February 17-March 2
Contributors
Rosanne King
Sara Koehl
Dennis Peterson
Lisa M. Keen
Scott Swentek
Bruce Mason
Eric Pedersen
Helen Lottridge
Jeri Lee-Hostetler
Staff
Publisher
Out Media Inc.
Director
Renee LaChance
Editor
Jay Brown
Public Relations Director
Lisa Bouslaugh
Staff Photographers
Sherri Riggs
Helen Lottridge
Production Director
Bev La Belle
Graphic Design Director
Rupert Kinnard
Distribution
Bev La Belle
Art Contributor
E. Ann Hinds
Classified ad
sparks debate
Dear Ju st Out:
W hile glancing through the personals in
your February 3 issue, I was distressed to
read “G W M . . . ready to meet s a me. . This
was in an issue that closely followed the one
focusing on racism. If you are going to be
true to the anti-racist stand you have taken in
your articles, you should follow through with
it on every page. I strongly urge all of you at
Ju st O ut to adopt a policy banning ads that
specify race of desired partner. Let’s nip this
‘‘blacks need not apply" trend in the bud
before it becomes com m on practice in our
paper the way it has elsewhere.
Mary Catherine Lamb
Advertising Associates
Eve Sicular
Sarah Koehl
Bretton Palm
Sherri Riggs
Ric Tribue
Correction
In the last issue of Just Out Roger Wilson
subm itted a letter offering a hearty “HEAR.
HEAR ' ' for Dennis Peterson s article
“U nlearning Racism."
During the layout of the letter, the galley
Wets cut an d recut an d then laid back to
gether out o f order. O ur apologies to Roger
for m aking his com plim entary letter
unclear.
Commotion in
a coffeehouse:
In the
beginning...
Even before receiving this letter, the clas
sified ad referred to sparked a discussion
am ong the staff as to the person’s intent by
using "GWM.’’ It was decided that “GW M”
identified the person placing the ad and that
"ready to meet same" referred to his descrip
tion of himself as "46, athletic bicyclist run
ner." The ad did not run without careful
consideration.
Discussion once again began upon receipt
of this letter to set a policy regarding the
wording of classified ads. Henceforth, it will
be our policy that a person has the right to
identify themselves in any way they think
necessary. However, ads specifying the race
of desired respondents will not be accepted.
A person placing such an ad will be con
tacted, told of the policy, and asked to reword
the ad or it will not be published.
— Renee LaChance
Director
We are friends and former employees of
O ld Wives’ Tales. We are sharing this infor
mation with the community in order to bring
to light the misrepresentation of Old Wives’
Tales as a women's center, and the labor
practices of Holly Hart, owner and manager.
The following is a list of our grievances:
Verbal and Emotional Abuse. Everyone who
has ever worked at Old Wives’ Tales has at
some level been subjected to Holly Hart’s
unpredictable fits of rage, hysteria, and un
warranted anger. This includes frequent
humiliation in front of co-workers and
patrons. The anticipation as well as the actu
ality of her explosive temper, creates stress
am ong the staff. The following statements by
form er employees are examples of the
aforementioned:
"I got tired of Holly screaming at me and
making m e feel stupid. It was hard to keep
CONTENTS
J u s t O u t is published every other Friday.
Copyright 1984. Mo part of J u s t O u t m ay be repro
duced without written permission from the pub
lishers. Written and grahic materials are welcomed.
Written material should be double-spaced. D ead
line is ten days prior to publication date for ads and
written material. Camera ready ads will be accepted
no later than five days from publication date.
J u s t O u t will reject or edit any article or ad
vertisem ent that is offensive, dem eaning, or may
result in legal action.
T he views expressed in letters to the editor, col
um ns, and features may not be those of the edito
rial staff of J u s t O u t O u t A b o u t T o w n is a courtesy
to our readers. Submissions to O u t A b o u t T o w n
m ust be typed, double-spaced and received ten
days prior to publication date.
Subscriptions are available for $10.00 for 26
issues. Ad rates are available upon request
T he m ailing address for J u s t O u t is 9 2 3 SW
17th, Ste. B, Portland, O R 9 7 2 0 5 . Phone
5 0 3 -2 2 3 -9 6 5 2 .
Out in Oregon ................ 4
Meeting the
C hallenge .................. 6
Out About Town ............. 8
Just Entertainment .............10
C lassifieds..........................15
Gays of Our L iv e s ...............14
W hen the kids say in five years they’re
going to do something, I always ask myself,
‘Do we really have five years left?’ "
— Helen Caldicott
(Dr. Helen Caldicott is former head of Physi
cians for Social Responsibility, which hon
ored h er last w eek for her concern and
responsibility in the nuclear freeze
m ovem ent)
without notice, escalation of verbal abuse. We
are not sure what incites Ms. Hart’s disfavor. It
appears to be personal whim, or her unwil
lingness to listen to other opinions.
Wage cuts. Citing financial distress, in late
October ’83, Holly Hart announced arbitrary
wage cuts. Many employees found them
selves making less than their starting wage. It
was clear that m uch of the reason for this
, financial insecurity was due to high turnover
and expense of training new employees. We
do not believe that employees should have to
bear the burden of m ismanagement and
misappropriation of funds.
No procedures for prom otions or raises.
With very few exceptions, no opportunities
are provided for employees to move to other
job areas or learn new skills. W hen promo
tions do occur, it’s with no regard to seniority
or expressed interest The few raises that are
granted are given arbitrarily and without
Misrepresentation. Old Wives’ Tales is listed
procedure.
in the white pages as a Women’s Center and
Excessive Turnover. In the three plus years
Restaurant This is misleading to women
that Old Wives’ Tales has been open there
seeking support or information about
has been an employee turnover of approxi
wom en’s resources and contacts. The ma
mately 125 people. This averages out to
jority of employees are not trained or capable
about one person per week. While some of
of handling these calls, some of which are
these people left to go on to other things,
women in crisis. Their only instruction is to
many were harassed out of their jobs and
refer such calls to the women’s crisis line. Old
either quit or were fired because of unplea
Wives’ Tales does have a small library of wo
sant interactions with Holly H art This exces
m en’s publications and bulletin board
sive turnover results in low morale for the
announcing women’s events, in addition to a
crew because it creates an increased work
banquet room available to women’s organi
load and an atmosphere of job insecurity.
zations. It is ironic that the oppressions and
Lack of Encouragem ent It is very difficult to
inequalities presented in this letter are in di
perform basic job duties when one is con
rect conflict with the ideology and politics of
stantly reminded of one’s lack of worth. It
the feminist literature at the restaurant This
would be to the restaurant’s advantage to
double standard is part of what we re trying to
occasionally com m end workers for their
make people aware of.
efforts.
Misuse of Power. Everyone is aware that it is
Many of us have m ade attempts to express
an employer’s m arket We feel Holly Hart
these and other views to Holly Hart on a
uses and abuses this economic situation. An
personal level. She has not been receptive
employee can be a highly skilled and compe
and we have been m et with frustration and
tent worker, but should such an individual fall
futility. It is for these reasons we have chosen
into personal disfavor, Holly Hart will not hesi
to make a public statem ent
tate to replace that person or punish them,
We hope as a result of this letter, that Holly
i.e.; reduction of work hours, change schedule
Hart will reexamine the way she chooses to
from crying and retain self-respect”
“Once when I had made a mistake while
under pressure, Holly remarked, "This is
what happens when I hire unskilled workers.’
(Cook with four years experience.)
“I was fired on total heresay. While firing
me, in a typical Holly tantrum, she made a
vicious and lewd character judgem ent
although she had no grounds for it or my
dismissal.”
"It hurt me very much to be a part of a place
that was representing itself as a feminist
humanist women’s center and yet so oppres
sive to the very people it should have been
representing."
"It was demoralizing to see our employer ‘
treat her competent help with little or no re
spect I finally realized that this lack of respect
had a damaging effect on my self-image and
health.”
(C ontinued next page)
Just Out February 17-March 2