Incest survivors
group continuing
by Helen Lottridge
Lesbian incest survivors in the Portland
Community had an opportunity to participate
in a very special group recently at Phoenix
Rising. The group (co-facilitated by Patt
Chance, MSW (Co-director of Counseling at
Phoenix Rising), and Kao Rhiannon, PhD). K
was a safe place, and confidentiality was
paramount
Patt emphasized that it's important to have
an all-Lesbian group, which eliminated the
need for Lesbians to educate the remainder
of the participants about sexual orientation.
One common myth in non-gay groups is that
gay incest survivors’ sexual orientation is a
result of childhood sexual abuse.
Patt explained that the effects of such
abuse for adult incest survivors are numer
ous and varied. Many survivors become de
pendent on alcohol or drugs as a means of
escape, others experience night terrors. Not
uncommon is the perpetuation of being a
victim, especially in relationships. Most
people who experienced incest as a child
have repressed rage toward their parents:
mother, for not being there to help, and
father, as the perpetrator. This rage is fre
quently masked by heavy guilt and
internalized oppression.
Incest survivors experience isolation and
stigmatism, two things that gay people also
contend with — a double bind for Lesbian
incest survivors. Most also have poor self es
teem resulting from internalized self-hatred.
Some experience confusion about their sex
ual orientation, wondering if they’d be Les
bian if they hadn’t been abused.
Patt pointed out that 8 0 * of all survivors
are from a home where alcohol was abused,
loosening the perpetrator’s inhibitions. Often
the father has criticized the appearance of her
daughter's body as a way to deal with his own
attraction to her, resulting in poor self body
image.
The feelings of isolation are escalated by
society’s view of the role of women in general
as being subservient psychologically to men.
Add to that the popular view that women are
responsible for men’s sexuality (“ If she hadn’t
been wearing a halter top, I wouldn’t have
raped her” ), and there’s a perfect formula for
internalized oppression.
One of the goals of the group was to free
the participants from their own oppression
through education and support One route is
to examine the guilt and how it has served as
protection from anger. “As chilren, if we were
angry, we would lose the love of our parents
and wouldn’t survive, so we covered the
anger with g u ilt Now, as adults, we can free
the anger and put it on the appropriate
source,” Patt explained.
The group ran for eight weeks as more
education and support than therapy, and
then continued as an ongoing therapy/
support group. Phoenix Rising has a sliding
scale, so the fee is nominal.
For more information on this or other
groups, call Phoenix Rising at 223-8299.
Employment bill in
Oregon Senate
A performance by the Portland Gay Men’s
Chorus opened the 1985 sessions of the Ore
gon legislature March 22, closing a week that
saw introduction of a Senate bill prohibiting
discrimination against state employees for
their sexual orientation.
Senate Bill 896 closely resembles a bill
introduced in 1975 by current House Speaker
Vera Katz. That measure was defeated in the
Oregon House by a vote of 30 yeas. 29 nays,
with one absence.
The Senate Labor Committee, chaired by
gay rights supporter Margie Hendrickson,
introduced this session’s bill at the request of
Right To Privacy, PAC. First reading of the bill
was done March 25 and it was referred to the
Labor Committee for discussion March 28.
According to Right to Privacy Chair,
Keeston Lowery, “We’ve entered every ses
sion since 1973 with cautious optimism. Ore
gon has a strong history of support for legal
protections for gays and lesbians. We’ve had
three floor votes since 1973 and narrowly lost
in each case. We re positioned this year for
another close vote, and I think the outcome
really depends on constituent pressure from
several rural areas of the state.”
Just O ut urges readers to contact their
state senators to express their support for this
important legislation.
HTLV III antibody
test — don't take it
by Jay Brown
"There is very little to benefit from taking
the HTLV III screening test,” says Dr. Gary
Oxman, Multnomah County Health Director.
“ But the risks can be significant If the test
results are either positive or negative, we
don’t know what to predict
If positive, which may be false due to the
inaccuracies of the screening test the emo
tional impact may be devastating to the indi
vidual. If negative, the individual may be falsely
reassured and may not make necessary
changes in sexual encounters to protect one
self as well as others.
There is, also, no guarantee that confiden
tiality will not be breached. Both Brown
McDonald, director of the Cascade AIDS Pro
ject and Dr. Oxman said that a positive test for
HTLV III may negate any chance of an indi
vidual getting medical insurance coverage.
Sometime in the near future, possibly as
early as July, Multnomah County Health
Services will offer an HTLV III testing and
counseling program. The starting date for
the program is contingent upon receiving the
necessary funding.
According to Adella Martell, Director of
Marketing and Communications for the Port
land Chapter of the Red Cross, all blood sam
ples are being tested for the HTLV III antibody.
The Red Cross testing program, in its early
stages, has found that about .017* of all
blood samples have tested positive.
All parties concerned are discouraging
people from going to a blood bank to have
the HTLV III antibody test. Using the blood
banks to aet tested nuts the entire blood
supply at risk. The test is not needed if an
individual is going to alter one’s behavior.
“ One’s own knowledge about oneself tells
one’s risk factor,” says Dr. Oxman.
Humanist
essay contest
The Fourth Annual North American Essay
Contest for young men and women of good
will is now underway. Persons aged twenty-
nine and under who have a substantial con
cern for humans and the future are invited to
share their thoughts and visions on such top
ics as: (1) Is youth developing a new global
consciousness? (2) Must world-mindedness
destroy national identity? (3) What makes
thinking globally more necessary and more
possible than in the past? (4) How the U.N.
agencies can help prevent future famines.
Additional possible topics: (5) Humanistic re
volutions are underway in many fields of en
deavor. What changes in thinking and feeling
will any or all of these revolutions necessitate,
and how can one foster more humanistic
action and attitudes?
Prizes will be awarded in age categories of
nineteen and under and those twenty through
twenty-nine. Categories will be: First Prize -
$500. Second Prize - $250. Multiple Third
Prizes — $50.
If a winner indicates that a teacher, libra
rian, dean or advisor was instrumental in the
submitting of the essay, that individual will be
recognized with a special award of $50. Please
include the individual’s mailing address.
PROCEDURE: State birth date. Manuscripts
must be typed, double-spaced, and not to
exceed 2,000 words. Mail entries to: The
Humanist Essay Contest, 7 Harwood Drive,
P.O. Box 146, Amherst, NY 14226-0146.
Entries must be postmarked before July
15,1985. A panel of distinguished judges will
review the entries. Winners will be notified in
November 1985. The Humanist Magazine,
which reserves the first right of publication,
will publish winning essays. Entries will not
be returned. See the March/April 1985 issue
of The Humanist Magazine for the winning
essays of The Third Annual Contest
For more information contact Humanists
of Portland/Vancouver Metro Area, RO Box
3936. Portland. OR 97208.
KBOO receives
building cam paign
funds
KBOO, Portland’s 16 year old listener-
sponsored community radio station has
received a $3000 grant through The Funding
Exchange’s National Community Funds in
support of KBOO’s efforts to raise $ 110,000
to purchase the building the station currently
rents. This award brings the campaign total
to $20,000 raised so far from individuals in
support of the building project
In 1982 KBOO was forced to relocate for
the third time, this time due to a 4 0 0 * rent
increase at its downtown studio location.
KBOO moved to its present location at 20
S.E. 8th. The move cost $ 150,000 due to the
special facility construction needs of a radio
station that involves over 300 active volun
teers. Construction funds were raised from
individuals, foundations, corporations and
businesses. In addition many area busines
ses and individuals donated valuable labor
and building materials. The current site was
chosen with a permanent home in mind.
The $20,000 raised to date towards the
$110,000 goal has been raised entirely
through individuals, some of whom have
made anonymous gifts. KBOO’s Building
Fund Committee is currently seeking addi
tional contributions from individuals, busi
nesses, foundations and corporations.
KBOO-FM (90.7) is a non-commercial
community radio station broadcasting a wide
range of music, news, public affairs and
cultural programming. All programs are
hosted by volunteers from the community.
C0
o
PORTLAND:
1005 W. BURNSIDE
BEAVERTON:
LOEHMANN’S PLAZA
V
IVBÇgS
Men« Resource Center Counseling Service
GAY THERAPISTS
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Professional Counseling
Low F ees — Sliding Scale
Individuals, Couples, G roups
H y p n o th erap y
E vening & W eekend
235-3433
Problems ............ We Can Work
It Out!
Just O ut. Mov 1985