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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1985)
Spectrum: Energy & achievable goals by Pat Scott There’s a new kid on the block. It’s young, has a lot o f energy, and is interested in getting fro m point A to point B in the m ost direct fashion. It’s also still evolving. S pectrum is fairly new to the com munity. It was conceived after the nondiscriminatory hiring practices ordinance failed, the co m m unity networks proved inadequate, and the com m unity failed to mobilize. Out of adversity can arise a better future, however, and that’s what Spectrum envisions for the lesbian/gay com m unity. “O ur goal is to help make Portland a better place for gays and lesbians,” says Spectrum coordinator Gale S ch m id t A laudable objec tive, but can they pull it off? T hrough its very ordered, incremental m ethods Spectrum may do just that. M em bers w ork to identify “ tangible, achievable goals that we can do progressively. You have to break things down and go for it by steps, otherwise you burn o u t" Schm idt wisely observes. A m ong the steps taken already by Spec tru m is form ation of a networking committee to "fin d out w ho’s in the com m unity, what they’re doing, what services they have to offer" and to enable members of the c o m m unity “ to get in touch with each other, to find [and offer] in p u t to have an im pact on any decisions that are made." This move to catalogue resources within the com m unity and provide a means to rally them when necessary is already an admirable under taking. A second task Spectrum has set itself is m onitoring o f print media, radio & T.V. for accurate and tim ely reporting of gay and les bian events and concerns. Other work in this area includes positive reinforcem ent for ac curate reporting, seeding of significant infor mation and events, and constructive criticism — to ensure that the gay/lesbian com m unity has a voice in how it’s represented. Another task Spectrum would like to un dertake is form ation of a "Hiring Policy G roup" urging employers to put a nondis crim inatory “sexual orientation" clause in their hiring practices statem ent An interest ing and am bitious con cept The task the group has m ost actively pur sued, however, is that of developing liaisons with governm ent officials and entities to en courage mutual understanding and sensitiv ity. In September, Deputy Chief Tom Potter was appointed as advocate for the gay and lesbian com m unity within the Portland Police Bureau. It's one of the “wins" Spectrum can point to with justifiable pride. “We got a liaison. We got the com m unity to agree on some things that the liaison could help us with, and we got agreement with the department that this would be effective," remembers Schmidt. In achieving this end Spectrum facilitated co m m u n ity dialogue, dialogue with govern mental agencies and individuals, and the m arketing of an accurate and sensitive por trait of gays and lesbians to the m ajor Port land com m unity. No mean accomplishment. And it’s just this three-pronged attack that S chm idt considers so necessary to the com m unity. Spectrum is also spearheading efforts now toward form ation of a Ride-Along program, with m em bers of the com m unity volunteer ing to ride with police officers during their rounds. It’s hoped this will sensitize members o f the com m un ity to the difficulties and hazards of police work while allowing the police to see us ¿is individuals. And it's this peopie-to-people contact that Schm idt and Spectrum see ¿is particularly beneficial. "The m ore support we have and the more under standing that we g e t the more we re just gonna be your next door neighbor — and be accepted." All this reflects S chm idt’s personal opti m ism particularly regarding the gay/lesbian c o m m u n ity ’s position within the larger Port land com m unity. She finds that the social consciousness has raised and people are learning that they need to be more tolerant... a view she w ouldn't have had five years ago, she stresses. Belief in the future is a trade m ark with this Spectrum m em ber but not blind optim ism . “ I'm not saying everything's okay," Schm idt hastens to add. "If things were okay Spectrum w ouldn't exist" And she al lows that her vision isn’t shared by everyone — even within the group itself. "There are people in Spectrum and the com m unity who've gone through some really hard times. They’ve been put down or persecuted or bashed. They’re not willing to say everything’s okay. And that's good: we need that aware ness and that history in order to keep us on track." Spectrum doesn’t claim to represent the entire gay male and lesbian com m unity al though it mirrors many of its diverse interests. It would like to be of service to the total gay/ lesbian com m unity. “ I see Spectrum as a grassroots th in g ,” Schm idt says. "We re down here trying to work within our co m m unity — not to work with the legislature and political agendas — to work with people, not with entities." Not every need can be fulfilled through this organization, nor should it be. There's room for all. And Spectrum doesn't claim to have the only resolutions to diffi culties nor to provide the best way to achieve goals. "I d o n ’t think there is a “best way,’ ’’ S chm idt says, “ until you get the goal — and ----------------------------------------------------------- . 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S chm idt would like to identify these silent m embers: “ I’d like to let them know things that are significant" A nd it’s this concern for the com m un ity and the desire to facilitate com m unication that m arks Spectrum. Since Portland Town C ouncil m et its demise there’s certainly room for Spectrum , its interests and methods. If it is able to aid in the mobilization o f our c o m m unity toward goals that we, in all our d i versity, share then it’s welcom e indeed. Will it last? Tim e will tell. Can it do what it intends? Its achievements are already tangi ble, highly publicized: its efforts ongoing and concise. Not a bad beginning for a young organization. And it has dedication and en ergy. “W hat I’ve found out," says Spectrum coordinator Gale Schmidt, "is that, person ally, if I have som ething that I see is achiev able, that is not out there in Never Neverland — it’s not a dream, it's tangible — then I can go for that. I'll just pick it and I'll go for it And I can usually get things done." One suspects this is pretty representative of the entire organization. ' " i