Publications

Anti-Gay Ballot Initiatives Prior to <EM>Romer v. Evans</EM>
Employment and Rights in the Workplace

The following is a list of antigay ballot initiatives that had been voted on in popular elections prior to 1996. In that year, in a case known as Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 (1996), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an initiative passed in Colorado to repeal existing sexual orientation anti-discrimination protections and prevent the adoption of such measures in the future violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The success of Lambda Legal, the ACLU and the Colorado Legal Initiatives Project in litigating that case largely put an end to right-wing efforts to pass such measures.





























































































































































































YearCity or STATEMarginResult
1992COLORADO53-47Antigay Initiative passed
OREGON57-43Antigay Initiative failed
Corvallis, Oregon64-34Antigay Initiative failed
Springfield, Oregon56-44Antigay Initiative passed
1993Cornelius, Oregon62-38Antigay Initiative passed
Klamath County, Oregon64-36Antigay Initiative passed
Josephine County, Oregon64-36Antigay Initiative passed
Douglas County, Oregon72-28Antigay Initiative passed
Linn County, Oregon68-32Antigay Initiative passed
Canby, Oregon55-45Antigay Initiative passed
Junction City, Oregon50.1-49.9Antigay Initiative passed (see 1)
Creswell, Oregon58-42Antigay Initiative passed
Estacada, Oregon55-45Antigay Initiative passed
Lebanon, Oregon65-35Antigay Initiative passed
Medford, Oregon58-42Antigay Initiative passed
Molalla, Oregon55-45Antigay Initiative passed
Sweet Home, Oregon69-31Antigay Initiative passed
Jackson County, Oregon59-41Antigay Initiative passed
Keizer, Oregon53-47Antigay Initiative passed
Oregon City, Oregon53-47Antigay Initiative passed
Cincinnati, Ohio62-38Antigay Initiative passed
1994Marion, Oregon61-39Antigay Initiative passed
Albany, Oregon59-41Antigay Initiative passed
Junction City, Oregon57-43Antigay Initiative passed
Cottage Grove, Oregon57-43Antigay Initiative passed
Gresham, Oregon50.5-49.5Antigay Initiative failed (see 2)
Oakridge, Oregon51-49Antigay Initiative passed
Roseburg, Oregon65-35Antigay Initiative passed
Turner, Oregon79-21Antigay Initiative passed
Venetta, Oregon55-45Antigay Initiative passed
Lake County, Oregon58-42Antigay Initiative passed
Grants Pass, Oregon60-40Antigay Initiative passed
IDAHO50-50Antigay Initiative failed
OREGON51-49Antigay Initiative failed
Alachua County, Florida57-43Antigay Initiative passed
1995MAINE53-47

Antigay Initiative failed


 Note: This list does not include antigay measures introduced in legislatures, or ballot measures which seek only to repeal antidiscrimination laws or executive orders. Antigay ballot initiatives that failed to generate enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, or were struck down by courts in pre-election challenges, are also not included. For example, the 1991 measure in Riverside, Calif. the first antigay initiative ever introduced is not included because it was invalidated in a pre-election challenge litigated by Lambda Legal and the ACLU.



(1) These results were thrown out by a court because of voting irregularities; another vote was held in March 1994 and the initiative passed again.


(2) While a majority of voters approved this initiative, the Gresham city charter requires 60% of the vote for passage