Oregon Lions Club Accused of Discrimination for Refusing Lesbian Couple Cat Fish Derby Discount

OOPS!! Someone is going to have some explaining to do!! Can't wait to read the excuses on this one.

What possible "excuse" could be offered that would make sense, when the man at the entrance made his comment about "boy-boy, girl-girl stuff"?

Seems it is rather cut and dried that the Lions, or at least their representative at the gate, is bigotted against us. There is no "excuse". Period.

RalphB wrote:

What possible "excuse" could be offered that would make sense,... There is no "excuse". Period.

I agree with you 100%. I am always amused by the inane "excuses" offered for blatant discrimination.

Why ask merely for an apology? They broke the law. Can't Lambda sue for something punitive, including hefty legal fees?

Since most of the people involved with this are volunteers, I would venture to guess it was an individuals bias and not the club as a whole.

That said, it is still up to the club to ensure its volunteers are familiar with laws and ordinances prior to doing work like this.

One question I have though..... the guy said that he didn't want to have to end up giving out "couple discounts" to other same sex competators that were not couples. If he is so worried about that then how can he determine that male-female competitors are really a couple and not just two friends, or relatives for that matter? His own logic fails him.

An open letter to Jason Howe:
As a Lion since 1986 and an out gay man since 1992, I write in response to Lambda Legal's press release regarding the treatment of the Corriere-Gooches at the Hungtington, Oregon Lions Club Catfish Derby. I speak for myself and in no official capacity.
I am Immediate Past President of the Sunnyvale Host Lions Club in Sunnyvale, California, and I currently serve as Charter President of the newly forming Mountain View Silicon Valley Lions Club. My partner of 16 years, Brian Rountree, is also a Lion and has played a highly visible and significant role in helping to launch this new club. Together, we also drive a technology initiative to the clubs of our District. We attend functions at every level of this organization and have never once -- NEVER ONCE -- been treated with anything less than respect and dignity. In fact, we have also been instrumental in encouraging clubs in our area to adopt nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Please handle this situation with care. Particularly, do not brand Lions Clubs International and all Lions Clubs as discriminatory on the basis of this isolated incident that was, in all likelihood, the unenlightened response of a single club member. Regrettable though it may be, one member's viewpoint does not reflect those of the vast majority of Lions who serve their communities worldwide without regard for personal gain, while putting aside political and religious differences.
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service organization, with many actively serving gay and lesbian members, who are quite welcome. In fact, there is a gay Lions Club in San Francisco, the Castro Lions, who hold many of their fundraisers in the gay bars of the Castro District. Lions Clubs are autonomous entities made up of people who volunteer their time. Ours is the only NGO to be a signatory to the UN Charter, having been invited by that organization to help write the Humanitarian section of that charter. We do not practice discrimination.
All too often in the LGBT movement, we overreact with righteous indignation and rage to what are simple, human errors. The Corriere-Gooches are certainly entitled to an apology from the club member who offended them. Lecturing Lions Clubs International about discrimination and demanding that all Oregon Lions Clubs receive notice of anti-discrimination obligations is as insulting a response as that of the Lion in question at the Catfish Derby; like his comment, it paints an entire group of individuals with the same brush, assuming that we are all as unenlightened and bigoted as he is. We are not. One could, in fact, argue that the response they received is more reflective of the community in which they live, though that would be as unfair your response to Lions Clubs International.
Lambda Legal needs to act prudently here, with a proportional response, lest you come off trying to make political and monetary hay from this relatively minor incident. Please do not drag the good name of Lions Clubs International through the mud simply to fill Lamba's coffers with donations. If necessary, I will be at the forefront of LCI's defense against any heavy-handed tactics you bring to bear.
Yours sincerely,
Hugh J. Donagher, III

What kind of reaction were they expectin in Hunington...for goodness sake. And hell if the discounted for every couple my friends and I would all get the discount! Oregon still does NOT allow gay marriage and at this point in time no one should be forced to acknoledge same sex couples for discounts...if they do....we all just became gay for the discounts. Seriously lets get real the laws have to change first, then you can force everyone to fall in.

It is true that Oregon does not allow gay marriage as of this time. It does allow domestic partnerships though, and that does provide for a legal acknowledgement.