Oregon voters defeat anti- Gay/Lesbian ballot initiative

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PORTLAND, Ore.—On election day, Oregon voters defeated Measure 9, known as the "Abnormal Behaviors Initiative," which was an attempt to amend the state constitution to declare that homosexuality is "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse."

The ballot measure tried to lump homosexuality with other "behaviors" that should be discouraged by the state-such as pedophilia, sadism, and masochism. Civil protection of gays and lesbians from discrimination was maligned as "special rights."

The measure was defeated by a margin of 53 percent, but the breakdown of the vote indicated the conservatism that exists outside the main urban centers. In Portland and other major cities, the measure was rejected by a three to one margin. In the rural communities, however, the vote was much closer.

The major sponsor of the measure was a group called the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), local representatives of Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition, and other right-wing fundamentalist Christian groups-such as Operation Rescue, Eagle Forum, and the Coalition of Woman for Traditional Values.

These incipient fascist groupings were likewise the major organizers for support of the Gulf War, through the "Home-front Coalition" and "Defenders of Liberty Parade." And they were in the forefront of attacks on women's abortion rights.

The bigotry that such right-wing groups encourage has resulted in an anti-gay ordinance in Springfield, Ore., and a large increase in hate crimes directed at minorities, women, and gays and lesbians. The worst recent incident of a hate crime was the firebombing of a home in Salem, Ore., by racist skinheads that resulted in the death of a Black lesbian and a white gay man.

The backers of Measure 9 made children and teachers their target. They pushed heavily the notion that homosexuality is something that is taught and glorified by teachers-especially gay teachers who, according to OCA lies, are prone to pedophilia. This line of attack had a significant measure of success in frightening ...Clinton (continued from page will be his ability to paper over the frustrations of American working people, on one hand, while modernizing and streamlining American capitalism's competitive edge in the world market, on the other.

Who will suffer is apparent from his record as governor of Arkansas.

Clinton rewarded the financial elite of Arkansas with low-interest loans; at the same time, he granted them over $400 million a year in tax breaks—one-fifth of the annual state budget.

Under the Clinton administration, Arkansas, which is still 49th in individual average annual per capita income, taxed the poorest 20 percent of working people 67 percent higher than the richest one percent.

Just these two examples alone demonstrate that basically Clinton is no different from Bush or Perot (who at least was honest enough to lay out the draconian austerity measures necessary for rescuing capitalism).

Clinton's career is rooted in adjusting himself to the needs of the wealthy, from whom he solicited money for his election campaigns.

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