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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1986)
will expand our understanding and apprecia tion of one another. Communty Development Building Community by Cathy Siem en s "Building Com m unity, C o m m o n Ground for the Future,” is the them e of Portland's first lesbian conference to be held at Portland State University Nov. 8 and 9. T h e event is co-sponsored by PSCI W om en’s Studies, PS(J W o m e n ’s Union and the Lesbian C o m m u n ity Project. T h e conference goals are: 1. to affirm the relevance and vigor of les bian co m m u n ity 2. to generate energy and co m m itm en t tow ard strengthening lesbian com m unity 3. to take the first step on action plans for c o m m u n ity developm ent 4. to include all interested lesbians. T h e conference will be an opportunity for Portland lesbians from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to co m e together for two days and develop the kind of dialogue that T h e conference will also focus on planning for a better future. Three proposals for action will be subm itted to the group for discussion, developm ent and possible adoption: 1. to com m ission a task force to study the feasibility of a self-sustaining Lesbian C o m m unity Center within guidelines set by the conference, develop a plan, and m ake a progress report and recom m endation in six m onths. 2. to establish a Lesbian C om m unity Coordinating C om m ittee that will be resposi- ble for dissem inating information, mobilizing co m m u n ity response to issues, developing a progressive lesbian political presence em pow ering spokesw om en/contact wom en 3. to establish a Lesbian Resource C o m m ittee to develop and m anage a system of com m unity tithing and fundraising to be used by and for the Lesbian Com m unity. These proposals were developed from survey data collected from the Portland les bian com m unity. They respond to the fre quently expressed desires for a com m unity that is both m ore socially and politically ac tive and financially em pow ered. These proposals are only suggestions. T h ey need all of our good thinking, creativity, and support if they are to manifest success fully. W hat do you think? How can you help? Workshops & Networking In addition to work sessions on the pro posals a wide variety of workshops will be offered from “W om en and C om puters” to "Artificial Insemination.” Besides the structured workshops, confer ence goers will have an opportunity to call an im p ro m p tu rap group, caucus, or network- ing session on any issue or area of interest. T h e conference is designed to provide both structure and flexibility. The Blues Sisters will play their hard-hitting dance m usic for an evening o f partying and celebration, place to be announced. Surprise & Guests Expect the unexpected. W e re not giving away all our secrets about the conference. Aisha Masakella, co-director of the Lesbian Resource Center in Seattle and Carm en Vas- quez, director of the San Francisco W o m en ’s Building, will be on hand. T h ey’ll be joined by Z. Budapest with her livelv look at the goddess. The Conference — A Note This conference is a first for Portland. In spite of our careful planning it is inevitable that we will m ake mistakes. Each day has a built-in evaluation session so that you can help us learn from our mistakes and point out our successes. Your participation and feed back is im p o rtan t Margo Adair workshop due M arg o Adair, author, teacher and activist wili be in Portland O c t 18,19 for a discussion of her new book and will facilitate a workshop on spirituality and politics. Ms. Adair is author o f Working Inside Out: Tolls for Change. T h e Lesbian C o m m un ity Project and PSCI W o m en 's Studies will host Ms. Adair in a reading from her book and discussion on S a t, O c t 18 at 8:3 0 p.m. O n Sun., O c t 19, Ms. Adair will lead an intensive workshop focused on bringing the hum an elem ent into politics and political awareness into spiritual practice. T h e workshop will run from 11 a.m .-4 p.m. Bring a floor cusion, sack lunch and snacks, and plan to work through lunch. Both events are w heelchair accessible a n d childcare will be provided. Reservations for childcare m ust be m a d e by O c t 10th. C o ntact LC P to reserve space. Sat., O c t 8, D iscu ssion/reading, $5 -$ 10. Sun., O c t 9 W orkshop, $ 10 -$ 15, Sliding Scale, $8 PSCI Students. Both events will be held at PSG, Sm ith Center. Ms. A d air’s book is available at A W o m a n ’s Place Bookstore. Softball a success T h e Lesbian C o m m u n ity Project Invita tional Softball T o u rn am en t was a great success. Five team s — Prim ary D o m ain Furies, Darcelles, Circle Chiropractic Adjusters. 9 2 7 Thunderbirds and H elen’s Pacific Costum ers all played go o d gam es. First place trophy went to H elen ’s Pacific Costum ers, second place to the 9 2 7 T h u n derbirds. Play started at 10:00 a.m . and the ch am p ion ship g am e ended about 6:3 0 p.m. T h ro u g h o u t the day an estim ated 100 fans co n su m ed 15 w aterm elons. A g oo d tim e was had by all — the players, the fans, the kids, and the dogs. Special thanks goes to BJ for her excellent organizing and to D ionne for hours of w aterm elon cutting. For information Regarding advertising call 236-1252 IS IT SAFE TO HAVE UNSAFE SEX WITH YOUR LOVER? Many men have the mistaken idea that Unsafe Sex with a lover is safe, especially if the relationship is monogamous. That is rarely true. For more of us, there is no safe way to have Unsafe Sex during the AIDS epidemic. Nearly all of the publicity about AIDS has focused on avoiding Unsafe Sex with multiple partners. That is because from an epidemiolo gical point of view, Unsafe Sex with multiple partners spreads AIDS far more widely than Unsafe Sex with a single partner. Monogamous relationships do cut down on the spread of AIDS, but they don’t guarantee the safety of the men in the relationships. No one knows for certain just how much re-exposure to the virus is Just Out, October t986 required for the disease to result. The body’s defenses may be able to resist some quantity of the virus, but at some point, if you continue to be exposed (even to viruses from the same person), your body’s defenses may be overcome. It is not safe to have Unsafe Sex with your lover (or anyone else), UNLESS: 1. You have BOTH been in an EXCLUSIVELY monogamous rela tionship with each other for at least seven years AND neither of you has shared IV needles, had transfusions, or used other blood products; OR 2. You have both been tested for HTLV-3 antibodies twice over a six-month period and have both received negative test results and haven’t since been exposed. Hardly anyone qualifies! Caring about your partner these days means protecting one another from re-exposure to the virus. Try new and safer ways of sexual expression. Use condoms if you have anal sex. are safer sex workshops that give you the opportunity to learn about and discuss your safer sex concerns in a comfortable, supportive atmosphere. Avoid Unsafe Sex. Take care of one another. Take care of the community. There is nothing you can do about the past. There is a great deal you can do about the future. If you would like more information or assistance, help is available. The Cascade AIDS Project, 223-5907 can provide the latest information on AIDS-risk and AIDS-prevention. as well as other referrals. GAP's “ New Attitudes’’ sessions, held monthly. c A S A I P R 0 c A D J E D C E S T CASCADE AIDS PROJECT 408 S.W. Second Ave. Suite 420 Portland, Oregon 97204 (503) 223-5907 Call for more information. This material is published with the permission of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 19