PHOTO: Letter signed by Oregon State University Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture W. Dorr Legg from the original paper OSU personnel files that are now stored on microfiche in the OSU Archives, Corvallis, Oregon. The letter, dated 1942, was requesting a sabbatical leave to allow Dorr to spread his "Christian Science" religious beliefs to soldiers at Camp Adair north of Corvallis, Oregon during World War II. Legg was a cofounder of the 1950s homophile political movement for homosexuals and the present-day Loc Cabin Republicans. (See Thomas Kraemer, "Corvallis, Oregon State University gay activism 1969-2004," OutHistory.org posted June 2010 and my previous posts:
- W. Dorr Legg OSU archives records 1935-1942 (7/31/10)
- FBI files on gay OSU professor 1956 (7/7/10)
- OSU W. Dorr Legg homosexual marriage 1953 vs. CA Prop 8 2010 (8/22/10)
- Gay Oregon Professor 1935 (9/16/06)
- OSU professor recognized equality hypocrisy decades ago (6/5/12)
- Thomas Kraemer, "Corvallis, Oregon State University gay activism 1969-2004," OutHistory.org posted June 2010
Below is my letter to the editor in response to a still too common gay bashing letter by Kevin Taylor, "Letter: Why no fight for the rights of the 'polyamorous'?" Gazette-Times Posted: Tuesday, May 29, 2012:
Kevin Taylor's May 20 letter insinuated that marriage equality supporters are being hypocritically silent about laws against "polyamorous" relationships, such as the plural marriages supported by a small minority in presidential candidate Mitt Romney's LDS Mormon church. (Editor's note: The LDS church long has outlawed such marriages).
Marriage equality supporters are silent about polygamy, (and the issue of men marrying dogs, as raised by former presidential candidate and senator, Rick Santorum), because they are only asking for equal treatment under the law as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Marriage equality supporters only want civil marriage laws applied equally to any two citizens of legal age. They are not asking for acceptance or a new "special right" to polygamy or bestiality.
It is hypocritical of intelligent Republicans to defend the U.S. Constitution while opposing marriage equality. This hypocrisy was recognized decades ago by Professor W. Dorr Legg, a religious conservative who started teaching at Oregon State University in the 1930s. (Source: OSU Archives).
In response, Legg founded the present-day gay Log Cabin Republicans organization to defend equality.
For an authoritative and explanation of the recent marriage equality legal battles, see:
- New York Law School Professor Arthur S. Leonard, "1st Circuit Panel Unanimously Strikes Down Section 3 of DOMA," posted May 31, 2012
- New York Law School Professor Arthur S. Leonard, "Same-Sex Marriage in the United States - An Extraordinary Chronology of Legal Developments in 2012 (January 1 through June 1)," posted June 02, 2012
- John Aravosis, "Richard Socarides on why the DOMA appellate court victory is a big deal," gay.americablog.com posted May 31, 2012 -- "It now looks like it will be this case, rather than the more famous Perry case being litigated by Ted Olson and David Boies, that will reach the Supreme Court first. It's a bit of inside baseball, but this is the result favored by the old guard of gay-rights litigators who prefer a more incremental strategy of Supreme Court review."
Some related editorials and letters:
- Kathleen M. Greaves, Ph.D., "Polyamorous possibilities, depends on the situation," Barometer, posted May 29, 2012 -- curiously a "Polyamorous" headline ny the respected OSU Prof. Dr. Sex appeared at about the same time as Taylor's letter and both writers used a spelling for "polyamorous" that I've never seen before in any dictionary.
- "Editorial: Demographics stalk same-sex marriage foes," Gazette-Times, posted May 29, 2012 9:15 am -- somebody at the newspaper is gay friendly
- Alan Batie, "Letter: Marriage between adults is not the government's business," Gazette-Times, June 1, 2012 -- a nice short, pithy and to the point letter
- Gail Cole, "OSU student government votes to support same-sex marriage," Gazette-Times Wednesday, May 30, 2012 -- see my previous post OSU students support gay marriage equality (5/24/12)
- Leo de Vogel, "Letter: Rev. Franklin Graham is grieving over the wrong public policies," Gazette-Times, posted June 4, 2012
