Charles F. ("Charlie") Hinkle is a lawyer with extensive experience in media law, constitutional and civil rights law, public records, election law, and appellate practice. He has been a lead counsel in many landmark decisions construing the Oregon constitution in the areas of religious liberty, open courts, commercial speech, election law, and property rights. He taught constitutional law and First Amendment courses at Lewis and Clark College Law School for many years, and was an instructor in English at Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia (1966-1967). He is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Beginning in the 1970s, Hinkle wrote and spoke regularly in support of anti-discrimination policies and against bigotry and intolerance. During the 1990s, he publicly opposed Oregon's Ballot Measure 9 and various other state and local intiatives promoted by the conservative Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) and opposed by gay and lesbian rights activists.
Materials relate to Charles Hinkle's political activies, primarily in the early 1990s in opposition to Oregon anti-gay ballot measures proposed by the Oregon Citizens' Alliance. Included are drafts and final copies of public speeches, research & debate materials, personal and legal correspondence, newspaper opinion pieces and editorials, legislative briefs and drafts, and an oral history interview with Mr. Hinkle describing his efforts recorded in 2009. Audio materials include 1992 recordings of radio interviews with Portland stations KXL and Z100 re: Ballot Measure 9, and a recording of legislative testimony re: HB 3500 in 1993. Video materials include a recording of a 1992 City Club debate between Mr. Hinkle and Scott Lively of the Oregon Citizens Alliance.
The materials are aranged in three series:
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Charles F. Hinkle papers, Mss 2988-18, Oregon Historical Society Davies Family Research Library
Materials were collected by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest and donated by them to the Oregon Historical Society.
Acquired March 2013, Library Accession 27870
The following materials have been separated to the Sound Recording
collections of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library:
The following VHS videotapes have been separated to the Moving Image
collection of the Oregon Historical Society (with designated Moving Image numbers):
The City Club of Portland invited Charles F. Hinkle to debate Scott Lively of the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) on September 25, 1992. Materials include drafts of Hinkle's opening remarks, correspondence with the City Club, notes in preparation for the debate, and correspondence sent to Hinkle by people who had witnessed or listened to the debate.
A variety of clippings related to Ballot Measure 9 and the organized opposition to the measure, including position statements from a variety of churches and businesses.
Assorted press from a wide range of local and national newspapers and magazines re: Ballot Measure 9.
A letter to Hinkle (and supporting research) from the Coalition for Lesbian & Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO).
Research materials.
Includes letters to Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, and a series of editorials from the editorial board of The Oregonian condemning Ballot Measure 9 and the efforts of the OCA.
Hinkle's notes and draft of a statement regarding a City of Portland diversity task force.
Research debunking the works of authors (Judith Reisman, Paul Cameron, et al.) who are quoted in materials published by the Oregon Christian Association in their campaign in support of Ballot Measure 9.
"The Homophobic Violence Reporting Line and Documentation Project (July - Dec 1991 Report)".
ACLU suit filed for relief against Ballot Measure 9
Extensive documentation invalidating the work of Paul Cameron (Cameron's research was often used in materials published by the Oregon Citizens Alliance.)
Research in preparation for Hinkle's September 1992 debate against Scott Lively of the Oregon Citizens Alliance.
Articles and op-eds re: Ballot Measure 9 from assorted sources including the New York Times and The New Yorker.
Materials include corporate fundraising and media materials in support of the No On 9 campaign.
Handouts and flyers published by the No On 9 campaign.
Agenda for a No On 9 rally held on October 4, 1992 and drafts of Hinkle's speech at the rally.
Assorted materials, for and against the OCA initiative petition that became Ballot Measure 9.
Assorted correspondence, primarily in objection to Hinkle's positions in the September 1992 debate against Scott Lively of the Oregon Citizens Alliance.
Speaker's Packet from the Oregon Speak Out Project which assisted those speaking publicly in opposition to Ballot Measure 9.
Materials distributed by the OCA in response to a city tolerance & diversity initiative and Hinkle's notes in preparation of a response to the OCA materials.
Drafts of a speech Hinkle gave at Bend Community College, in opposition to Ballot Measure 9.
Drafts of speeches presented at the University of Portland.
Drafts of an ACLU complaint against the City of Springfield for an OCA-sponsored city charter amendment that prevented "sexual orientation" being added to non-discrimination ordinances.
Hinkle's correspondence with Secretary of State's office alleging misleading OCA voter materials.
Materials relating to the preparation and wording of Ballot Measure 9 in voter education materials.
Draft of House Bill 3500 brought before the 67th Oregon Legislative Assembly, in an attempt to prevent groups like the Oregon Citizens Alliance from bringing Ballot 9-like measures in individual Oregon towns over time (Ballot 9 was a statewide intiative, defeated in November 1992.)
Assorted correspondence from & to Charles Hinkle re: HB 3500.
The Piazza brief involved complaintants who sought to have their church-sanctioned lesbian marriage viewed as equal under the laws of the State of Oregon; the Baker/Allen suit involved a challenge to putting Ballot Measure 9 on the slate of measures voted on in 1992.
Materials related to Oregon Citizens Alliance efforts to legislate Ballot 9-like measures in Oregon municipalities, despite the defeat of the statewide Ballot Measure 9 in November 1992.
Materials related to an Oregon Citizens Alliance-sponsored local measure identical in substance to the defeated Ballot Measure 9.
Materials related to Charles Hinkle acting as ACLU consulting attorney in a case challenging an Idaho state initiative, similar to Oregon's Ballot Measure 9.
Materials related generally to the process of legislation by referendum or initiatives. Includes publications and recommendations of The City Club of Portland.
Publication titled "RightGuide to the Other Side: Contributors to the Oregon Citizens Alliance and its Companion PACs 1988-1994 Primary Part II"
Assorted articles from a variety of local and national sources.
Materials related to the Attorney General's title assigned to a 1993 ballot initiative.
Includes a Directory of Participants and Interested Citizens from an anti-bigotry summit on December 4, 1992.
ACLU letter in support of revisions to the City of Eugene's Human Rights Code.
Materials relating to anti-discrimination legislation in the states of Florida, Idaho, and Washington.
Draft of Charles Hinkle's testimony in support of anti-discrimination legislation in 2007; also includes his responses to similar legislative efforts in 1977, 1983, and 1997. Also includes the 1996 Taskforce on Equality Report to the Governor.
Materials from a variety of organizations opposed to the OCA.
Open letter from Lon Mabon, Chairman of the Oregon Citizens Alliance to businesses advertising in the Oregonian.
Assorted publications and flyers published and/or distributed by the Oregon Citizens Alliance.
Assorted articles from a variety of local and national sources.
A publication of the Department for Studies, Division for Church in Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Assorted articles from a variety of local and national publications.
Assorted correspondence and publications.
Assorted materials, includes 1968 publication "The Challenge and Progress of Homosexual Law Reform".
3 publications included:
Assorted materials, including:
Assorted materials relating to Legislative Counsel Act 397.
Published by the Portland Town Council
A photocopy of the Magnuson book (published in 1990), forwarded to Charles Hinkle with a note from Jim Shurtliff pointing out the author's arguments as used by the OCA during the Ballot Measure 9 campaign. Also included are photocopies of the book jackets of several other titles approaching similar topics.
Published by the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission
Draft and published versions of an opnion piece Hinkle wrote for Willamette Week in 1977.
Transcript of an oral history interview with Charles Hinkle, conducted on February 10, 2009 by PSU students Michael Lamore & Michelle Brown. The interview covers Hinkle's involvement in gay rights causes between 1972-1988.
Transcript of an oral history interview with Charles Hinkle, conducted on May 13, 2009 by PSU students Nishant Evan, Nathan Guynn, and Michael Pratt. The interview covers Hinkle's opposition to Ballot Measure 9 (1992) and the struggles that followed over the next 20 years.
Published by Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group. Authors Sharon White and Wendy Pedersen.
Draft of Hinkle's testimony in support of anti-discrimination legislation.
Drafts of Hinkle's testimony in relation to various anti-discrimination bills before the legislature.
Preliminary and Final Reports, published by the State of Oregon, Department of Human Resources.
Materials re: homosexuality and the church published by the United Church of Christ.