Once upon a time Oregon was nationally recognized as a progressive western oasis: We had “Little Beirut” and black-clad anarchists, and we gladly branded ourselves “dreamers,” a term almost as pejorative as the word liberal these days.
Sadly, Oregon seems to have lost its unique identity. The defeat of Measure 33 means we are no longer on the cutting edge of the medical marijuana issue, and we voted to ban gay marriage, joining 10 other progressive powerhouses like Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Utah and Oklahoma.
Only two Oregon counties — Benton and Multnomah — came out against Measure 36. In Lane County the results were almost dead even, with supporters edging out opponents by less than 1,000 votes. Soon Oregon will be just like every other state in the union, known more for our failing schools and proximity to an active volcano than for our visionary politics. We might as well amend our state motto to say: “Oregon loves dreamers, as long as they aren’t dreaming about gay sex.”
As disappointed as we are about the passage of Measure 36, it is only one (largely symbolic) defeat in what promises to be a long war. The Oregon Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry — the ACLU claims that Measure 36 is ambiguous enough to allow for civil unions. And the Oregon Legislature still has the opportunity to make a real difference for same-sex families by extending to them the exact same benefits afforded to married couples.
We aren’t there yet, but we will be. The most important thing now is that we focus on giving gay and lesbian couples access to the over 1,000 state and federal benefits, which help to keep families stable and children safe. If Oregonians can move quickly and decisively to extend partnership benefits to same-sex unions, then maybe we can once again regain our reputation as the place with all those wacky progressives at the end of the Oregon Trail. We can only dream.

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