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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1986)
Briefs by W.C. M cRae Why is this man president? Ronald Reagan, Secretary o f State George Schultz, and top national advisors made flip pant, off the cuff remarks regarding AIDS and San Francisco during a meeting regarding Libya, The Washington Post reported last month. During discussion of Libyan leader Moam- mar Gadhafi, who is known for his flamboyant clothing, Reagan reportedly quipped, “Why not invite Gadhafi to San Francisco, he likes to dress up so m uch" T o the general merriment, Schultz added, "W hy don’t we give him AIDS?” Others at the table laughed. While AIDS — and Libyan “disinformation’’ (read: lies) — may be a laughing matter in the White House, not ail found the exchange humorous. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force spokesperson (Jrvashi Vaid found the remarks “appalling" and ignorant” She sug gested an AIDS education program be initiated for the White House and the Cabinet Gay $ shows Gay sense After the July defeat o f a gay rights bill in Chicago, gay activists and businesspeople are stamping paper currency in the city with the words "Gay $" to show the breadth of the gay community and its econom ic clout ac cording to The Chicago Tribune. Over 70 o f the "Gay $” stamps were dis tributed to area businesses who are stamping currency in red before giving it out or deposit ing it Stamping money is not illegal as long as it does not render the money unfit for reissue. Margaret Sum m it one of the gay organiz ers, says. “ If there are enough "Gay $" in everyone’s wallets, they’re going to start thinking about it [and] understand that all we re asking for is what they already have — the right to work and the right to live.” Shepherds receive Lucille Hart Award On October 11, the Right to Privacy PAC’s annual fundraiser, the Lucille Hart Dinner, was held at Portland’s Westin Benson. In attendance were a record 509 supporters. The Lucille Hart Award for outstanding service to the gay community went this year to Bill and Ann Shepherd, long-time activists and founders o f the Portland chapter of Parents/FLAG. The Shepherds have been en gaged in gay rights issues and with gay service organizations since the mid-70s. Ann Shepherd was a m em ber o f then- G ovem or Robert Straub's Task Force on Sexual Preference, which was assembled early in 1976. Mrs. Shepherd is presently co chair o f Portland Parents/FLAG, and contact person for Wiridfire and Bridge Club, which are support and social groups for young gays and lesbians. Right to Privacy Chair Keeston Lowery says attendance “far surpassed the goal,” and esti mates that the dinner grossed about $35,000 and will probably clear $22,000. O f this, about $20,000 will be donated to electoral campaigns. Lowery estimates that the Right to Privacy PAC this year raised a total o f over $40,000. According to figures available, only 10 O reogn Political Action Committees raise m ore than $40,000 annually. Adopt-a-Dyke In the past the Right to Privacy PAC has been criticized for not selling tickets to the Just Out, November 1986 Lucille Hart Dinner based on a sliding scale related to income, since the $60-a-plate ticket allegedly limits the participation o f women. This year, however, board member LC . Hansen, with help from the Lesbian C om munity Project instigated an “Adopt-a-Dyke” program. Men or women who were them selves unable to attend, or who wished to sponsor a woman, were encouraged to pro vide funding to pay all or part of the ticket price, in order to increase wom en’s attend ance at the fundraiser. Hansen says she knows o f 44 women who attended (m ost o f whom had never attended before) directly due to sponsorship and to renewed interest in the dinner by women. Hansen’s goal is that "when the politicians who sponsor gay rights look out at the audi ence, that they see women also attending." “ Most wom en said they’d com e back,” she said. “They were impressed with an organiza tion that could bring that many politicians together.” The "Adopt-a-Dyke" program succeeded, according to Hansen, if it makes "the PAC m ore aware o f the value of w om en’s partici pation,” and makes “wom en aware of the PAC that is fighting for their rights.” Which Republican Party? The Democratic National Committee, in a position piece entitled “ New Choices in a Changing America," is continuing its retreat from active support o f gay rights, according to the Advocate. The 71-page document promises a “ future-oriented agenda” that makes no mention o f gays, blacks, or civil rights in general. Democratic National Committee Chair Paul Kirk states that “Commissioners did not proceed by trying to satisfy the litmus tests or wish lists o f separate groups.” The document states, “We believe that basic moral values are the bedrock o f individual responsibility, and that we must build a society and develop public policies that promote and honor these values.” The committee did g o as far as to espouse making “equal opportunity for all a reality." To the displeasure of some “Congressional Democrats,” the document does include a “ sidebar” calling for greater federal commit ment to AIDS research, education, and ser vice organizations. In a related story from Chicago, the D em o cratic Party o f Cook County has printed flyers attacking two Democratic aldermen, Luis Gutierrez and Jesus Garcia, who voted for the recently defeated gay rights bill in Chicago, according to the Windy City Times. The Democratic Party in Chicago is locked in in ternecine warfare between supporters of Mayor Harold Washington and supporters of Alderman Ed Vrdolyak, heir to former Mayor Richard Daley’s "Machine" o f the ’50s and ’60s. Washington’s faction supported the gay rights biU; Vrdolyak’s did n ot The Vrdolyak- sponsored flyers in part read: “ Last month [ he] voted in favor o f a homosexual rights bill. It would allow homosexuals to teach our chil dren . . . He has vowed to try a ga in . . . The alderman does not represent this community.” While the Democratic Party is listing to the right trying to out-butch the Republicans, the Republican Party is attempting to infíltrate and w oo away traditional Democratic voter strongholds, such as the Southern black community. • • • According to Robert Morris Smith, treasur er o f the Democratic Central Committee of Multnomah County, and former regional vice-chairperson o f the Gay and Lesbian Caucus o f the Democratic Party, these m oves rightward on the part o f the national party aren’t reflected in Oregon. “ Frankly, we re pretty liberal,” Smith says of the Oregon Democratic Party. Smith confesses to be disappointed by the m ood o f the national party, and claims that Southern Democratics J‘want to ape the Re- — publicans. ’ But in Oregon, Smith argues, “ the m ore liberal we are. the more likely we are to win. If there’s no differences between candidates, the Republicans win.” He added that Oregon State Democratic Party Chair Judy Carnahan was the only State Chair in the nation to vote to support openly gay candidates at the National Democratic Com m ittee mid-term meeting. ager of Special Services of Children s Services for Multnomah County, "The issue is whether the couple has something to offer, whether they’re able to offer the child a stable nurtur ing environment" Benjamin stated that "a person’s lifestyle is not something we are concerned with as tong as they're fit" saying that in Oregon, Children’s Services places children in hom es o f unmarried and single people. Even though "there are no rules that re quire discrimination against lifestyles," if a child is placed in a gay household, the court must be m ade aware; the parents o f the child have to know o f the placement and okay it and the regional director must approve. Such elaborate safeguards are not deem ed neces sary in placing children in traditional straight households. Gay foster-parenting policy to be argued in court The Massachusetts Supreme Court has re fused to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to overturn state policy which excludes gays and lesbians from being foster parents. The decision was the latest in a series of events that have stemmed from Massachu setts Governor Michael Dukakis’ May 1985 order to remove two children placed by the state in the hom e o f two gay men. The state went on to institute regulations effectively prohibiting gay couples from be com in g foster parents. According to the state’s lawyer, "the department’s regulation serves the best interest o f children who are in foster care.” Massachusetts Chief Justice Thomas Morse disagrees, and has ordered the case to trial. In his opinion, he describes as “ blatantly irrational" the state policy of excluding gays from being foster parents. He claimed that the courts had already determined that “sex ual preference perse is irrelevant to a consid eration o f parenting skills.” He went on to conclude that “ prospective foster parents should be selected on the basis of their ability to provide temporary care and support for children, not on the basis of an arbitrary factor such as marital status.” Gov. Dukakis, considered by some to be a likely candidate for the ’88 Democratic presi dential nomination, garnered the ire of the Massachusetts gay community since his controversial decision. O regon has no regulations which deny gay men or lesbians from becom ing foster pa rents. According toTeletha Benjamin, man House subcommittee hears of anti-gay vioience On October 9, violence against gay men and lesbians was the subject o f a hearing before the CI.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Criminal Justice. The sub com m ittee heard from three panels. The first was made up of gay activists and workers in anti-gay violence projects from New York, San Francisco, and Washington; a second consisted o f police, social science, and legal witnesses concerned about development of an appropriate law enforcement response to anti-gay violence; the third panel was made up o f victims of anti-gay violence. Kevin Berrill, Director of the Violence Pro ject of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, testified, "The gay community is not only battling AIDS, but is also confronting a second epidemic, one that has received far less attention from our public officials. That epidem ic is anti-gay violence.” NGLTF’s recommendations to Congress include a call for government at all levels to study anti-gay violence; enactment o f gay rights legislation; educational outreach; tougher laws; and establishment of co m munity programs to support victim s. 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