In a historic gesture Oregon's governor, John Kitzhaber, has apologised to thousands of Oregonians who were forcibly sterilised while in the care of the state.
Between 1923 and 1981 Oregon practised eugenics and sterilised people who were mentally ill, had epilepsy, were criminals, or were homosexual. The state also sterilised residents of reform schools and girls who were considered promiscuous. A total of 2648 people were sterilised by castration, tubal ligation, hysterectomy, or vasectomy.
Oregon's eugenics bill was passed in 1913 and a Board of Eugenics was established in 1923. Later renamed the Board of Social Protection, it stood until 1983.
In his speech Mr Kitzhaber said: “A great wrong was done to over 2600 Oregonians.” Oregon was one of 33 US states to enact eugenics laws between 1900 and 1925. Mr Kitzhaber is the second governor to apologise for state endorsed forced sterilisation. Last year Governor Mark Warner of Virginia apologised.