Being a man of the law, Portland Police Detective Brian Grose cites the Oregon Constitution in his definition of equality. "The Equal Protection Clause states that no person shall be denied equal protection under the law. 'No person' includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons."

Or more simply, he says, "Everybody deserves the opportunity to achieve whatever they want."

Detective Grose feels that he makes a direct impact on fighting for equality by putting hate-crime perpetrators in jail. "I have a rare opportunity to make a difference," he says. "It's satisfying to successfully investigate an assault based on bias against someone's sexual orientation or gender identity - and actually put the perpetrator in jail for that assault."

As a 20 year veteran of the Portland Police, Grose appreciates the progressive stance the bureau has historically taken on GLBT issues. "I have been given freedom and encouraged to investigate hate crimes."
Over the years, he has known people who have been fired or had housing issues because of their sexual orientation. "Who doesn't?" he says. This kind of discrimination angers him. While housing discrimination against GLBT people is actually legal in some parts of Oregon, hate crimes are not. And that is where Grose can fight back. When he speaks publicly, he often tells his audiences, "You have the right to be ignorant. But when you act on that ignorance, that's when the police get involved."

In regards to the newly passed Oregon Domestic Partnership law, Grose said, "I'm married and it doesn't threaten my marriage." He suggests that if straight people feel threatened by domestic partnerships, they "look inside rather than outside" for why their relationship feels tenuous enough to be threatened by another couple's happiness.

"Most people I've arrested for anti-gay hate crimes are dealing with self-loathing issues around their own sexuality," he notes.