The Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon Mid-Willamette Chapter and Equal Rights Political Action Committee, were Salem based LGBT rights organizations formed in opposition to the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s (OCA) anti-gay ballot measures. The Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon Mid-Willamette Chapter was founded in Salem in February 1992 during the campaign against Measure 9, a state wide ballot measure that, if passed, would have prohibited any laws that outlaw discrimination against homosexuality and require that public schools teach that homosexuality is "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse ." The organization was originally named the Salem Anti-OCA Executive Committee until June 1992 when the group merged with the larger anti Measure 9 organization, the Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon (CHFO), becoming its mid-Willamette Chapter in the Salem area. After Measure 9 was defeated 56.5% to 43.5%, the CHFO disbanded but the core members of the Willamette chapter wanted to continue its work and renamed itself the Coalition to End Bigotry, a charitable educational foundation.
In January 1993, the OCA announced that it was shifting its tactics and would attempt to pass anti-gay legislation at the local level by sponsoring ballot measures in eight counties and twenty-five cities throughout Oregon. In response to these new campaigns, five of the directors of Coalition to End Bigotry formed a political action group called Equal Rights Political Action Committee in May 1993. The Equal Rights PAC worked to oppose the OCA measure in the Salem area including anti-gay ballot Measures in Marion County and the city of Kiezer. While both of the measures passed, they were eventually overturned by both the Oregon State Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.
The collection contains materials relating to the organizations Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon Mid-Willamette chapter and Equal Rights Political Action Committee. These organizations were a part of the campaign to defeat Oregon Citizen Alliance (OCA) sponsored anti-gay ballot initiatives including Measure 9 (1992), Measure 13 (1994) and two local OCA sponsored ballot measures in the city of Kiezer (1993) and Marion County (1994). The records include a proclamation from the office of the Governor, news clippings, meeting minutes, pamphlets, flyers and correspondence. The collection also contain a series of surveys conducted from 1992-1997 relating to LGBT issues including ENDA, marriage equality, sexual minority youth and anti-homosexual ballot measures in Oregon. A group of videotapes document LGBT political issues in the 1990s.
The collection is arranged in two series:
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Gary Smith collection, Mss 2988-24, Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
Materials were donated via the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN)
Acquired May 2005, Library Accession 25700
Additional materials relating to the Campaign for a Hate-Free Oregon can be found in Mss 2988-3, Campaign for a Hate-Free Oregon records, Oregon Historical Society.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Materials are restricted until 2092
Includes ENDA platform
Prepared for the use of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, this survey is an examination of national and local polls to provide insight into attitudes towards anti-discrimination protections for lesbians and gay men and popularly-held images of lesbians and gay men.
Folder contains surveys about the opinions of Americans and Oregonians about a potential Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
Presentation includes 19 pages of data and 1 page of analysis based on surveys regarding a wide array of issues relating to LGBTQ issues.
The First National Survey of Self-Identified Lesbian and Gay Americans, June 7, 1996- September 2, 1996.
Includes surveys and post-election polling regarding Oregon Ballot Measure 9 (1992), The Anti-Gay Initiatives in Keizer, OR (1993) and Marion County, OR (1994), Surveys about New Hampshire Primary Voters (1996) and Shibley for City Council (1995).
Includes the Human Rights Campaign Fund “Strategy Recommendations on Gay Marriage” July 24, 1995; and “Recent Poll Data On the Defense of Marriage Act” June 4, 1996.
Includes surveys done at the national level on a variety of issues including: job discrimination, the radical right, Aids education and American's general attitudes and opinions about homosexuality
A survey commissioned by the Governor's Task Force on Teen Suicide, Multnomah County, and the Mayor of Portland to seek information on the status of LGBT youth. The goals of the survey were to assess the level of discrimination against teenage sexual minority youth and to determine what social services, programs, or situations would make their lives safer and remove barriers leading to a full life
An OCA produced and distributed film that is a recording of a presentation made by OCA spokesman, Scott Lively, In the presentation Lively argues that the Nazi Party's origins are deeply connected to and influenced by homosexual organizations and peoples.
This tape was produced and released by the Oregon Citizen's Alliance during its anti-gay legislative campaigns during the 1990s. The film was widely disseminated by the organization as way to spread their message. The film begins with Lon Mabon – Chairman of the “No Special Rights Committee” and head of the OCA – warning the viewer that they are about to see graphic material from the 1991 San Francisco Gay Pride March and the 1987 March on Washington and warns the viewer that these scenes could become commonplace in America if Gay Rights continues to gain support. The rest of the film contains clips from these two events with text over the top of them describing what is happening and noting why it is morally wrong.
Released by Democracy Media. Produced by Elaine Velazquez and Barbara Bernstien. Focuses on relationship between LGBT individuals and their families within the context of the “culture wars” that were taking place during the 1990s between the religious right, particularly the OCA and LGBT activists.
Documentary about the conflict surrounding Oregon's Ballot Measure 9 in 1992. The film was directed and produced by Heather MacDonald.
This tape is a short documentary that shows footage of some of the events surrounding the conflict over Measure 9 including video of OCA Press Conferences and meetings. The film also includes footage of the OCA collecting petitions outside of a grocery store. In this particular footage a gay rights activist is protesting the petition collectors and the film documents the violence and aggression that the activist faces.
The tape contains raw footage of a presentation made by members of GLAAD, in which they discuss their media work, particular their work to advocate for better representations of LGBTQ people in the media.