It's About Homophobia

Forum: TechnoDyke.com
Date: 08/08/2001

You can read it at OCA's web site, which is at
http://www.oregoncitizensalliance.org/
(aside from the long domain name, it is one of the worst designed web sites I've ever seen).

Yup - and I always thought that how BRO campaigned against the last measure 9 (e.g. paying for a commercial in which a straight couple discuss how measure 9 would take away local autonomy) was misguided. I didn't think that BRO was honest during the last campaign - they intentionally misled voters into accepting that measure 9 was worse than it actually was by suggesting that HIV education "could" be terminated, gay teachers "could" be fired, or schools "could" lose the ability to protect students from homophobic bullying. Yes, these things "could" have happened, with or without measure 9 - but it was dishonest to focus on what "could" happen rather than what the measure actually said. Based on the focus groups, BRO knew that the majority of Oregonians would support the *actual text* of the measure, so it distorted the public perception of it by using these "worst case scenarios," some of which were completely unrealistic.

Measure 9 was about homophobia (and biphobia also, since measure 9 was bi-inclusive), and until we get vast majority of Oregonians to oppose homophobia altogether we will keep having these ballot measures. I hope that the revised measure 9 will force BRO to change its tactics and actually start addressing homophobia and biphobia.

(Note: the old BRO leadership responsible for the last no-on-9 campaign have left the organization, and I have nothing against the new people).

Emigrl

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