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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1984)
OU1 ( / 1983— The year in retrospect G ay gains in electoral politics From coast to coast openly identified gays have been successful in gaining a voice in electoral political campaigns despite sexual intolerance which, as leaders of the gay rights movement adm it remains strong in most of the nation. The cities of Key West Florida, and Santa Cruz and Laguna Beach, California are the constituencies of gay mayors. Richard Hey- man was elected in a city-wide campaign in Key West The mayors of Santa Cruz and Laguna Beach were appointed by the city councils and/or governments of their respective cities. David Scondras was a successful candi date for a seat on the Boston, Massachusetts City Council. Scondras credited his victory to a coalition of lesbians and gay men, people of color, women and renters. “There’s an ack nowledgement an understanding among blacks and women, that an openly gay person has a whole history of experience in what it’s like to be left o u t to feel hostility, to be devalued because you’re different” Scondras said. “The age of bigotry is eclips ing, and the age of coalition is beginning.” Virginia Apuzzo, executive director of the National Gay Task Force, said that her con cern is that the coalition hold together out of mutual understanding, not just a passing sense of political expediency. "The veracity of the rainbow coalition for us is the consistency with which lavender is a part of it We are no longer the stepchild of the movement that shapes and inspires our own," Apuzzo said. According to gay activist and political strategist James Foster, Senator Edward Kennedy’s northern California campaign manager in 1980, “It’s been evident for a long tim e while that what politicans want is money and armies. In the late 1960s and early 70s, we began the process of putting together the army. In the late 70s, we began the process of putting together the money." Martin Luther King, Jr. honored with holiday After more than a decade of struggle against right-wing resistance, both the Senate and House of Representatives passed and sent to President Reagan a bill designat ing the third Monday in January a national holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Reagan signed the bill, which takes effect in 1986, before an audience of several hundreds. Coretta Scott King, widow of the assassi nated civil rights leader, called the holiday the highest recognition the nation could bestow on King, who, she said, ‘‘symbolized what was right about America, what was noblest and best" ‘ America is a more democratic nation, a more just nation, because Martin Luther King, Jr., became her pre-eminent non violent commander," she said. ations bill ended ten years of debate on de ployment of the MX missile system and was the last step before full-scale production on 21 MX missiles begins with the new year. The bill also included money for 95 Per shing 2 missiles which will be deployed in West Germany, a Trident submarine and 52 Trident missiles, and 10 B -l bombers. In addition, the bill allots $24,000,000 (m il lions) in military aid to the CIA-backed Nicaraguan anti-government forces. Congressman forced out of the closet An appropriations bill, allotting $250,000,000,000 (billions) for 1984 to the (J.S. m ilitary was signed on December 8, 1983. Reagan asked for and got every major weapons program with this bill, except an okay for nerve gas production. The president’s signature on the appropri Representative Gerry Studds, a Democrat from Provincetown, Massachusetts, became the first member of the Congress of the United States to openly declare he is gay on the floor of the House of Representatives. In a statement in response to charges that he had sex with a House page, Rep. Studds has stated, “All members of Congress must cope with the challenge of initiating and maintaining a career in public office without destroying entirely the ability to lead a mean ingful and emotionally fulfilling private life. It is not a simple task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public or private life, let alone both. But these challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as am I, both an elected public official and gay.” Studds’ censure and that of Republican Congressman Daniel B. Crane of Illinois were the results of an investigation costing more than $1,000,000 (million) into alleged drug dealing and sexual activity involving congressmen and congressional pages. Both Studds and Crane waived their right to a public hearing on the charges in order to protect the pages involved. Studds was ac cused of having a relationship with a 17 year TWENTY-THIRD AVENUE RIGGS PHOTOGRAPHY Reagan signs biggest defense bill in history BOOKS Wide Selection of: . * Lesbian/Gay • Best Sellers, • Hardcover and • Paperback Books. Personal Services: • Special Orders • Gift Wrapping • Gift Certificates 1015 NW 2 Jnl Avenue, Portland, Oregon 224-5097 4 OLD PHOTOS RESTORED PHOTOGRAPHIC SHOOTS CUSTOM PRINTING: - Black and White - Color TELEPHONE: 2 8 2 - 2 4 7 4 old male page in 1973. Studds made a state ment on the House floor, saying (in part) “ I will not contest procedurally the course of action recommended by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct In so doing, however, I repeat that in my judgement the mutually voluntary, private relationship be tween adults which occurred ten years ago should not by any conceivable standard of fairness, rationality, rule or law, warrant the attention or action of the House of Represen tatives of the United States.” Studds later said that he “was just damned if I was going to indicate in my words, tone or demeanor that I was apologizing for or ashamed of my personal orientation." Topic AIDS O f intense concern to many, many people in the gay com m unity is the spectre of AIDS. Gay politicans on the national and local levels spent many hours and much energy focus ing attention on the U.S. government’s foot- dragging in appropriations for research into the causes of the disease. On the national level both the Gay Rights National Lobby (GRNL) and the National Gay Task Force (NGTF) were instrumental in convincing legislators and health workers to awareness to the dangers of AIDS in the whole community. In every gay com m unity across the nation people have organized some sort of support group and/or fundraising activity to help in the fight against AIDS. In Portland, for exam ple, Phoenix Rising was instrumental in establishing the Cascade AIDS Project Efforts to control the disease are continu ing; and efforts to make the public aware of the extent of the threat of the disease to both gays and heterosexuals has become a prior ity in both gay and straight presses. LESBIAN AND GAY BAR Expanded Dinner Menu beginning January 15, 1984 Open Sun-Thurs 5 p .m .-11 p.m. Fri-Sac 5 p.m .-l a.m. 1431NE Broadway 284-1485 Just Out January 6-January 20