legal recognition they need to take care of each other," he said. "Nothing is going to prevent this law from going into effect."

Then came word from the Secretary of State's office:

"What it comes down to is there are statutes that govern how signatures on initiative petitions are verified and those statues were applied in exactly the same way as every other initiative petition that's delivered to this office. The law is applied fairly and neutrally across the board," says Scott Moore, chief of communications for the Secretary of State. "To bend the rules to allow for an exception in this case would be granting special privileges to a select group."

Labels: basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, lawsuit

Multnomah County announces that they are as ready as it can be, taking all necessary steps to assist in the implementation of Oregon's Domestic Partnership on January 2nd. Because January 1st is a holiday, Declaration of Domestic Partnerships won't be given out until the 2nd.

Below are some very important instructions in case you and your partner are planning on getting registered.

Today we spoke with the fabulous Karol Collymore, Communications and Policy Manager for Commissioner Jeff Cogen.

She said, "Here in Jeff's office, we all feel very close to the GLBT movement. We knew when HB 2007 passed we'd do whatever we could to help expedite the process for couples seeking to further protect their relationships. We found out that couples filing for domestic partnerships were going to have to notarize their forms - something not needed for marriage certificates, by the way - and that adds to the stress of the process. We made a group decision to all take the notary class to help the GLBT community and ensure for those folks getting domestic partnership forms, they would not have to leave the building and return again, just to file. We all take this personally and are proud to continue to work for equality for all Oregonians."

Go Jeff Cogen's office!


From Multnomah County:

When the Oregon Family Fairness Act takes effect January 2, same-sex couples throughout Oregon will be eligible to register under the new domestic partnership system created by the law. Multnomah County has been making preparations to ensure smooth and efficient business operations after the new law is implemented.

The county’s Assessment and Taxation division has been in charge of planning and will process domestic partnerships in the same way as marriage licenses. Plans include creating orderly spaces for higher than average numbers of people in the building’s lobby if needed, focusing staff resources in customer service areas and ensuring that all other county business will continue uninterrupted.

“We're going to be ready to start certifying domestic partnerships the moment our doors open on January 2,” said Carol Ford, director the county management, which oversees marriage licenses and domestic partnerships. “Multnomah County has undertaken a thorough planning process and we expect everything to run very smoothly.”

The new law allows same-sex couples, when one of whom is a resident of Oregon and both are over 18 years of age, to certify their partnerships in any county within the state and receive a range of civil and legal benefits previously unavailable to them.

The form, Declaration of Domestic Partnership, will be available at Multnomah County offices beginning on January 2 and is expected to be available at the Oregon Department of Human Services Website on January 1. Those who choose to print the form from the web must use legal-sized paper (8 ½” x 14”) or Multnomah County will be required to reject the form.

Unlike marriage licenses, the Declaration of Domestic Partnership requires no solemnization from a religious or legal official. Instead, forms require signature verifications and seal of a Notary Public. Volunteer notaries will be on site at the Multnomah County offices for the first several business days after the new law takes effect. Both parties are required to present identification for the notarization.

Like marriage licenses, the fee is $60 to register a domestic partnership. Fees are payable in cash or certified funds only; no personal checks or credit/debit cards accepted. An ATM is available at the Multnomah Building (501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) and business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

And Basic Rights Oregon is also working frantically to ensure all the bases are covered and that there will be no snags in the process as presumably hundreds line up across the state. They are also planning celebration parties around the state (more info here).

Labels: basic rights oregon, domestic partnership, multnomah county, oregon, portland

Watch it here.

Labels: 2008 Presidential Election

This just in! Basic Rights Oregon's John Hummel has quit as Executive Director. This is the best news I've heard in a long time.

Ding dong the witch is dead. More to come shortly.

Former "ex-gay" Describes "Spiritual Rape" by Pentecostal Ministry
Former "ex-gay" Scott Harrison gave an interview to Southern Poverty Law Center about his experience coming to terms with his homosexuality after suffering through a grueling "exorcism" from a neo-Pentecostal ministry called Living Waters/Desert Stream in the 80's. Harrison now speaks to groups like PFLAG about his experience.

Read the rest over at Towleroad.
___________________________

California Marriage Equality Case Gets Most "Friend-of-Court" Briefs in Memory
One reason why the California Supreme Court is taking so long to decide whether gay marriage is legal is that the issue has attracted more "friend of the court" briefs than any other case in recent memory, Chief Justice Ronald George said Tuesday.
George said the court has received 45 such briefs from 145 different organizations lobbying the state's high court to decide the case in a variety of ways.

An array of civil rights groups and several cities have filed court documents in favor of gay marriage, while politically conservative and religious organizations filed papers supporting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's position opposing gay marriage. Attorney General Jerry Brown also has filed opposition papers.

"We have a lot of material before us," George said. "There is a vast amount of literature to read."

The Supreme Court took up the matter in December 2006. All the required written legal arguments were filed by Nov. 15, George said.

The chief justice said the court expects to hear the case in 2008. The issue is not on the court's January calendar.

Read the rest here.
___________________________

The Year in Gay Television: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Betty

So what did this past year in television hold for gay viewers? Just as with the past two years, 2007 again saw a decline in the number of GLBT characters on the broadcast networks. But even though the numbers weren't all that impressive, we were still able to isolate a few major trends that defined the year in gay television.

Read the rest here.
___________________________

Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee is a mess.

Just in case you've missed recent news...
Gay Republicans Blast Huckabee AIDS Comments
Huckbee Agrees To Meet With Ryan White Mom

Labels: daily news roundup

I'm a procrastinator. There, I admit it. I've been meaning to call and have someone out to take a look at our garage door for about a month now but for 'some reason' haven't had the 3 minutes to make the call. The problem is that out of the blue our garage door started only opening half way and sometimes if we're lucky, 3/4 of the way so that we can just barely slip under it.

So today on my way to the mailbox I saw a van drive by that said "Dave's Garage Doors". Perfect I thought! A reminder! I just happened to have my little iPhone on my person and I Googled "garage doors portland oregon". For whatever reason "Dave's" was the second on the list so I called.

While on hold I noticed that they were playing a local Christian radio station, one that happens to feature a notoriously anti-gay, former Measure 36 spokesperson Georgine Rice (pictured). I paused then asked my partner what he thought about that. Now don't get me wrong - we're church going folk, we just happen to attend a church that welcomes all - not one of exclusion.

I quickly thought it through and when the woman came back on the phone I told her I need to check my calendar first and that I would call back.

I immediately went to my computer and visited the Portland Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages. As surely as I cannot say for certain whether Dave's Garage Doors would be somewhat anti-gay, I can say with certainty that Precision Door Service who I found on is not anti-gay.

I urge you not only during the holiday season but year-round to do the same thing and utilize the Portland Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages for whatever you may need. And don't forget to tell them where you found them!

And for those of you who aren't in the Portland metro area - it is as easy as Googling "your city" and "gay and lesbian yellow pages".

Labels: personal life, portland

In response to the lawsuit filed yesterday, Basic Rights Oregon responds - as does the Secretary of State.

Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director John Hummel said that a lawsuit filed by anti-gay activists in a gambit to revive a failed referendum on Oregon's new domestic partnership law is completely without merit.

"This lawsuit demonstrates our opponents' commitment to dismantling Oregon's anti-discrimination laws," Hummel said in a statement today. "We have to be vigilant, and prepared to meet them at every turn. We are confident that this case will be dismissed."

The complaint filed in Federal Court by out of state attorneys alleges that Oregon's Secretary of State and a dozen county clerks erred by not creating special procedures to reinstate the signatures of people who said they had signed the petition, but whose signatures were found to be invalid using well established criteria.

Basic Rights Oregon has monitored the signature verification process on many occasions over the years. The process we observed on these petitions was consistent with what we have seen year after year, Hummel said. "The Secretary of State's job is to ensure the uniform and efficient administration of elections, and we're confident that all of the proper rules and regulations were followed as usual.

In early October, Oregon's Secretary of State certified the results of the referendum effort and found that that the petitions fell short of the number of required signatures to force a referendum on the domestic partnership law. The law takes effect on January 1, 2008.

Hummel said the lawsuit’s chance's of success are slim to none. “On January 1st, same sex couples in committed, caring relationships will have the legal recognition they need to take care of each other," he said. "Nothing is going to prevent this law from going into effect."

Then comes word from the Secretary of State's office. Let me just raise a glass to Scott Moore for the following statement (mainly the last sentence).

"What it comes down to is there are statutes that govern how signatures on initiative petitions are verified and those statues were applied in exactly the same way as every other initiative petition that's delivered to this office. The law is applied fairly and neutrally across the board," says Scott Moore, chief of communications for the Secretary of State. "To bend the rules to allow for an exception in this case would be granting special privileges to a select group."

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon, referendum

Today, anti-gay fanatics filed a lawsuit in federal court against the invalidation of petition #303, an attempt to overturn Oregon's Domestic Partnership law that goes into effect in less than a month on January 1, 2008. Because honestly why not? You already failed twice at stripping the rights of Oregon families - what's one more?

The lawsuit by the notorious extremist group "Alliance Defense Fund" was filed against the Oregon Secretary of State, as well as "several Oregon county clerks".

First - why was it filed in federal court? Last time we checked none of the participating attorney's for the gay hating bigots were licensed to practice law in this state, but it looks like they found some jack ass attorney's to fill those shoes.

Lets all take a step back at the big picture here. The group (Restore America) who sent the email announcing the details of this lawsuit have now moved to Tennessee. Oh what? Thanks for the reminder. They also have a major elections violation filed against them. They've taken part in a quite fraudulent scheme of raising funds. You can read more about that here.

The following is from "Restore America" announcing the lawsuit. It's basically a bunch of bullshit but we're trying to be "fair and balanced" like their favorite news channel:

ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Oregonians whose signatures were invalidated by clerks' offices in 12 different counties. Many of the citizens sought, in person, to have their signatures revalidated since no legitimate reason existed to reject their signatures, but the clerks refused.

You can download a copy of the complaint here. So much fun!

No response yet from Basic Rights Oregon - I assume that will come within the next couple days depending on how serious they take this 'final anti-gay attempt of 2007'.

Deuces queer haters.

Labels: domestic partnership, HB 2007, lawsuit, oregon