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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1988)
The price of freedom Keep quiet and live years of heartache, or sing out and taste freedom BY M I C H A E L S. R E E D have been working for a law firm here in town for the past year. When I was hired, I was told by the hiring partner (in response. I’m sure, to the silver earring dangling from my ear) # that everyone in the firm was entitled to his or her private life as long as it was kept private. The not-so-subliminal message: be gay if you want, but don’t bring it into the office. Although I do not usually burst into a room Saturday, June 18,1988 shrieking that I’m queer, I cannot help but carry it with me since that is what I am. About 5,000 people making a noisy hullabaloo on the streets of Portland, Oregon. HEY HEY, HO HO, HOMOPHOBIA S GOT TO GO! Highlights: the bright and festive giant pup pets; the drag queens (a little glamour for our parade) in the slick convertibles; the leathermen in their truck ( except I know there are many more leathermen m this town than the two riding the truck. Where were you boys? Hiding?); an electric vision in purple, Lady Elaine Peacock, raising money to save our executive order; choruses of gay men and lesbians. We made an impressive and diverse showing. At the rally, the speakers had receptive and attentive audiences. There was a fund-raising drive to save Goldschmidt’s executive order and it appeared that contributions were This law firm employs a’group of pleasant, flowing in. hard-working, ordinary people. It was easy to like them. One of the security monitors told me that they had a few minor problems with punks at the As the year went by, I came out to them, one rally but no problems along the parade route. by one. It was a slow process, one that I ven One of the rally’s main messages was that if tured upon carefully and only after a great deal we are to save ourselves, we must become of consideration. I found, however, that once I involved. We must speak out, demand our civil opened my closet door, communication became rights and fight those sorely misguided moralists enhanced by mutual caring and honesty. I was who would have us eliminated. not aggressively political about it; I simply We can begin with education. Those of us wanted to feel comfortable in an environment who are registered Republicans or Democrats where I spent most of my day. can call our party headquarters (Democrats: We talked about AIDS. What I wanted to 233-5809; Republicans: 288-0616). We can tell impress upon them was that the fight against them that as registered members of the party AIDS is no longer a gay battle but is now a battle and voting citizens we want the following for humanity. addressed in the party platform: I became the legal assistant for one of the • Legislation to outlaw discrimination partners, a caring and compassionate man with against persons infected with the AIDS virus, whom I established one of the most rewarding aka Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). work relationships I have ever had. This partner • The appointment of the Surgeon General has decided to leave the partnership. As a to a cabinet post enabling him to answer directly result, I have been released. to the President during this national health Ironically enough, I was set free on Friday, emergency. June 17,1988, the day before Portland’s Lesbian And those of us who cannot or will not fight and Gay Pride Day. in the streets for our civil rights can do some I wish I was convinced that I was laid off thing. If you can “ pass” for straight and can because of a decrease in workload. I am certain, stomach the rhetoric, infiltrate the churches of however, that I detected a whiff of bigotry in these fundamentalists who have declared war the air. on us. These petty moralists and supposed My suspicions were confirmed by a coworker Christians pay a good deal of attention to what who told me that one of the partners “ was a we’re doing; the least we can do is return the little nervous” about me meeting his clients. He favor. obviously wasn’t the only one. All of them, it The message today is clear. Do not stand by seemed, failed to rise above their squeamish while our basic civil rights are taken from us. ness about working with a queer. I understand that squeamishness; I get a little squeamish Sunday, June 19,1988 about being around heterosexuals all the time. I Father’s Day do, however, swallow my distaste and consider Dear Dad: them as people first. The world offers hard lessons and I have only There is a cloying hypocrisy to the liberals faced a few. Luckily, I can face it with the who believe all people are entitled to their lives courage and dignity that came from you. as long as they keep their abnormalities to them I was told by a 55-year-old gay man that I selves. I would be more than willing to do that if would have to invent my life, since it would be I felt I was abnormal. different from any other I had seen . This is what I feel the choice is simple: keep quiet and live I have done. This is what I will do for the rest of years of heartache, or say what’s in your heart my days. and taste freedom. There are consequences, it’s Although we don’t always agree on politics, I true, to every cho ice made. But no job is worth a think we agree that freedom is worth a good life of lies, even the lies of omis>.on or silence. fight to preserve it. So now I’m a professional writer. My father From you I received the strength it tak«. s to live suggested that I wr i te for a broader market in honestly and without shame. Thank you. I’m order to make more money. I hear that a lot. I proud to be your son. simply write what I know. Happy Father's Day. • And I know I will not be invisible for anyone I . H E R E _ C O M E S .T H E .S U N give your skin extra care < 1 ? ♦ all with your own scent - over 100 fragrances 9 plus soaps, cards, gift bags, wrap . . . and e sc e n tia l o pen 7 days a w eek ♦ 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 236-7976 ♦ 727 NW 21 st Ave. 248-9748 Don’t buv a spa with your clothes on. Grab your swim suit and com e in for attest soak!’ When you’re shopping for a car, kicking tires is no substitute for a thorough test drive. 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