Governor of Oregon Signs Gay Rights Bills

"Today is truly a historic day for Oregon. This has been a long road traveled. It has taken patience. It has taken perseverance. It has taken our will to never give up on the dream of hope and opportunity for all Oregonians. And today, we can deliver that dream by ending legal discrimination once and for all against gays and lesbians in Oregon – and by extending protections and legal recognition for same-sex couples and their families... where we will succeed in affording all Oregonians the same rights and protections under the law... where we will formally recognize that diversity and equality of opportunity makes us all stronger – not weaker... where we have succeeded in upholding the values and principles of Oregon – that we are all created equal and that Oregon is a land of equal opportunity for all of our citizens... House Bill 2007 and Senate Bill 2 are two pieces of legislation that will literally transform our state from one of exclusion to one of complete inclusion." Governor Ted Kulongoski, May 9, 2007, signing bills to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and creating a new statute to provide same-sex couples with Domestic Partnerships.