Holly Pruett papers, 1969-2004

Measure 13 was a ballot measure placed on the ballot for the 1994 November election in Oregon. The measure, written by the right-wing group Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), called for the state constitution to be amended so that homosexuals were denied “minority status” protections, and so that public schools and other organizations would be barred from “promoting or expressing approval of homosexuality.” The measure was remarkably similar to 1992’s Measure 9, which had also been authored by the Oregon Citizens Alliance and been defeated at the polls. Thanks to a vigorous opposition campaign, Measure 13 also failed at the polls, with 52% of voters rejecting the measure. In the aftermath of the 1994 election, staffers from the No on 13 campaign formed the gay rights advocacy group Basic Rights Oregon.

Measure 36 was a 2004 Oregon initiative which sought to amend the state constitution so as to explicitly define marriage as being between one man and one woman. Basic Rights Oregon led the campaign opposing the measure. However, the measure ultimately passed, 56.63% to 43.37%, and the Oregon Constitution was amended so as to officially bar legal recognition of same-sex marriages. In May 2014, United States District Judge Michael McShane ruled that the clause prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, as it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Since then, Oregon has legally recognized same-sex marriages.