just news
Homophobia in the slow lane
In the third of the series, Letters from the Road, the director of
the American Run for the End of AIDS, reports from
MidlatullOdessa, Texas.
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he American Run for the End of
AIDS has now logged more than
5,500 miles through 22 states and
innumerable cities, towns, villages, ham­
lets and wide spots on the road. Since we
cover about 20 miles each day, spending at
least three hours traveling at 7 mph in a car
covered with signs and flashing lights
bumping along the shoulder of high speed
thoroughfares preceded by a slightly bald­
ing, very sweaty runner, we’ve had ample
opportunity to be noticed, commented on
and communicated with.
Most of the communication — from
cars passing or standing, from pedestrians,
stoop-sitters and window-hangers, from
game-players and -viewers, shoppers and
shop-keepers — has been overwhelmingly
positive. It has ranged from thumbs-up,
waves and raised victory fists, to shouts
of, “ Right on,” “ Keep going,” and ” We
love you!”
Then there is the other kind. The kind
that raises the hair on your neck, brings the
red haze to shroud your darting vision. At
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its most violently non-verbal it has
ranged from the careful aim at Brent, our
runner, taken by a speeding semi (could
we have strayed into his path?) to the dis­
play of shotguns from a yellow half-ton
Ford pick-up (some good o f boys scarin'
the fags). By now we have discounted that
most pedestrian of insults, the raised
finger.
But it’s the verbal brickbats that are the
most interesting — and the scariest. Some
come out of confusion, like the South-side
Chicago softball team which cheered until
they could read the car signs. Their altered
tune, along the line of ” Eat shit, and die,”
was not music to our ears. Marion’s per­
sonal favorite, “ Hey lady, you got the
AIDS?” provoked her to, first chuckle,
then to get angry. It’s the ignorance that
gets to you.
Being out front, pounding the pave­
ment, Brent is the usual target. He decided
long ago not to expend valuable energy
responding to taunts. So he ignores
thumbs-down and raised fingers. But he
admits to a pulse-pounding response to,
“ Hope you die, faggot.” Brent has lost
more than 30 friends to AIDS.
The one response that lives in memory
for its intensity of rage, depth of frustra­
tion and sheer volume came from a
humpy, 30-ish Boston hard-hat. His face
empurpled and grimacing, he wailed a
long, drawn-out, “ Cocksucker!” that
must have set dogs in three counties into a
frenzy. Like them, his bark was worse than
his bite.
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Red Rose School to offer
gay literature course
ortland’s Red Rose School is offer­
ing a course entitled “ Life Under the
Plague: Gay Men's Writings in the
Age of AIDS” as part of its Spring term.
The course will be led by Terry Miller,
who has taught two previous gay literature
courses at the school. The course will be­
gin at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 13, 1987,
and continue for eight Mondays at 7:30,
through June 1. The first meeting will be
held at the Friends’ meeting hall, 4312 SE
Stark Street.
Everyone in the course will read Dennis
Altman’s recent book AIDS In The Mind
O f America, and two books’ worth of lit­
erature, ranging from David Leavitt’s Lost
Language of Cranes, to Andrew Holler-
an’s journals from Christopher Street
magazine, to various safesex pornography
books. Beyond Altman, participants will
not all read the same materials — each
person will choose readings they like off of
a reading list. Books will be available in
the Gay Literature section at Looking
Glass books.
The Red Rose School is a small inde­
pendent progressive communty organiza­
tion which offers classes of interest to ac­
tivists. Other courses this term deal with: a
power structure analysis of Portland, the
cultural and musical roots of rock ’n roll,
class culture and ideology, anarchism,
contemporary Indian America, women in
the workplace, women’s utopian literature,
and community organizing. Tuition is $25
($15 low income); the money is used by
the school to pay for its mailings and ad­
vertising. No one will be refused based on
inability to pay tuition. Class members
purchase their own readings.
Advance registration is $5 off ($20/$ 10),
and includes an advance copy of the syl­
labus and annotated reading list. To regis­
ter in advance, send a check for tuition to
Red Rose School, c/o4726 NE 13th, Port­
land, OR, 97211. Registrations will also
be accepted at the first class meeting.
Course size will be limited to twenty, and
advance registrations will have the
advantage should size be a problem.
Quesitons about Red Rose School can be
directed to 230-0488, and questions about
the course can be directed to Terry Miller
at 235-5665.
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Just Out 10 , April. 1987
7*>i
H i K V jv V
239-5051
Seattle’s Emerald City Softball Associ­
ation (ECSA) announces plans to host the
EMERALD CITY CASCADE CUP, a
four-day softball tournament from Friday.
May 22, to Monday, May 25, 1987. All
men’s and women’s teams in the
N. A.G.A.A.A. League are invited to
participate.
A “ Meet & Greet” Registration party,
the games at Riverview Playfield, a post-
tournament awards banquet and a cruise
on Puget Sound are some of the highlights
of this year’s EMERALD CITY CAS­
CADE CUP.
“ We are preparing for 350 athletes at
this tournament,” says Commissioner
Gail Britto, “ making this the largest gay
and lesbian athletic event in the Pacific
Northwest. Many teams have commented
on the great organization and orchestration
of past tournaments — we want to main­
tain this tradition.”
The double elimination tournament will
abide by ASA rules, and is limited to the
first twelve men’s and twelve women's
teams that register. Cost per team is $175.
Deadline for registration is Friday, April
17, 1987.
For further information call Gail Britto
at 206/938-0373, or Mike DiMartino at
206/232-3542.
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