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Friction heats up
condom controversy
To The Editor:
I am writing in response to the article in
the May issue of Just Out in which it was
reported that the Gay and Lesbian Press
Association |GLPA] has called for a boy
cott of condoms manufactured by Ansell,
Inc. By publishing what is clearly a one
sided and biased article, it is apparent to
the reader that Just Out supports such a
boycott. I find this totally irresponsible
journalism which does a great disservice to
the gay community.
Ansell, Inc. is one of the largest man
ufacturers and distributors of condoms in
the nation. They make a wide variety of
products which are marketed under names
such as Sultan. Prime, Rough Rider and
Tahiti. They are top quality condoms (ap
proved by the Oregon State Health Divi
sion), and Ansell’s prices are among the
lowest in the industry. Because of this,
W illamette AIDS Council in Eugene, as
well as many other AIDS organizations
throughout the country, purchase bulk or
ders o f condoms for free distribution to men
in the gay community. We have not re
ceived one complaint about any of
A nsell’s products, and in dealing with An
sell, the members o f our organization have
always been treated professionally and
courteously. I might also add that they
have sold large orders to us on credit when
mir organization was experiencing cash
flow problems.
For your newspaper to run an article
encouraging a boycott for the reason that
Ansell will not advertise in gay publica
tions is totally self-serving. Moreover, it is
potentially harmful to gay men, for it may
give some readers the idea that not using a
condom at all is better than using an Ansell
condom. That is, after reading your arti
cle, some men may feel that being politi
cally correct about their condom choice is
more important than practicing safe sex.
This is exactly the type of thinking that
AIDS organizations such as ours are trying
to overcom e. In this respect, your article
was very damaging because of the implicit
message that safe sex is not as important as
condom choice.
To conclude. I would urge all gay men
not to boycott Ansell condoms, but rather
to purchase them or take them from the
free distribution points which are located
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in many of the gay bars in Portland and
Eugene. Ansell produces a good product,
and there is absolutely no good reason for
the gay community to boycott these con
doms. If Just Out and other gay publica-
tons can’t attract major advertising,
perhaps they should examine the quality of
their own product before calling for a
boycott of someone else's.
Harry E. Jones
Executive Board,
W illamette AIDS Council
Eugene
The Editor responds: We believe Mr.
Jones missed the point entirely; we refer
him to ‘ ‘Can anything stop homophobia in
the condom industry ?” by Joe DiSabato
(Just Out. April 19X7). The point made by
Mr. DiSabato and endorsed by the Gay/
Lesbian Press Association and Just Out is
that some o f us are no longer content with
being discounted.
Lewis Brenner o f Ansell Americas said,
‘ The danger, the threat, is in the
heterosexual population. Very simply,
there are more heterosexuals than
homosexuals.” (Adweek, 3/2/87)
AIDS is a ‘ ‘condom marketer’s dream,’'
says John Silverman, president o f Ansell
Americas. (Time, 2/16/87)
We are not encouraging unprotected in
tercourse. We continue to encourage safe-
sex practices, but we refuse to ignore the
insensitivity, the callousness, exhibited by
the condom manufacturers.
Safe sex and political awareness are not
mutually exclusive.
TV evangelists
could not stand
scrutiny
To the Editor:
Jesus told his disciples to go to the
uttermost part of the world and preach the
Gospel. So, Jim and Tammy Bakker left
the 700 Club to go forth to Fort M ill, South
Carolina, the uttermost part of the world.
The disciples were told to feed and house
the poor. So, Jim Bakker built the Heritage
Grand Hotel and put restaurants in it to
feed the poor Christians who come to
Heritage. USA.
The disciples were told to clothe the
naked. So, Jim and Tammy started a line
of panty hose.
And then, the disciples were to baptize
people. So. Jim built a great water slide.
The Bakker/PTL affair has brought to
the public attention w hat a bunch o f scul
lions many of the TV/radio evangelists
really are. O f course, this doesn't include
Republican presidential hopeful, the Rev.
Pat Robertson. He is, according to him,
merely a TV commentator.
News reports have revealed the Bakkers
have raked in millions for their own
personal profit. But, they are not the only
TV/radio evangelists to do so.
Jimmy Swaggart. who is constantly
pleading poverty, owns several radio and
TV stations. Given the price of such things,
he could be sitting on upwards of a half
billion dollars in assets.
J cttn Falwell has said the TV/radio
ministries need to clean up their act, to be
more open and aboveboard with and
accountable to the public.
Setting up dummy corporations through
which they buy their trinkets, books,
records, tapes, etc., is one way some TV/
radio evangelists siphon off money into
their own pockets. This strategy allows the
evangelists to say they only get X number
of dollars in salary from their ministry.
These dummy corporations are usually
fronted by Mrs. Evangelist or a close
relative.
At the end of 1986, Falwell had a $3.9
million financial crisis due to the fact, he
said, he was behind in paying for TV time.
He read a letter from the agency which
books the TV time for the Old Time Gospel
Hour. The letter asked Falwell to remit the
$3.9 million to the Sam K. Pate Agency by
the end of the year.
Sam K. Pate is Falwell’s brother-in-law!
Most TV ministries say they use 70% of
the money they raise to pay for TV time. If
Falwell takes in $100 million each year,
then, he would use $70 million to buy TV
time.
According to people at our local TV
stations, 10% to 15% wouid be a standard
TV industry fee for the Pate Agency to
handle the Old Time Gospel Hour account.
This means the Pate Agency is taking in
between $7 and $10 million each year!
Who are the officers and stockholders of
the Sam K. Pate Agency?
If Falwell wants to be truly honest, open
and aboveboard, and accountable to the
public, then let him and all the TV/radio
evangelists when they disclose the finan
cial statements of their ministries also dis
close the Federal Income Tax statements
which they, their wives, and their families
have filed with the IRS.
I personally do not think Falwell,
Bakker, Swaggart, Roberts, Robertson,
Robinson, Ankerberg and all the rest could
stand that kind of scrutiny.
Reverend Jerry Sloan
Sacramento, CA
Linder working
for us, too
To the Editor,
Ben Ernest Linder, who was murdered
by Contras while working with Nicara
guans to improve their lives, was working
to improve our lives, also. The future of
Nicaragua and the people of the U.S. are
tied together. They cannot win their battle
against the Contras and we can’t win our
battle for a decent life, and a foreign policy
we can be proud of, until we free ourselves
not just from the Reagan administration,
but from capitalism, and its export, im
perialism. Every movement working for
decent wages, health care, and human
rights for women, people of color and les
bians and gays, whether in the U.S. or
abroad, is viciously attacked by both
Democrats and Republicans and the right
wing. They are determined to silence de
mands tor peace and equality because
capitalism cannot exist without war abroad
and repression at home, and without
plundering our labor and our resources. So
they resort to red baiting to silence dissent
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to the lie that this is the best system in the
world. Well, the Nicaraguans are building
toward a better system, socialism, and
Reagan arms their enemies because he
knows it. H e’ll never convince the Nicara
guans that Som oza’s tyranny was better
than education, jobs and health care. And
he w on’t convince us that our diminishing
freedom and shrinking standard of living is
the best we can do.
We support the resolutions passed by
the City Council and the Multnomah
County Commission. Linder's murderers
must be found and punished and all U.S
Funding, overt and covert, to the Contras
must stop. We should honor Linder by
carrying on his work to keep the U.S.
government from using wealth, produced
by U.S. workers, against the aspirations of
the Nicaraguans and the U.S. people. And
to work for peace by working for a socialist
feminist system where shared affluence is
possible and it is not a crime to work for
equality and justice.
Adrienne Weller
Radical W omen, Portland
“s
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Jonah's hard
to swallow
To the Editor:
I have spent the past nine months set
tling into a new job (in which I am happy
and accepted for the work I do without
regard to my sexuality). I have also re
turned to graduate school and, at this
point, feel comfortable writing to inform
others in the gay community that Jonah’s
Restaurant at 7425 S.W. Baiftur Blvd. was
sold in August o f last year and is no longer
gay-owned. In fact, I was the only lesbian
on the staff, and immediately upon trans
fer o f ownership I was fired without warn
ing or explanation.
In addition, shortly thereafter, another
employee who was gay (and the only black
on the staff) quit under duress, having en
dured racial slurs made by the new owner
At least one other gay waiter quit before he
could be fired, and two others were re
fused jobs when they applied after the new
owner asked the head waitress if she
thought they were gay. I will refrain from
elaborating on what I feel the new owner s
attitudes are toward women, gays, blacks,
and other minorities. I believe his actions
speak for themselves.
I hope this information will be useful i
others in the gay community in Portland.
Thank you for providing a forum for us to
communicate our concerns. I believe it is
essential for us to remain informed ot situ
ations in which we can withdraw our sup
port in the face o f unfair and inhuman
discrimination.
Kerry Hart
Portland