Political Desk

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

Two Yamhill County lawmakers are aiming to sponsor a statewide ballot initiative that would repeal Senate Bill 2, which the Legislature’s Democratic leadership shepherded through last year to prohibit discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation.

State Sen. Gary George, R-Newberg, and Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Newberg, have submitted a ballot title to state elections officials, who announced this week that they will accept public comments on it through March 25.

The statutory amendment filed by George and Thatcher, who are partnering with Nazarene ministry worker Victor Vityukov of Salem, carries the following draft title: “Removes sexual orientation from statutes listing impermissible discrimination grounds; deletes other sexual orientation-related provisions.” While that clock is ticking, gay rights activists are seething over remarks George made to a reporter for Just Out, the state’s flagship gay newspaper, which posted them on its website.

On Tuesday, Just Out posted on its blog excerpts from what it termed “an explosive interview” with George. The paper said the interview would be published in its entirety in its print edition of March 21.

The exchange between George and the reporter, not identified in the posting, includes this response to a question about what recourse employees have if they are fired because they’re gay:

“As an employer, I don’t wanna hear about it. This workplace is for work purposes. My advice to the gay community is shut up, just don’t talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom, you should be on the pervert channel.”

Contacted Friday, George said the comment had been wrenched out of context. He said he was referring to an incident in which one of the employees of his hazelnut operation complained that another worker was gay. Determining the gay employee hadn’t even spoken about his sexual orientation, he told the complaining worker to get over it, he said.

George said that he took the call from Just Out at 8 a.m. He said he’d just arrived home from an overnight flight, was dead tired and wasn’t even sure who he was talking to.

“It’s my fault for having three or four hours of sleep and engaging in a philosophical discussion,” he said. He said he hadn’t contacted the paper for a correction or retraction, saying, “There’s no way to win this thing.”

The flap comes against the backdrop of the initiative effort.

Once elections officials give them a green light, George and his co-sponsors will have until July 3 to collect 82,769 valid signatures from registered Oregon voters. And gay rights groups are already gearing up for an opposition campaign.

Shortly after the papers were filed in Salem, Basic Rights Oregon’s Executive Director Jeana Frazzini said, “Our opponents have said all along that they would file again. While I’m not surprised that initiatives to repeal the laws have been filed, I’m shocked that this effort has been spearheaded by legislators whose duty is to protect Oregonians.”

Given the already inflamed passions, Just Out’s interview with George has sparked a firestorm of criticism. And some of that criticism has reached McMinnville via e-mail.

Portland critic Keith Daly sent a blistering letter to Chamber President Phil Hutchinson, Mayor Ed Gormley and Yamhill County Commissioners Mary Stern, Leslie Lewis and Kathy George, the latter Gary George’s wife. He said he was inclined to boycott the area either until George leaves office, which he is scheduled to do voluntarily at the end of the year, or local leaders send a loud and clear message that gay people are welcome.

“Should I worry about how close I sit to my partner at Bistro Maison?” he asked. “Can I get a room at Hotel Oregon with just one bed without feeling like I should be on the ‘pervert channel’? When we’re winetasting with friends, can I be assured of my personal safety?”

George said that the incident on his farm is indicative of his own live-and-let-live libertarian streak, which is plainly at odds with the bigotry he’s being branded with. “To scream that we’re just some sort of homophobes is just ridiculous,” he said.

Readers responding on the Just Out blog have termed George’s comments horrifying and hateful. One has called for his resignation and others have called him a “lunatic” and a “whack job.”

George said Friday that the backlash might actually help him with his initiative, because it exposes the intolerance of gay rights supporters

“I think it’s just within that community,” he said of the roil. “I think it would be good if it just stays there.”