The Oregon community of Cornelius Tuesday passed an anti-gay measure by -a wide
margin, bouying the Oregon Citizens Alliance's hopes that its latest 
tactic may be a winner.

With all but a handful of votes counted, Measure 34-5 passed 956-595.

"We have turned the corner," Lon Mabon, OCA chairman, told reporters.
-He said the victory in Cornelius gave momentum to the OCA's efforts to 
pass similar
initiatives in 32 other Oregon communities and a statewide measure in 1994.
The new initiatives were filed after voters rejected a statewide OCA 
initiative last year.

Opponents of the initiative called the Cornelius defeat "a wake-up call" for
the rest of the state.

"Our biggest mistake was not getting started eary enough," said Dick Ginsberg,
- a Cornelius attorney. "This is not a battle over homosexuality or special
rights. This is a smokescreen for discrimination."

The OCA decided to seek passage of local toned-down versions of its harshly
worded statewide anti-gay initiative, Measure 9, after voters rejected it by
56% to 44% in November.

For its new round of initiatives, the group targeted 24 cities and eight
counties, most of which passed Measure 9.

Measure 34-5 amends the city charter to ban specific civil rights protections
-
for homosexuality as a group. In addition, it says that city money may
-not be spent "to promote homosexuality or express approval of 
homosexual behavior."

Mabon said the more moderate language ofthe new initiative helped sway
middle-of-the-road voters. "People don't want to be intolerant," he said.
"They just don't want homosexuality to be promoted."

Initiative opponents argued that the measure was unnecessary, dangerous and
just plain wrong. Liz Kaufman, director of a statewide group opposing the
measures, said the measure would allow discrimintation against homosexuals
-in those three areas as well as in state licenses.

"We've now put outselves on the national map -- with Colorado -- in
legislating discrimination." she said.

The next votes on local OCA measures are scheduled June 29 in two Oregon
-towns and three counties. Legal challenges may derail elections in 
another city
-and another county also scheduled for that date. The remaining communities are
targeted for November.