GLSEN Intensifies Efforts to Defeat Oregon Measure 9

As Oregonians face a record 26 ballot initiatives, the national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, has sent five field organizers and numerous chapter volunteers to Oregon to assist the No on 9 Campaign with its voter education and "get out the vote" efforts. Measure 9 would prohibit any positive or neutral mention of gay people or issues in the classroom, jeopardize in-school HIV/AIDS education, and further isolate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, says GLSEN.

"Anti-gay groups have cleverly re-packaged their anti-gay agenda in the language of 'student protection,'" stated GLSEN Field Director John Spear,who is coordinating GLSEN's involvement in the Oregon campaign. "Our chief aim is to help make sure that voters are not confused by a misleading ballot title. A vote for the so-called Student Protection Act is a vote to stigmatize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students--a group of youth already at risk for harassment and isolation at school"

GLSEN partnered with Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), a statewide LGBT rights group, a year ago when it became clear that the infamous Lon Mabon and his Oregon Citizens Alliance were mounting a campaign to place the divisive ballot measure before state voters. This partnership has resulted in GLSEN providing technical and strategic assistance throughout the year, which has amounted to nearly 100 GLSEN staff days on the ground in Oregon. And last spring GLSEN co-sponsored with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force a leadership development training, which identified and trained activists throughout Oregon to play key leadership roles in the campaign.

"If this passes it will make an already targeted community--LGBT youth--much more vulnerable," stated retired educator Janet Joyner, who, as co-chair of GLSEN-Winston Salem in North Carolina, is one of a handful of GLSEN chapter leaders who flew to Oregon to donate a week of time with the campaign."Nothing is more important than making schools safe and welcoming places where all young people are free to thrive and do not have to struggle to survive."

Oregon citizens have rejected the last two anti-gay initiatives posed by the Oregon Citizens Alliance--Measure 9 in 1992 and Measure 13 in 1994. Both would have codified discrimination based on sexual orientation. For more information on the campaign in Oregon visit the web site of Basic Rights Oregon at www.basicrights.org.

GLSEN is the largest national organization working to end anti-gay bias in K-12 schools. Established nationally in 1994, the organization has become one of the nation's leading voices for equality and safety in America's K-12 schools.