Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski

The awards recognized those who played a critical role in the 2007 passage of two key laws that gave basic rights to gay men and women—Oregon’s domestic partnership law and a law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and public accommodation.  

Among those honored were Portland printer Bill Dickey of Witham and Dickey, the Governor’s Task Force on Equality, the Oregon Business Association and the Portland Business Alliance.  

Gov. Kulongoski presented the award honouring his Task Force on Equality. In 2006, the task force gathered crucial testimony from across Oregon demonstrating the need for the domestic partnership and anti-discrimination laws.  

“Today we're here to honor the members of my Equality Task Force who worked successfully to end legal discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender individuals in Oregon and extend protections and legal recognition for same-sex couples and their families,” said Kulongoski.  

“This task force, with your partnership, made history last year. Now our challenge is to preserve those protections for the future so Oregon will forever be the land of equal opportunity for all.”  

Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, who championed both laws in the 2007 Legislature, presented the awards to the other honorees.  

“I’m honoured to join members of Basic Rights Oregon today to recognize community leaders that have fought hard to protect human rights in this state,” said Speaker Merkley.  

“Together, we stood up to extremists to ban discrimination and create domestic partnerships in Oregon because America is at its best when we are an open and tolerant place where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive. I look forward to continuing our work together to further progressive values in Oregon and across the country.”  

Basic Rights Oregon executive director Jeana Frazzini called Portland printer Bill Dickey, of Witham & Dickey, a long-time friend of Basic Rights Education Fund.  

“For years, we have relied on Witham & Dickey's in-kind printing donations of stickers, flyers, signs, placards, mailers, handouts, and just about everything else necessary to circulate information and demonstrate support for equality,” she said  

“When business leaders joined together to endorse these bills, they helped key legislators understand that Oregon’s domestic partnership and anti-discrimination laws are about more than equal protection under the law; they are also about keeping Oregon competitive in a global economy,” said Frazzini.  

During the 2007 legislative session, the Oregon Business Association and the Portland Business Alliance provided critical early endorsements of both bills.  

“Testimony from the Oregon Business Association and the Portland Business Alliance ensured that lawmakers understood the bottom line: a diverse and inclusive workplace is good for business and good for Oregon,” Frazzini said.