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Candles lit across Oregon – report from the vigils

Wow.

The vigils were incredible – more than 1,500 Oregonians in seven cities turned out on a dark and rainy night to share their outrage and frustration with the delay in Oregon’s domestic partnership law – and to express solidarity with the hundreds of families who are urgently depending on the law.

Click here to read about media coverage of the event.

Click here to learn more about the delay in Oregon’s domestic partnership law – and what we’re doing to defend it.

Click here to see footage of the Soromundi Chorus at the Eugene vigil!

And see below for Corinne Ball’s live blogging from the Portland vigil.

Jan. 2, 2008: Candlelight vigils are being held in seven cities across Oregon tonight (Portland, Eugene, Pendleton, Salem, Bend, Ashland, and Corvallis), on the same Oregon’s domestic partnership law should have gone into effect.

At the Portland vigil, hosted at Q Space, supporters of Oregon’s domestic partnership law are crowded inside to hear community leaders and elected officials talk about what the decision to delay domestic partnership means and what our next steps will be. Kendall Clawson, Executive Director of Portland’s Q Center, opened the Portland vigil – addressing nearly 500 supporters – saying, “Light your candle in honor of your friends, your family, and your loved ones. Pass it on.”

“We are not going to be knocked down,” said BRO’s Executive Director Jeana Frazzini, as she urged folks to celebrate the Oregon Equality Act, which did go into effect today. As for the case at hand, Jeana told the crowd, “Basic Rights Oregon will do everything in our power to win this case. “

Jeana then went on to announce the motion to intervene BRO filed this morning. “This gives us a seat at the table in defending our law. Our voices will be heard in this process. You can count on Basic Rights Oregon to be there every step of the way.”

“This is not just the delay of a law; this is a delay of the rights we’ve been fighting for for so long,” Jeana Frazzini.

Some of candlelight testimonies have included:

• I/We light this candle in prayer for tolerance within all religious communities. May we all respect and support equality and fairness for Oregon’s committed couples.
• I/We light this candle for the children of same-sex couples whose families need and deserve legal recognition and security that comes with it, just like any other family.
• I/We light this candle for the advocates who worked so hard for the passage of the non-discrimination and domestic partnership legislation

Around the state, we’ve seen hundreds of people turn out to support Oregon’s domestic partnership law: over 500 in Portland, 400 in Eugene, 200 in Ashland, 120 in Bend, 200 in Corvallis, 20 in Pendleton, and nearly 100 supporters rallied in Salem tonight.

Photos to come.