CC Minutes - 10/14/02 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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George Britain, 1415 Bertelson, said the revisions were not a religious thing or a equal rights thing but a "God thing." He said God created man and woman to procreate the world and that should be the end of the discussion. He said God plus one was always a majority. He said that anytime someone tried to bring immorality into a discussion God would make a judgement. He said the council would have to choose to claim god on the right hand or choose Satan and death on the left had. He said the community should claim God as the creator. Rennina Britian, 1415 Bertelson, questioned the reason why there was a public hearing being held when morality was defined six thousand years ago in the days of Adam and Eve. She said God's "official word on the subject": "Thou shalt not lie mankind as with womankind. It is an abomination and you will surely be put to death. Man plus Woman equals procreation but man plus man was an abomination" Ms. Britain questioned how the code revisions would promote human dignity. She said if same sex partners were left to themselves they would be extinct in less than one hundred years since they could not procreate. Dr. Brick Lantz spoke against the proposed revisions. He said his opposition was not out of hate or anger. He said the proposal was not the one for Eugene. He stressed that Eugene was unique. He said any proposal needed to address health, safety, necessity, and common sense. He said the domestic partner registry was a poor attempt to equate co-habitation with commitment made in marriage. He also said gender identity was not adequately addressed in the proposed code language. He submitted written material into the record including a petition, signed by over 1,000 people, that was against the domestic partner registry and the gender identity portions of the code. Mayor Torrey announced that there would be a work session on October 23 rather than October 16, and a decision on the proposed code revisions would be made on November 9. Mike Jaskilka, 1945 Coventry Way, said there was no evidence supporting the claims that the health, safety, and general welfare of transgendered citizens was threatened. He said the domestic registry was an attempt to make cohabitation the equivalent of marriage. He said his opposition was not based on hatred or fear but on the evidence that marriage was good for a community. He said the proposed changes would be detrimental to the community because of data showing that people who cohabited prior to marriage divorced more often, and that women in domestic partner relationships were abused more often. He went on to say that cohabitation did not foster the nurturing and protection of children. He said that married people were healthier, lived longer, and were more productive economically. Lisa Priaulx, expressed concern over the lack of information presented by the HRC for consideration by the council. She made a case that people could already visit each other in the hospital as long as they did not have a restraining order. Jim Saylor, 1746 Sweet Briar Lane, spoke as a concerned private citizen. He said significant others were already recognized as immediate family regardless of sexual orientation. He said he was not aware of any instance where a significant other was not allowed to visit. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 14, 2002 Page 8 Regular Meeting