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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1986)
______________________ Shadbume saga slogs through the mire What's going on here!?! Politics and bedfellows don’t mix, especial ly if they are on the payroll. Multnomah County Commissioner Gordon Shadbum e found himself fighting off recall at the end of last month; Shadbume was ac cused of fiscal malfeasance by his East Mult nom ah County constituency. The object of recent media attention be cause of discrepancies between his squeaky- clean fundamentalist public image and his sybaritic private life, Shadbum e’s political stock took a definite downturn less than six months after he mailed his notorious “strong hold of Satan" letter to a group of funda mentalist preachers. In a front page story on May 20, the O regonian alleged that Shadbume had par ticipated in "homosexual activities” and, last October used cocaine. The story also included complaints by East Multnomah County community leaders that Shadburne’s private life had led them to question whether he was adequately representing their interests. Earlier articles in both W illam ette Week and the O regonian revealed an intimate rela tionship between Shadbume and his aide, Jam es Sanders and their use of public funds for personal expenditures (trips to California and Canada, hotel and motel rooms, meals at expensive restaurants). In November, 1985, Shadbume wrote a letter (on Multnomah County stationery) and •••••I b y J a y B row n mailed it to fifty fundamentalist preachers urging establishment of “homosexuals anonymous” to “help" gays and lesbians, which he said were a "stronghold of Satan." Shadburne’s letter angered the gay and lesbian community. W.C. McRae, Just O u t’s features editor, immediately undertook the task of uncovering Shadbume’s duplicity. McRae’s investigations prompted an editorial by Mark Zusman, editor of W illam ette Week in February of this year; since then a number of articles delving into Shadbume’s financial records, campaign expenditures, and per sonal life, were published in both W illamette Week and the Oregonian. Following the O regonian story on May 20, Shadbume is sued the following statement: “This morning the Oregonian has pub lished a very sensational, politically timed but not newsworthy nor true expose.’ Is it responsible or even fair for the media to make allegations using unnamed, unrevealed sources’? I am disappointed that The Orego nian has chosen to publish an article with this tone, based, in large part, on unnamed 1FOOD FRONT cooperative market ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- fife hare the best breads! ! sources alone. "I have requested the district attorney to investigate the audit As to the allegations of my personal life, I would not even dignify them with a response." The Shadburne-Sanders relationship has long been an open secret People in the gay com m unity have been reluctant to openly discuss the relationship because of their own apprehensions at finding themselves in similar circumstances. But Shadbume went too far. Shadburne’s politically motivated homo phobia and hypocrisy demanded that he be exposed. Shadburne’s political career exploited a constituency of homophobic fundamental ists. Shadbume has consistently spoken against and voted against gays and their right to civil protections. And now Shadburne’s constituency is in the process of recalling him from office; but, ironically, his constituency is charging him with dishonesty and malfeasance, not his heretofore hidden sexual orientation. Eunuchs have a ball in Bhopal C om p iled b y W.C. McRae About 3,000 eunuchs met at Bhopal, India in April for a two-day conference designed to increase public awareness of the discrimina tion they face in Indian society. There are about 50,000-100,000 eunuchs in India — men who were castrated at birth or were bom with deformed genitals. Eunuchs are con sidered at the bottom of the still-strict caste system. Those attending the conference elected a new national guru. The last recog nized leader died of after-effects of the Union Carbide toxic gas leak in 1984. AIDS outstrip projection CAP reported late last month that newly- reported cases of AIDS in Portland were roughly double anticipated levels. Ten new cases of AIDS were reported in Portland dur ing a five-week period in April and May, as many new cases as were projected over a 13-week period. “The increase in diagnoses indicates that gay men are not heeding safe sex guidelines,” says CAP. But studies indi cate that the incubation period of the HTLV-III virus may be as long as six years, and present cases may reflect exposure as long ago as 1980. Court to rule on AIDS as disability The US Supreme Court, in the process of reviewing the Georgia sodomy law, has STONE GENITO 100 ^ TOUT BREAD a « (A I P O A T lA N O || S ourdough J la tâ r e Q o K e 0 *1 GO* W * f j\4 S r / CINNAM ON & R AISIN 1 BREAD ■ fA lfd M »Sot, iw 'MM nm Sonrs f m r d u IH o m t ml • r i d o n n t M * M t «TT *«Of M i * | i Si uri Ins t!o% 2 . 1 . » r » 111 hr nprn uni II 9:00 pm. O r t A T O X U . • 7 n u s \ U U h • 9 nm -R pm VII. 27 lh ¡n u l T i l l M l IV • 222 -.~S.TH AIDS agencies merge As of last month, CHESS/PAL and Cascade AIDS Project have merged boards of dir ectors. The organization, now simply called CAP, stresses that there have been no changes in services offered. CHESS/PAL and CAP will continue to operate as before, only with one, instead of two, boards of directors. The executive director is Brown McDonald. SMillions for testing, $0 for research The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that seeks to eliminate a $40 million appropriation for AIDS-related research in the military. At the same time the bill allows the Defense Department to spend more than $52 million to test military person nel and recruits for HTLV-3. AIDS Action Council Executive Director Gary MacDonald claims, “It’s outrageous that they’re going to go ahead and spend money on testing” with out funding the research related to that testing. Terrigno convicted Valerie Terrigno, former West Hollywood mayor, has been convicted on 12 counts of embezzling federal funds and sentenced to 60 days in custody in a com m unity half-way house. Terrigno was one of three openly gay candidates elected to West Hollywood’s City Council in 1984. Sit on a homophobe's face Give your your favorite homophobe squat ting rights at Portland’s L /G Pride celebra tion. The steering committee is looking for sponsors who wish to “decorate" the porta- potties at the rally. For Washington D.C.’s L /G Pride event, sponsors are being encour aged to decorate the toilets with the names of their favorite homophobe. If there’s an anti gay demagogue you’d like to sponsor for reading material at the rally, contact the steer ing committee, 233-1169. POKT1AMD S FIN EST C O L L E C T IO N FROM: 0 #gon 9 P?iS MJiSC SU* • D ' 0 * w riO H 1 O R I E H T A L R U G agreed to review a case that commentators believe may ultimately decide whether AIDS and other infectious diseases can legally be considered a "handicap." The case involves a Florida woman teacher who was dismissed for having tuberculosis. Her school board contends that com m unicable diseases “dif fer markedly" from handicaps. If communi cable diseases are ruled to be "handicaps" under the law, then persons with AIDS and sero-positive tests could receive legal protec tion against discrimination in the workplace. People with handicaps are legally protected from discrimination by employers. GALLERY • D ecorative K ilim s Sc D h u rrie s • Buy fir Tra d e New fir Used R ugs Expert: • Appraisal • C le a n in g • R epair • Restoration PERSIA, TURKEY, A FG H A N ISTA N , PAKISTAN, IND IA , C H IN A , . . . YES. WE ROAM THE WORLD FOR YOU . . . BUT OUR TRADITION OE QUALITY, SERVICE AND AFFORDABILITY NEVER STRAYS EAR FROM HOME. iw -ile i lins .».I O uullly 1‘r n th ir r . Il h o ir fo o d s . K cul t ir m r r r ir * . \u iu r u l T rru is I.C .C . (U S A ) L T D . 2 2 0 S¡W F ir s t A v e n u e (503)248-9511 Just Out lune 1986
