Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 20:15:17 -0700 (PDT) From: "Michael B. Clark" Subject: OCA Frequently Asked Questions The Oregon Citizens Alliance STOP SPECIAL RIGHTS FACT SHEET FOR OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS Q). Is The Homosexual Community Seeking Minority Status? A). YES. 1. The city councils of Portland, Corvallis and Ashland have already granted homosexuals minority status equal to race, gender and national origin, in the areas of housing, jobs, and public accommodations. Minorities in these cities will now face the indignity of having their ethnic heritage made legally equal with sodomy and other homosexual practices. 2. In Corvallis, the homosexual community tried to pass 'Ordinance 91', which not only gave minority status to homosexuals, but allowed extreme penalties, including property confiscation and loss of business licenses, for any verbal interaction that could be construed as offensive to homosexuals. 'Ordinance 91' gave the Corvallis City Council the right to appoint a special tax funded committee which would hear all alleged incidents and complaints and would then rule on guilt and levy penalties. 'Ordinance 91' was temporarily stopped. 3. In Springfield, the Human Rights Commission unanimously submitted a recommendation to the Springfield City Council, to pass a "Gay Rights Bill" that would grant minority status to homosexuals. That is why 20-08 was filed in Springfield, in order to take the issue to the people. 4. During April 1993's Homosexual March on Washington D.C., homosexuals demanded the right to restructure public education standards and norms to include homosexuality as a normal healthy acceptable behavior that deserves to be equated with normal heterosexual marriages and families. 5. There were bills introduced into the 1993 Oregon legislature that would have advanced many goals and objectives of the radical homosexual agenda: Senate Bill 904 - Would have deleted the definition of deviate sexual intercourse, omitted references to sodomy in certain crimes, and placed sodomy within the definition of "sexual intercourse"; Engrossed House Bill 2238A - Considered HIV positive people "disabled" so that they could receive a waiver for the regular examination and mandatory interview to become a state employee; House Bill 3465, Senate Bill 34, and Senate Bill 35 - Granted full minority status based on "sexual orientation" in employment, public accommodations and real property transactions, including rentals. "Sexual Orientation" was defined as heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. Although these bills had an exemption for "religious organizations under certain circumstances", the Rutherford Institute has stated that such laws are "in a state of flux" and it is wise not to depend on "exemptions"; House Bill 2845 - Allowed "domestic partnerships" to be set up between unmarried persons of the same or opposite sex. They may live together even though each maintains a separate residence. Q). Does The Majority Have The Right To Take Away The Rights Of Minorities? A). No. That is why we established protected class status, that is minority status, to ensure that the minorities are receiving their basic constitutional rights that they are entitled to. The U.S. Supreme Court has historically ruled that the Constitution does not recognize sexual behaviors as a minority classification. Their rulings are the precise reasons why half the states still have sodomy laws on their books. The court ruling Bowers v Hardwick, in 1986, ruled that the states have the constitutional right to enact and enforce sodomy laws. In the future, if our courts are politically forced to recognize homosexuality and bisexuality as legitimate minorities, then taken to its logical conclusion, they must also recognize all other sexual acts and behaviors as having minority status. The U.S. Supreme Court has historically used three elements of criteria to determine who is considered a legal minority: o Must prove a history of discrimination, as a class, having constitutional rights denied. o Must have unchangeable characteristics such as nationality, race, gender. o Must be economically, socially and educationally deprived, as a class, as a result of discrimination. Q). How Will "Gay Rights" Impact Ethnic Minorities" A).1. Minority mothers and children would face competition for a shrinking pie of government benefits from a new government-designated "homosexual minority." This could add to an already disproportionate level of poverty for many minorities. 2. Minority workers would face increased competition for jobs in the public and private sector from "homosexual minorities" demanding hiring quotas based on their "sexual orientation." 3. Minority families would face competition for government-subsidized low-cost housing from the new "homosexual minority." 4. Minority business owners would face stiff competition from businesses owned by homosexuals seeking government contracts under their new "minority" label. Q) Does The "Stop Special Rights" Amendment Take Away Civil Rights From Homosexuals? A) No. Homosexuals have equal rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Why should they be given special rights, that is minority status, based on a chosen behavioral practice? No one else in Oregon is allowed minority status based on "sexual behavior." The Oregon Constitution guarantees that no individual or class of individuals should be given special rights or privileges that no one else is entitled to. The only way to pass legislation granting minority status based on a person's wrong behavior would be to deliberately ignore our State Constitution. Q) Aren't Homosexuals Being Denied Access To Housing And Employment? A). There is no evidence that homosexuals, as a class, are being denied housing or employment at a greater rate than any other group of people. In fact, The Wall Street Journal reported that: 1) the average homosexual has an income of $55,430 annually; the national average is $32,144. 2) 59.6% of the homosexuals were college graduates; the national average is 18.0%. 3) 65.8% of the homosexuals are overseas travelers, the national average is l4.0%. 4) 26.5% of the homosexuals are frequent fliers; the national average is 1.9%. (Wall Street Journal, 7/8/91, page B1; 199l U.S. Statistical Abstract) Homosexuals are economically a rich class of individuals demanding "special rights" at the expense of true minorities. It would be a travesty to grant these individuals minority status based on an "alleged" sexual preference. Q) Does A Landlord Or Business Owner Have the Right To Dismiss individuals Who Openly Promote Homosexuality? A). YES. The Oregon Constitution guarantees landlords and business owners, in the private sector, the right to dismiss people who openly promote a behavior that they believe is immoral. The Oregon Constitution mandates that no law shall be passed to control the free exercise of, or interfere with a person's "rights of conscience", or their "religious beliefs." A government municipality cannot force social acceptance of a behavior that has been considered historically immoral for hundreds of years without infringing on the "rights of conscience" or the "religious beliefs" of its citizens. Laws granting a "homosexual minority" would infringe on private landlords and business owner's Constitutional rights by using the legal force of the law to coerce individuals to rent or hire people who openly promote a behavior that their conscience finds immoral. If government coerces landlords or business owners into violating their "rights of conscience" or "religious beliefs" to participate in the free market, then we no longer have our Constitutional guarantees to our free exercise of religion. Q). Does State Government Have The Right To Dismiss Individuals Who Openly Promote Homosexuality? A). Oregon state statute protects any state employee from being fired because of a non job related factors. If a state employee's "sexual preference" becomes disruptive to the work place, then their supervisor would treat the situation as they would any other sexual harassment allegation. The "Stop Special Rights" charter amendments, passed at the local level, allows city and county governments to also pass amendments to protect their employees from being fired because of a non job related factors. Q) Does The "Stop Special Rights" Amendment Harm Or Protect Our Individual Rights? A). It protects our individual rights. All people are created equal, all behaviors are not. We, as a society, differentiate against certain individuals or class of individuals every day based on right or wrong behaviors. We differentiate against racists, drug users. alcoholics, etc.. The difference between these individuals and homosexuals is that they are not banding together to push for minority status classification based on their behavioral practices. As a society we are extremely tolerant of individual's private behavioral practices. The "Stop Special Rights" Committee respects individual's right to privacy but draws a distinct line between private practice and public policy. The people of this state have the constitutional right to set public policies that govern their own communities. Homosexuals and their allies are trying to usurp these communities to avoid public debate on this issue. It has become extremely obvious that they will continue the push until they have received from the public and private sector full acceptance and affirmation of their sexual perversions. The "Stop Special Rights" Committee believes that this issue needs to be brought forward for a public debate and that the people will be the ones who ultimately decide this issue. Q). Aren't Homosexuals Born That Way? A). No. The fact that many thousands of homosexuals have successfully left the lifestyle is proof that homosexuals can and do change. There is no scientific proof that anyone is born homosexual. There is a vast quantity of scientific documentation that homosexuality is environmentally influenced. Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm for Planned Parenthood, in a 1993 study, survey proved that only 1% of the general population is exclusively homosexual. Q). Does The O.C.A. Hate Homosexuals? A). NO. Pro-family people who oppose homosexuality do not hate homosexuals. They care about people who are trapped in a destructive behavior that often leads to disease or personal injury, even to the point of death. Even though it's destructive, pro-family people are still willing to allow people the right to decide to be homosexual as long as they keep their sexual practices private. There is a big difference between tolerating someone's unhealthy sexual practices and affirming them. There is also a big difference between disapproval and hatred. Q). Shouldn't Homosexuals Have Protections Against Hate Crimes? A). Homosexuals have the same protections against intimidation and assault as every other citizen under existing law. If intimidation and assaults increase for any individuals, then we may need to pass stricter assault and battery laws for everyone. We are in trouble as a society when we try to pass laws based on an individual's thought processes instead of an individual's actions. Assault and battery is wrong, regardless of who you are, and it should not be tolerated. The problem we face in Oregon today, is that hate-crime statistics are used as a political weapon for homosexual legislation. Hate-crimes are often not proven or investigated. Homosexuals have been known to call and report hate-crimes in order to give the illusion that hate crimes are on the increase. Q). How Is The Government Promoting Homosexuality Now? A). l. Again, the city councils of Portland, Corvallis and Ashland have passed ordinances granting minority status to homosexuals, elevating sodomy to an equal level with race, gender and national origin. 2. Today, we have state-owned universities giving students access to tax-funded resources to promote homosexuality as normal, healthy and equal to race, gender or national origin. These tax-funded resources include office space, office equipment and furniture, use of the university's bulk mailing permits, campus copy centers, and state-owned vehicles (U of O Activity Reference Guide). 3. Oregon's new Department of Motor Vehicles' policy allows transsexual drivers to change the sex on their licenses if they can provide documentation that they are undergoing "gender reassignment" and living as the opposite sex. (Lavender Network, 1993). 4. The city of Portland has begun Diversity training to line staff employees. According to a Jan. 21, 1993 memo "diversity is not to be simply tolerated but encouraged, supported, and nurtured." Sexual orientation is included. Q). Are Public Schools Teaching Homosexuality As An Alternative Behavior Equal To Heterosexuality? A). Yes, even though U.S. legislation and court decisions have ruled that parents have the right to assure that their children's beliefs and moral values are not undermined by the schools. Pupils have the legal right to have and to hold their values and moral standards without direct or indirect manipulation by the schools. Homosexual teacher and guest speakers in school districts, throughout Oregon, have been known to discuss their personal sex lives with their students. This is not appropriate behavior for individuals known to be role models for children. Constitutionally, the government does not have the right to pass laws that force educators to teach their students something that their "rights of conscience" or "religious beliefs" deem immoral . If laws granting a "homosexual minority" were passed, then homosexuality would be required to be taught in the Multi-Cultural Education programs as something equal to race, gender and national origin. Q). Shouldn't The Militant Homosexual Agenda Be Dealt With At The State Level Exclusively By The Legislative Assembly? A). No. This issue is so fundamental to the basic beliefs of right and wrong, that this decision should be made by the citizens. The Oregon Constitution grants local governments power to enact county and city laws without interference from the Legislative Assembly. Each municipality is granted the right to erect laws, subject to the Constitution and criminal laws, in their city or county charter, that elevates a standard for their own community. Statewide, the citizens, not the Legislative Assembly, are the only ones that have the authority to amend the Oregon Constitution. In 1902, the state of Oregon amended their constitution from a republic state, to a representative democracy. In doing so. they mandated that only the citizens have the right to set constitutional standards for the entire state. Q). Will The "Stop Special Rights" Amendment Cost 'The Tax Payers Money To Defend In Court? A). The ACLU and the homosexual community have pledged to push for societal acceptance of homosexuality regardless of the cost to them, us and our next generation. With a comparatively small financial impact now, we can stop the homosexual agenda before it becomes rooted in our communities, schools and all our lives as an accepted behavior equal to race, gender or national origin. Besides, blackmail is not an appropriate way to decide important issues. Otherwise, slavery would still exist in the south. The ACLU sent a letter to all the city and county governments where initiatives were filed. The ACLU said they would defend them legally, for no fee, if they would not put the "Stop Special Rights" initiatives on the ballot. But, if they chose to put it on the ballot, the ACLU would sue the city or county. This is nothing short of economic blackmail. Q). Will This Amendment Cause Economic Loss For Our Community? A). Here are the facts of the so-called homosexual boycott: --COLORADO AMENDMENT 2. Colorado expects to follow a banner ski season with record summer tourism this year. "With the special events and the relatively stable economies in the Midwest states you draw from, Colorado may end up way ahead of the rest of the states this summer," said James Cammisa, publisher of Miami-based Travel Industry Indicators. (Rocky Mountain News, March 29, 1993.) --SPRINGFIELD CHARTER 20-08. "Small businesses and jobs are popping up in downtown Springfield like crocuses in March. In the Springfield Depot District, site of the city's Main Street project, 17 new businesses sprouted between July and December 1992. During the same period, 19 firms moved into the area." ("Springfield is Blooming", The Business News serving Lane County, Vol. 2, #l9. March 8-l2, 1993.) AUTHORIZED BY THE "STOP SPECIAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE" Box 407. Wilsonville, Oregon 97070 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Brandon Clark | P.O. Box 40590 University of Portland | Portland, Oregon 97240-0590 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND NEEDS OPENNESS, UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE