Portland City Commissioner sues Oregon for discriminating against same-sex couples

[Doondoo]

A quiet legal strategy by gay-rights advocates made a splash Tuesday when Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams filed a suit saying the state's Public Employees Retirement System discriminates against same-sex couples.

It is one half of a two-pronged campaign by gay-rights advocates who intend to ask the Oregon Legislature to enact far more sweeping changes -- civil unions and a ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The legal and political moves put Oregon in the middle of a national debate as a growing number of states adopt measures to benefit same-sex couples. New Jersey's civil union law went into effect this week. Same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts. California, Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut and Maine also have adopted civil union or domestic partnership laws.

The suit by Adams and his former partner, Greg Eddie, is the fourth suit to say that various Oregon laws violate the state constitution because they provide benefits to married couples only. In this case, state law prevents Adams from giving a share of his public pension to Eddie as part of a split of their assets as a divorcing couple would.

"Bringing a lawsuit is never a first choice," Adams said during a news conference. "But we both feel strongly that basic fairness is a cause worth fighting for -- not just for ourselves but for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Oregonians who face discrimination each and every day."



http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1172031945260190.xml&coll=7

[OregonBi]

1. This is only one of many

Baby steps and this is the fourth step we have launched in the past. I know Sam informally from various GLBT functions we have both attended. This lawsuit will go forward and with a lot of support behind it. The now Democrat controlled state legislature will have no other choice than to end the discrimination and follow the state constitution.