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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1986)
♦ \ « Vol. 3 No. 3 January, 1985 STAFF ■V P roduction Bev La Belle C o-publishers Jay Brown Renee LaChance C ontributors Dr. Raymond Berger Eleanor M alin W.CMcRae N ick Meyers Pat S cott S cott Swentek Jan Robbins Dana Buckendahl Matuszeski Jim C hristopher E ditor Jay Brown P roduction D irector Renee LaChance A dvertising D irector Roger Hall E. Ann Hinds A dvertising A ssociates Eve Sicular Eddie Hickey Jewel M urpy E Graphic Inspiration Rupert Kinnard D I T C Where there is no choice, there is no freedom by Jay Brown The discovery o f a packaged bom b delivered by the Postal Service to the Portland Fem inist W om en’s Health Center and the later discovery of sim ilar bom bs addressed to three other Portland-area abortion and fam ily planning providers adds a terrifying new dim ension to the struggle fo r reproductive rights. It was the first tim e that devices meant to m aim o r kill have been sent to clinics, exposing any num ber o f innocent people to extreme danger. And that the bom bs were sent by persons purporting to advocate for life only com pounds "Christian" Shadbume continues hate cam paign M ultnom ah County Com m issioner Gordon Shadbum e, a bitter opponent o f civil rights fo r lesbians and gays, shocked the com m un ity recently by m ailing a letter to 50 Portland area fundam entalist m inisters in w hich he called the lesbian and gay com m unity recently by m a ilin g a letter to 50 Portland area fu n dam entalist m inisters in w hich he called the lesbian and gay com m unity a “stronghold o f Satan.” The m ain thrust o f Shadbum e's letter is an appeal to the "C hristian” com m unity to join in the establishm ent o f a “ local chapter o f H om osexuals Anonym ous.” Dear C hristian Leaden F rom tim e to tim e, I believe it is im po rtan t fo r m y office to give you inform a tio n w hich affects our com m unity, and the C hristian com m unity in particular. E nclosed is such inform ation. The M etropolitan Hum an Relations C om m ission is jo in tly funded by city and cou nty dollars fo r the specific purpose o f helping reduce racial and m inority tension. 1 believe this particular newsletter contains im p o rta n t inform ation as to how the gay co m m u n ity sees them selves and lays out fro m th e ir leadership, the plan o f action fo r the future. You w ill note that the au th o rsh ip o f these articles is w ritten by Just Ouf. January. them . Keeston Lowery was a key contact fo r C om m issioner Kafoury’s office with regard to denying the “ righ t to vote” on the sex orientation ordinance o f M ultno m ah Couty. This raises the question o f Christian m inistry in this area. M ost recently, 1 talked to a local pastor, Rev. Mays, and his wife, w ho have assisted in facilitating a local chapter o f Homosexuals Anonym ous, a support group that has som e Christian base. As you recall, 1 had a m eeting in my office over a year ago, suggesting that the C hristian com m unity realize the need to take the offensive, in love, to reach out fro m the people w ithin our church to m em bers o f the gay com m unity and with the love o f C h rist challenge this strong hold o f Satan. 1 said at that tim e that 1 feared fo r ou r com m unity because o f the present apathy o f the church. 1 w ould like to encourage you to do what you can as a church leader in this great hom e-m ission field. If you are in terested in this type o f m inistry o r if 1 can be o f assistance to you, please feel free to contact m y office. J u st O u t is published the first of each month. Copyright 1985. No part of Ju st O ut may be repro duced without the written permission of the publishers. W ritten and graphic materials are welcomed for subm ission. All written material should be typed and double-spaced. All graphic material should be black ink on white paper. Material will be edited for spelling and grammar, with the exception of letters to the editor. Deadline for subm issions is the 15th of each m onth. Out About Town is a courtesy to our readers. Items must be received by the 15th of each month. Display advertising will be accepted up to five days before publication date, if camera ready, if not. then seven days prior. J u s t O u t by the 20th o f each month, along with paym en t Editorial policies allow the rejection or the edit ing o f an article or advertisement that is offensive, dem eaning or may result in legal action. Just O ut consults the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual on editorial decisions. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns, and features may not necessarily be those of the editorial staff of J u s t O ut. Subscriptions to J u st O u t are available for $7.50 for 12 issues. A free copy o f J u st O u t and /or advertising rates are available upon request The mailing address and telephone num ber for J u s t O u t are: P.O. Box 15117 Portland, OR 9 72 15 2 3 6 -1 2 5 2 Classified ads must be received at the office of R I A L the hypocrisy o f the terrorist a c t These persons are terrorists who seem capable o f using any m eans to force their rules on all o f us. They have dem onstrated that they w ill stop at nothing to achieve the ir ends. At issue here is the right to self determ ination, a concept seeming anathema to a volatile m inority. These people m ust be actively opposed if we are to preserve that right; because if even one person s choices are revoked, everyone loses. We at J u s t O u t are jo in in g the Portland Fem inist W om en’s Health Center and other pro-choice groups in calling for a m oratorium on picketing of abortion and fam ily planning facilities. We ask that anti-choice groups join us on the side of reason. Persons w ishing to dem onstrate their solidarity with the pro-choice m ovem ent should attend a rally fo r reproductive rights at PSCI on Saturday, January 18. The rally com m em orates the anniversary o f the Suprem e C ourt decision legalizing abortion. seat on the com m ission. Kafoury has for m any years been one o f the m ost vocal advoctes fo r civil rights fo r lesbians and gays; she has always been in the forefront o f our struggle and needs our support now more than ever. Make no mistake, Shadburne’s opposition to the rights o f gays and lesbians, makes m ockery o f his “C hristian” outreach; his let te r is nothing but another example o f tradi- Commission approves gay rights ‘‘We affirm the rights o f individuals in the G ay/Lesbian com m unity to be a protected class in order to ensure that they have all the rights, privileges and im m unities of any other citizen.” M etropolitan Human Relations C om m ission Decem ber 17, 1986. C iting the recent letter by G ordon Shad- tional "C hristian” hypocrisy and bigotry; he, like all hypocrites and bigots, w ill stop at no th in g to spread intolerance and hate in his unreasonable cam paign against us. If G ordon Shadbum e were a C hristian he w ould extend his hand in friendship to lesbian and gays and w ork instead o f against, us in ou r struggle fo r ou r right to self-determ ination, because the C hristian ethos is based on love, not hate. true with, b u rn e to a g ro u p o f fu n d a m e n ta lis t m in is te rs as hostile to the lesbian a n d g a y c o m m u n ity , the M e tro p o lita n H u m a n R elations C o m m is sion a p p ro ve d a p o s itio n s ta te m e n t a sse rtin g th a t gays and lesbians m u s t have equal rights. The com m ission also called on all public officials “ to refrain from using inflam m atory language that incites and perpetuates discord in the com m unity.” The MHRC statem ent concluded: "It is the responsibility o f public officials to break down barriers o f fear and ignorance in the com m unity.” Sincerely, G ordon E. Shadbum e M ultnom ah C ounty C om m issioner Shadbum e, the only com m issioner to vote against the sexual orientation ordinance last Decem ber, has allegedly joined w ith other gay rights opponents in circulating an initia tive petition to elim inate G retchen Kafoury’s 3