.gif)
Sam Adams (politician)
Encyclopedia
Sam Adams is an American politician and the current mayor of Portland, Oregon
. He grew up in Newport, Oregon
, attended the University of Oregon
and worked on a number of campaigns before taking office as a Portland commissioner. Among them was Vera Katz
's run for mayor of Portland. After she won, he served as her chief of staff for eleven years and then went back to school, earning a degree in Political Science.
In 2004, he was elected to the Portland City Council
, serving four years on the council earning a reputation as a "policy-driven advocate for sustainability
, the arts
, and gay rights." He was elected to a four-year term as Mayor of Portland in the May 2008 primary, with 58% of the vote and a dozen other candidates on the ballot. He was outed
as gay by the alternative newspaper Willamette Week
in 1993 and is now the first openly gay
mayor of a top-30 U.S. city. In July 2011, Adams announced that he would not seek a second term as mayor.
In 2009, Adams was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing related to a consensual sexual relationship with a young adult he met in 2005. Adams said the deception about the relationship was warranted because a political opponent had falsely accused him of having sex with a minor. Adams later apologized.
In 2010, Adams fired the police chief and then fired a police officer who had shot and killed an unarmed citizen. He recruited a wind company to spend $66 million on development and hire 400 employees, established the city's first economic development plan, developed programs designed to reduce Portland's high school dropout rate and make the city more sustainable, and, along with the rest of the city council, adopted gun control regulations that are designed to reduce shootings.
teacher and high school basketball
coach — and his wife, Karalie (née
Gibbons), Adams was born in 1963, when his family lived on a ranch eight miles outside Whitehall, Montana
. When he was two years old, his family moved to Richland, Washington
, for a year, and then on to Newport
, and Eugene, Oregon
, where his parents were divorce
d. Adams lived with his mother and survived for a time on food stamps and housing assistance. In discussing not disclosing his sexuality
, Adams noted he came from a "family of tough Montanans" where "there's a premium on being tough and strong, and being queer
and a faggot
wasn't strong." His mother could not find work in Eugene and moved to Portland. Adams stayed in Eugene and supported himself throughout most of his high school years. He graduated from South Eugene High School
and attended the University of Oregon
, dropping out to enter politics.
's 1986 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives
in Oregon's 4th district
. DeFazio won the race and still serves to this day. In 1987, Adams went to work for the Oregon House Democratic Campaign Committee and for then Democratic Majority Leader Carl Hosticka. He next worked on Vera Katz
's mayoral campaign in Portland and served eleven years as her Chief of Staff. He remained closeted
at work until he became her Chief of Staff in 1993.
, but defeated Fish in the general election
. Following the primary, Adams shifted campaign managers and tactics from a focus on traditional fundraising to grassroots
outreach.
Adams was Portland's Commissioner of Public Utilities; he ran the Portland Office of Transportation (commonly abbreviated as "PDOT") and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES). He also served as Portland City Council's liaison to the Arts and Culture and Small Business communities. As part of managing PDOT, he inherited the responsibility to oversee development of the Portland Aerial Tram
, one of the world's few urban aerial trams. It links the South Waterfront
district to the upper campus of Oregon Health & Science University
. During its development, the project was plagued with cost overruns and opposition from some residents impacted by the project. When Adams assumed responsibility, he replaced the external consultants responsible for the poor cost estimates with in-house expertise. The project was completed on time and within the revised budget with the tram opened to the public in January 2007.
Adams and his staff maintain a blog
highlighting their activities in the community, especially pertaining to Adams' priorities such as arts and culture, livability and environment, and transportation.
in Northeast Portland in February 2008. His main opponent was Sho Dozono
, a civic leader and businessman, although 13 candidates filed for mayor. In the primary election
, held May 20, 2008, Adams captured 58 percent of the vote and was elected without the need for a run-off
. Dozono, his nearest opponent, received 34 percent of the vote. Adams took office on January 1, 2009. Portland became the largest U.S. city to have ever elected an openly gay mayor. With approximately 570,000 residents, it is more than three times the size of Providence, Rhode Island
, the next largest with an openly gay mayor, David Cicilline
. In December 2009 Houston, Texas
, the nation's fourth largest city, elected Annise Parker
, who is an out lesbian
, surpassing Portland as the largest American city ever to have an openly gay mayor.
city in the world". Adams emphasized reduction of carbon dioxide
emissions and investment in efficient green energy as essential to the city's energy-environmental goals and called on the Oregon State Legislature to provide incentives for the expansion of green energy companies, notably Vestas Wind Systems, into the Portland metropolitan area
.
Adams announced his support of new regulations for horse-drawn carriages
in September 2009 after a horse died in downtown Portland a month earlier. Adams recommended that planners at the Revenue Bureau write new city codes that would cover working conditions for equine businesses and their animals.
In September 2009, he opposed the $4 billion, twelve-lane replacement for the freeway bridge over I-5, a plan he had once supported. Adams stated, "I'd rather settle for a bad bridge for another 25 years than a terrible bridge that punishes Portland for another 100 years." The twelve-lane idea was a compromise deal Adams helped write with then-Mayor Royce Pollard
of Vancouver, Washington
, in February, 2009. That deal helped get Portland City Council to agree for a bridge of up to twelve lanes, something Vancouver wanted in exchange for its support of Portland's MAX Light Rail extension across the I-5 bridge.
Adams focused on improving the local economy by attracting large, sustainable employers to Portland, including a $200-million investment by the company Vestas.
In 2010, Adams in his State of the City address was praised by environmental organizations and criticized by coal advocates for his successful efforts to shrink Portland's carbon footprint through programs such as Clean Energy Works, the nation's first on-bill financing for home retrofitting. Adams also became known for leading the creation of Portland's "Citizen Reports" iPhone application. He also appeared in Portlandia
's second episode as Sam, assistant to the Mayor of Portland.
On July 29, 2011, Adams announced on his official city blog thay he would not seek a second term as Portland's mayor.
and divide Adams' future pension
. After his break-up with Eddie, Adams was, for the first time, both openly
gay and single. Adams lamented his lack of "gaydar
." He said this made him decide to date only men who asked him out first.
In 2005, Adams met a young man intern
ing for Oregon State Representative Kim Thatcher
. In September 2007, Adams denied rumors of a sexual relationship between the two, calling the allegations scurrilous, and adding that they played into stereotypes of predatory gays. In January 2009, after being confronted with a story in Willamette Week
, Adams acknowledged lying about the nature of the relationship, later explaining that the other man initiated it and that they did not become sexually active until he reached the age of consent
. The man confirmed Adams' account, adding that he had no regrets about their relationship. Adams apologized, saying he had lied to avoid untrue accusations of having had sex with a minor and the likely disruption such allegations would cause in his mayoral campaign. Adams cited the "swift public condemnation" of former mayor and governor Neil Goldschmidt
in 2004 by the news media as weighing heavily in his decision to lie. "[N]o one's going to believe me [that he was eighteen]". Oregon had already seen several prominent political sex scandal
s; prior to Goldschmidt's, there was one involving Senator Bob Packwood
in 1992. The "well-funded newsroom" of The Oregonian
had been criticized for failing to pursue both stories. In the Goldschmidt case, the Oregonian publicly debated with Willamette Week over which publication reported more accurately and aggressively. Adams also announced his intention to remain in office.
News of the deception led Oregon Attorney General
John Kroger
to initiate a criminal investigation in January 2009. By June, his office announced that no charges would be filed and that there was "no credible evidence" of inappropriate sexual contact before the age of consent. Before Kroger's findings were made public, several newspapers called for Adams' resignation. The Portland Mercury
and the board of the Portland Area Business Association, the LGBTQ chamber of commerce, spoke out against resignation. Out
magazine columnist Dan Savage
noted what they saw as hypocrisy
, homophobia
, and sex panic about age disparity in sexual relationships
. In July 2009 a campaign to recall Adams was started, because of the affair and deception. It fell short of gathering the necessary number of signatures. A second effort began in Fall 2009, with financial backing from over a dozen regional businesses. The backers posit that a "lack of trust and political capital" affects their businesses' bottom lines.
Adams has also dated Christopher Stowell, artistic director of Oregon Ballet Theatre. As of early 2008, he was the partner of journalist
Peter Zuckerman
.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He grew up in Newport, Oregon
Newport, Oregon
Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
, attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and worked on a number of campaigns before taking office as a Portland commissioner. Among them was Vera Katz
Vera Katz
Vera Katz is a Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 45th mayor of Portland, Oregon's most populous city. Growing up in New York City, she moved to Portland in 1962 and was elected to the Oregon...
's run for mayor of Portland. After she won, he served as her chief of staff for eleven years and then went back to school, earning a degree in Political Science.
In 2004, he was elected to the Portland City Council
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
, serving four years on the council earning a reputation as a "policy-driven advocate for sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, the arts
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
, and gay rights." He was elected to a four-year term as Mayor of Portland in the May 2008 primary, with 58% of the vote and a dozen other candidates on the ballot. He was outed
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
as gay by the alternative newspaper Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
in 1993 and is now the first openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
mayor of a top-30 U.S. city. In July 2011, Adams announced that he would not seek a second term as mayor.
In 2009, Adams was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing related to a consensual sexual relationship with a young adult he met in 2005. Adams said the deception about the relationship was warranted because a political opponent had falsely accused him of having sex with a minor. Adams later apologized.
In 2010, Adams fired the police chief and then fired a police officer who had shot and killed an unarmed citizen. He recruited a wind company to spend $66 million on development and hire 400 employees, established the city's first economic development plan, developed programs designed to reduce Portland's high school dropout rate and make the city more sustainable, and, along with the rest of the city council, adopted gun control regulations that are designed to reduce shootings.
Early life
Son of Larry Adams — a special educationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
teacher and high school basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach — and his wife, Karalie (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Gibbons), Adams was born in 1963, when his family lived on a ranch eight miles outside Whitehall, Montana
Whitehall, Montana
Whitehall is a town in Jefferson County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,044 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.Newscaster Chet Huntley graduated from Whitehall High School in 1929.-Geography:...
. When he was two years old, his family moved to Richland, Washington
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
, for a year, and then on to Newport
Newport, Oregon
Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
, and Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, where his parents were divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d. Adams lived with his mother and survived for a time on food stamps and housing assistance. In discussing not disclosing his sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, Adams noted he came from a "family of tough Montanans" where "there's a premium on being tough and strong, and being queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
and a faggot
Faggot
Faggot, fagot, faggots, or faggoting may refer to:* faggot or fagot, branch or twig, or bundle of these** Fasces** Faggot , archaic unit of measurement for bundles of sticks...
wasn't strong." His mother could not find work in Eugene and moved to Portland. Adams stayed in Eugene and supported himself throughout most of his high school years. He graduated from South Eugene High School
South Eugene High School
South Eugene High School is a public high school located in Eugene, Oregon, United States.-History:It was founded as Eugene High School around 1900, and was located at Willamette Street and West 11th Avenue in a brick building that later served as Eugene's city hall. In 1915, Eugene High moved to a...
and attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, dropping out to enter politics.
Early career
Adams began his career in politics as a staffer on Peter DeFazioPeter DeFazio
Peter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. As Oregon's most senior member of Congress, he is the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation...
's 1986 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in Oregon's 4th district
Oregon's 4th congressional district
Oregon's 4th congressional district represents the southern half of Oregon's coastal counties, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, and Linn counties and most of Benton and Josephine counties...
. DeFazio won the race and still serves to this day. In 1987, Adams went to work for the Oregon House Democratic Campaign Committee and for then Democratic Majority Leader Carl Hosticka. He next worked on Vera Katz
Vera Katz
Vera Katz is a Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 45th mayor of Portland, Oregon's most populous city. Growing up in New York City, she moved to Portland in 1962 and was elected to the Oregon...
's mayoral campaign in Portland and served eleven years as her Chief of Staff. He remained closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
at work until he became her Chief of Staff in 1993.
Portland City Council
In a 2004 election for a seat on the Portland City Council, Adams won significantly fewer votes than rival Nick Fish in the primary electionPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, but defeated Fish in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. Following the primary, Adams shifted campaign managers and tactics from a focus on traditional fundraising to grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
outreach.
Portland Aerial Tram
The Portland Aerial Tram is an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, carrying commuters between the city's South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood. It is the second commuter aerial tramway in the United States...
, one of the world's few urban aerial trams. It links the South Waterfront
South Waterfront
The South Waterfront is a high-rise district under construction on former brownfield industrial land in the South Portland neighborhood south of downtown Portland, Oregon, U.S. It is one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the United States...
district to the upper campus of Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro...
. During its development, the project was plagued with cost overruns and opposition from some residents impacted by the project. When Adams assumed responsibility, he replaced the external consultants responsible for the poor cost estimates with in-house expertise. The project was completed on time and within the revised budget with the tram opened to the public in January 2007.
Adams and his staff maintain a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
highlighting their activities in the community, especially pertaining to Adams' priorities such as arts and culture, livability and environment, and transportation.
2008 Mayoral campaign
In October 2007 Adams announced his intentions to run for Mayor of Portland and kicked off his campaign at the Wonder BallroomWonder Ballroom
The Wonder Ballroom is a music venue located in northeast Portland, Oregon. Prior to opening in 2004, the building was occupied by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Catholic Youth Organization, the Portland Boxing School, the American Legion Organization, and a community center eventually known...
in Northeast Portland in February 2008. His main opponent was Sho Dozono
Sho Dozono
Sho Dozono is a Portland, Oregon businessman and was a candidate for the 2008 Portland mayoral race. Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams was the front runner throughout the race...
, a civic leader and businessman, although 13 candidates filed for mayor. In the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, held May 20, 2008, Adams captured 58 percent of the vote and was elected without the need for a run-off
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
. Dozono, his nearest opponent, received 34 percent of the vote. Adams took office on January 1, 2009. Portland became the largest U.S. city to have ever elected an openly gay mayor. With approximately 570,000 residents, it is more than three times the size of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, the next largest with an openly gay mayor, David Cicilline
David Cicilline
David Nicola Cicilline is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is formerly the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.-Early life, education, and career:...
. In December 2009 Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, the nation's fourth largest city, elected Annise Parker
Annise Parker
Annise Danette Parker is an American politician and the mayor of Houston since January 2, 2010. She served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2009...
, who is an out lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, surpassing Portland as the largest American city ever to have an openly gay mayor.
Mayoralty
In his first State of the City address on February 27, 2009, Adams outlined his goal of making Portland "the most sustainableSustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
city in the world". Adams emphasized reduction of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
emissions and investment in efficient green energy as essential to the city's energy-environmental goals and called on the Oregon State Legislature to provide incentives for the expansion of green energy companies, notably Vestas Wind Systems, into the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
.
Adams announced his support of new regulations for horse-drawn carriages
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
in September 2009 after a horse died in downtown Portland a month earlier. Adams recommended that planners at the Revenue Bureau write new city codes that would cover working conditions for equine businesses and their animals.
In September 2009, he opposed the $4 billion, twelve-lane replacement for the freeway bridge over I-5, a plan he had once supported. Adams stated, "I'd rather settle for a bad bridge for another 25 years than a terrible bridge that punishes Portland for another 100 years." The twelve-lane idea was a compromise deal Adams helped write with then-Mayor Royce Pollard
Royce Pollard
Royce Pollard was the six-term mayor of Vancouver, Washington, the fourth largest city in Washington state. After a career as a U.S. Army officer ending in the late 1980s, he served a seven-year stint on the City Council...
of Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, in February, 2009. That deal helped get Portland City Council to agree for a bridge of up to twelve lanes, something Vancouver wanted in exchange for its support of Portland's MAX Light Rail extension across the I-5 bridge.
Adams focused on improving the local economy by attracting large, sustainable employers to Portland, including a $200-million investment by the company Vestas.
In 2010, Adams in his State of the City address was praised by environmental organizations and criticized by coal advocates for his successful efforts to shrink Portland's carbon footprint through programs such as Clean Energy Works, the nation's first on-bill financing for home retrofitting. Adams also became known for leading the creation of Portland's "Citizen Reports" iPhone application. He also appeared in Portlandia
Portlandia (TV series)
Portlandia is a television series that debuted on the Independent Film Channel on January 21, 2011. The show, produced by Andrew Singer and Jonathan Krisel, is set and filmed both in and near Portland, Oregon and features Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen as well as Carrie Brownstein, a...
's second episode as Sam, assistant to the Mayor of Portland.
On July 29, 2011, Adams announced on his official city blog thay he would not seek a second term as Portland's mayor.
Personal life
From 1992 until 2004, Adams was in a long-term relationship with Greg Eddie. In 2007, the former couple, in a challenge to the state constitution, filed suit against the State of Oregon to dissolve their domestic partnershipDomestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
and divide Adams' future pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
. After his break-up with Eddie, Adams was, for the first time, both openly
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
gay and single. Adams lamented his lack of "gaydar
Gaydar
Gaydar is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Gaydar relies almost exclusively on non-verbal clues and LGBT stereotypes...
." He said this made him decide to date only men who asked him out first.
In 2005, Adams met a young man intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ing for Oregon State Representative Kim Thatcher
Kim Thatcher
Kim Thatcher is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. She is a member of the Republican party representing Keizer from the 25th district.-Biography:Thatcher was born in Pocatello, Idaho in 1964 and attended Portland State University...
. In September 2007, Adams denied rumors of a sexual relationship between the two, calling the allegations scurrilous, and adding that they played into stereotypes of predatory gays. In January 2009, after being confronted with a story in Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
, Adams acknowledged lying about the nature of the relationship, later explaining that the other man initiated it and that they did not become sexually active until he reached the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
. The man confirmed Adams' account, adding that he had no regrets about their relationship. Adams apologized, saying he had lied to avoid untrue accusations of having had sex with a minor and the likely disruption such allegations would cause in his mayoral campaign. Adams cited the "swift public condemnation" of former mayor and governor Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
in 2004 by the news media as weighing heavily in his decision to lie. "[N]o one's going to believe me [that he was eighteen]". Oregon had already seen several prominent political sex scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
s; prior to Goldschmidt's, there was one involving Senator Bob Packwood
Bob Packwood
Robert William "Bob" Packwood is a U.S. politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of women emerged.-Early life and career:Packwood was born in...
in 1992. The "well-funded newsroom" of The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
had been criticized for failing to pursue both stories. In the Goldschmidt case, the Oregonian publicly debated with Willamette Week over which publication reported more accurately and aggressively. Adams also announced his intention to remain in office.
News of the deception led Oregon Attorney General
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The Attorney General is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term...
John Kroger
John Kroger
John Richard Kroger is the Attorney General for the state of Oregon. Prior to being elected in 2008, he had earlier served in the Marine Corps, was an Assistant United States Attorney in New York, and most recently was a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland.In October 2011,...
to initiate a criminal investigation in January 2009. By June, his office announced that no charges would be filed and that there was "no credible evidence" of inappropriate sexual contact before the age of consent. Before Kroger's findings were made public, several newspapers called for Adams' resignation. The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon. It serves to chronicle the ever-changing Portland music scene, and generally includes interviews, commentaries, reviews, and concert dates...
and the board of the Portland Area Business Association, the LGBTQ chamber of commerce, spoke out against resignation. Out
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
magazine columnist Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
noted what they saw as hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, and sex panic about age disparity in sexual relationships
Age disparity in sexual relationships
Age disparity in sexual relationships refers to sexual relations between people with a significant difference in age. Whether these relationships are accepted and the question of what counts as a significant difference in age has varied over time; and varies over cultures, different legal systems,...
. In July 2009 a campaign to recall Adams was started, because of the affair and deception. It fell short of gathering the necessary number of signatures. A second effort began in Fall 2009, with financial backing from over a dozen regional businesses. The backers posit that a "lack of trust and political capital" affects their businesses' bottom lines.
Adams has also dated Christopher Stowell, artistic director of Oregon Ballet Theatre. As of early 2008, he was the partner of journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Peter Zuckerman
Peter Zuckerman
Peter Zuckerman is an American prize-winning journalist and author who has focused his career in court reporting, investigative journalism and adventure stories.-Early career:...
.