WASHINGTON - Late Friday afternoon, the U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon lifted an injunction that was prohibiting a recently passed Domestic Partnership Law in that state from going into effect. The new law, passed last year, was supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2008. However, it had been held up because of a case regarding whether the State of Oregon appropriately disqualified signatures on a petition to place the new law on the November 2008 ballot. Until today, an anti-gay group, the Alliance Defense Fund, had secured a temporary restraining order against implementation of the law while the case was heard.

"Today, the forces of justice and fairness prevailed in Oregon," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Oregon's Domestic Partnership Law provides all families in that state with the basic rights and responsibilities a loving, committed couple deserves. With this ruling same-sex couples in Oregon can immediately begin to register and receive the same rights as heterosexual couples under Oregon law."

The Human Rights Campaign congratulates Basic Rights Oregon on today's ruling, their hard work as intervener in the case, and their work over the years that made passage of the Domestic Partnership Law a reality in 2007.

HRC has been on the ground in Oregon assisting with planning a pre-hearing rally that took place earlier this week. The pre-hearing rally gathered together a diverse crowd of over two thousand Oregonians who voiced their support for the Domestic Partnership Law to take effect immediately. To view pictures of the rally visit the HRC blog, HRC Back Story: http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2008/01/oregon-rally-ur.html

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.