Oregon is the 19th jurisdiction with the freedom to marry for Same sex couples. Oregon Gay Marriage equality found its way into the state law in May of 2014 and took effect immediately with the first homosexuals wedding occurring within minutes after the ruling was made a law.
The Freedom to Marry group worked with national as well as state supporters in Oregon to form and lead Oregon United for Marriage. The goal of the coalition was to win marriage in Oregon. Although originally designed as a ballot campaign set to win in the November 2014 election, it shifted to a public education campaign amidst two federal court cases. Watching the cases make their way up through the courts encouraged conversations about why Oregon Gay Marriage mattered. This created a climate for victory as four main groups that worked on marriage rights decided to push forward.
1. Basic Rights Oregon. As Oregon’s centralized state organization, it is committed to stopping discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
2. Freedom to Marry. This campaign endeavors to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide.
3. Oregon United for Marriage. This coalition was dedicated to securing the freedom to marry for homosexual couples. It was this group who saw the opportunity to take advantage of a faster route than a ballot measure to win marriage equality.
4. ACLU of Oregon. This group works to protect the liberties and rights of all Oregonians with education, lobbying, and litigation.
Oregon residents strongly support Oregon Gay Marriage despite the failed attempts by anti-gay groups to intervene in the ruling. In fact, over half of all respondents to a poll say they favor laws protecting equality for homosexuals. Striking down the ban on Same sex marriages ended the discriminatory state constitutional amendment that denied committed gay couples the freedom to marry and committed families the benefits that they should enjoy. Finding a quick path to a positive ruling made the difference for marriage equality and put an end to marriage discrimination.
