| Oregon Citizens Alliance |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT OREGON CITIZENS ALLIANCE | |
| associations in oregon | |
| politics of oregon | |
| homophobia | |
PROMOTER OF ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION The group gained statewide, national, and international attention in 1992, when it proposed Ballot Measure 9 . This Initiative would have amended the Oregon Constitution to prevent what the OCA called "special rights" for Gay s, Lesbian s, and Bisexual s. According to many Civil Rights activists, it would have gone further, mandating state discrimination against sexual minorities. The ballot measure was defeated by voters, 56 percent to 44 percent, in the 1992 General Election. The OCA successfully promoted similar measures at the local level -- both before and after the 1992 election -- but those measures were ultimately invalidated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly . It also promoted Measure 13 in the 1994 election, which featured many similar provisions to Measure 9. Measure 13 was rejected by a narrower margin, 52 percent to 48 percent. 1996 SENATE RACE In 1996, the OCA endorsed Gordon Smith over Ron Wyden in the race to succeed disgraced US Senator Bob Packwood . Smith, a Republican running in a progressive state, attempted to dodge controversy by neither embracing nor rejecting the right wing organization's endorsement. Critics faulted him for failing to take a strong stand against the OCA. REFERENCES |
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