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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1984)
OUT Vol. 1 No. 21 August 17-August 31,1984 STEPPIN* OUT STAFF J u s t O u t will reject or edit any article or ad vertisement that is offensive, demeaning, or may result in legal action. The views expressed in letters to the editor, col umns, and features may not be those of the edito rial staff of J u s t O ut. O u t A b o u t T ow n is a courtesy to our readers. Submissions to O u t A b o u t Town must be typed, double-spaced and received ten days prior to publication date. Subscriptions are available for $10.00 for 26 issues. Ad rates are available upon request. The mailing address for J u s t O u t is 923 SW 17th, Ste. B, Portland, OR 97205. Phone 5 0 3 -2 2 3 -9 6 5 2 . Publisher Out Media Inc. Director Nancy Kiefer Editor Jay Brown Production Director Renee LaChance For information about advertising Production Bev La Be lie call 223-9652 Graphic Design Director Rupert Kinnard CONTENTS Art Contributor m E. Ann Hinds Contribute« V ? P. Herbert Schmidt Eve Sicular Jim Hunger IH « '■•9* Phi >l< > hi I Hi •/< 7 J L< nitrii U n • Advertising Associates J u s t O u t is published every other Friday. Copyright 1984. No part of Jus/ O u t may be repro duced without written permission from the pub lishers. Written and grahic materials are welcomed. Eve Sicular D J. Custard White House again informed o f anti-gay action in Republican Party The follow ing letter appeared in The Montrose Voice. Houston's gay newspaper. The letter is a response to a statement by Reagan that he was against “ discrimination in any form.” From J. Lawrence Webster-Hord ..•$ o J Mà h»** X* c j o i v -bhc Ktpvb\ic^*\ h t ■h^dcA A '' C V t f mV y cf h f , b a r-fe d ... Just Out, August 17-August 31 1984 Dear Mr. President: I apologize that it has taken me so long in w ritin g you. I w ant to say. first o f all. a few thank yous. Thanks for selecting Mr. Bush (one o f Texas' favorite sons): thanks for selecting Jim Baker (another Texas son): and. thanks forgetting elected. Although during the primaries. I was supporting George. I have worked closely w ith him since 1966.1 was very active in your campaign. I am sorry to say that this time I w ill not be able to work for you in the capacity that I had the opportunity to work for you in 1980.1 was an elected precinct chairm an for m any years. In 1982. the trouble began. I was attend ing the 1982 Gay Pride Parade here in Houston and was interviewed by a local television reporter. It made the eieninq and 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. next m orning news. As a result o f that. I not on ly became an outcast o f the local Re publican Party, even as an elected official, but I also lost m y Job. I was shunned at w hat local party functions I attended after the interview and received several calls from other precinct chairmen, some anonymous, inferring that I was unfit to hold such a position as a precinct chairm an and was an embarrassment to the Republican Party. Heedless to say. w ith this attitude and hatred mentality, I decided not to seek reelection for the position of precinct chairman. / am sorry now that I made this decision. It w ill be (the decision to run) different in 1986. I was so encouraged to see your state ment o f June 29. 1984. denouncing "bigotry and ugly rhetoric " and "no room for hate or haters w ithin the Republican Party.' Although this was in reference to the controversial remarks o f Louis Farrakhan. I find that they are still applicable to any situa tion. especially to the gay individual and/ or to the gay com m unity w ith in our society itself. A ll one has to do to see this bigotry and ugly rhetoric is to review the month o f June in Houston as w ell as in Texas. We now in Houston have an individual w h o is suing the local Republican Party because he was denied a delegate position to the district convention because he is gay. Also, one must look at the state convention w h ich wets held in Fort Worth. Texas, in Out Around th e .. Nation .................. Out About Town ....... Just Entertainment ... Book Review .............. Reader Survey........... Classifieds .................. 4 8 10 11 12 15 June and review the extreme resolutions that were passed against the gay individual and the gay community. Also, there is a massive petition drive in the City o f Houston to force a referendum o f putting the question should the gay individual have the protection o f Job security in a city civ il service position as an employee o f the City o f Houston or face the awesome situation o f being fired because o f his/her individual preference o f sexual freedom in the confines o fh is /h e r private domain. This drive, by the way. is headed by the local county chairman. Mr. President, there are gays w ho support you in y o u r effort for reelection as was show n in a recent po ll in the gay com m un ity. You were m any percentage points ahead o f a ll the contenders in the Demo cratic Party. I never thought I w ould come out so to speak to the President o f the United States, but do I have you r assurance that there is no room for "bigotry and ugly rhetoric " and "hate or haters " in the Re publican Party? I certainly hope that is the case. Don t disappoint us now. M y best wishes to Mrs. Reagan on her recent birthday. I look forward to seeing you again the next time you are in Houston. As the letter explains. I won t have the opportunity to see you at the national Convention in Dallas. — Montrose Voice 3