Proposed Oregon Initiative Would Exempt Objecting Businesses From Involvement In Same-Sex Unions

The Oregonian reported that this week that a group known as Friends of Religious Freedom have filed a proposed initiative measure (full text) with the Oregon Secretary of State. It is designed to protect private individuals and businesses that have deeply held religious objections from being required to furnish goods, facilities or services for same-sex weddings or civil unions. Last February, the Oregon Attorney General's office opened an investigation into a baker who refused to furnish a wedding cake for a lesbian couple's marriage. (See prior posting.)  The proposed initiative responds to this and to similar applications of anti-discrimination laws elsewhere.  It provides that no individual or business entity acting in a nongovernmental capacity may be penalized by the state or a political subdivision, or subjected to a civil action:

for declining to solemnize, celebrate, participate in, facilitate, or support any same-sex marriage ceremony or its arrangements, same-sex civil union ceremony or its arrangements, or same-sex domestic partnership ceremony or its arrangements.

In a related development, last July supporters of same-sex marriage in Oregon filed with the Oregon Secretary of State a proposed Right to Marry and Religious Protection Initiative (full text). Supporters are currently seeking the 116,284 signatures necessary to get the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. Their website says they now have over 115,000 signatures. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]