Several anti-gays laws were passed by the City Council, allowing discrimination on the work place etc. (See Sources, under Oregon Citizens Alliance). Below are some quotes from the text he sent me.
''The Oregon Legislature however prohibited such legislation several months later'' said the sculptor, who added ''Simultaneously, the city of Springfield was seeking a public work for the entrance to its City Hall and Public Library. They did not specify the subject of the public art that would occupy a plaza next to the entrance stairway."
"My sculpture shown below won their art committee selection based on its whimsey of a gymnast doing a one handstand on the back of a Rhinoceros. The gymnast depicted in the statue is a gay man. The rhinoceros emerging out of the basalt is ignorance, short sightedness, and anger.The owl perched on the toe of the gymnast is wisdom, and spirit. not unlike the owl in the ancient Greek Parthenon sitting on the shoulder of Athena."
'' The
city of Springfield loves that sculpture, honoring it as the vector for
flowers after the massacre at Thurston High School in the late 90s. It
is a signature icon on Springfield Art Walk, and images of it printed on
brochures."
Sources
Jerry Williams website
Jerry Williams interview about his sculpture
Wikipedia Oregon Citizens Alliance
