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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1988)
Here to serve our brothers & sisters < >ni;<;< > n W * l E l l W o « i _ Jaen WHIRLPOOL MATH Featuring Jacuzzi W hirlpool Spas “The Real One The O nly One’ responded. (And for the first time in Portland, I’d wager, a meeting like this had to be moved to a larger space.) The meeting resulted in the formation of two organized groups dedicated to fight the right wing’s attack on Executive Order 87-20. Oregonians for Fairness (OFF) and Queers United Against Closets (QUAC) take different approaches in their united attack on the vicious and exploitive campaign of homophobia waged by Oregon Citizens Alliance and the No Special Rights Committee. Oregonians for Fairness will kick off its campaign with a rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza (Southwest 3rd Avenue and Madison Street) on July 8 — the day on which all petitions must be delivered to the Secretary of State. Queers United Against Closets organized and executed a symbolic demonstration on Father’s Day at Hinson Memorial Baptist Church, a conservative congregation located in an area with large gay and lesbian populations in inner Southeast Portland. (Hinson Memorial B Y J A Y B R O W N sponsors Homosexuals Anonymous — they call their group “ Portland Fellowship, a ministry to those who are leaving the gay lifestyle” — and Voice in the wilderness teaches that homosexuality is a sin.) About 100 people joined QUAC during the two-hour ince the evidence points to the conclusion demonstration. that homosexual persons do not choose QUAC has scheduled another demonstration their sexual orientation, cannot change it, and against homophobia at The Oregonian on June constitute a quite normal but minority expres 30, the second anniversary of the Hardwick sion of human sexuality, it is clear that decision which upheld heterosexual and heterosexual prejudice against homosexuals religious persecution of lesbians and gays. must take its place alongside witchcraft, (This is a deadline dilemma, but I can only slavery, and other ignorant beliefs and oppres anticipate a fun time — we had a blast at Hinson sive institutions that we have abandoned. Memorial.) “ Surely the laws of church and state must give equal protection and affirmation to this group. Our pious conditional resolutions Why The Oregonian? binding moral homosexuality to celibacy reveal nothing less than an irrational belief in a sadistic God, in the light of new knowledge. This God here are many reasons for gays and created gay and lesbian people only to punish lesbians to demonstrate their dissatis them. God made them in creation complete faction with The Oregonian. In the last month with sexual drive and then said that morality alone The Oregonian's corporate establishment demanded that this drive be repressed. Once has shown itself to be particularly insensitive to again we are confronted with the dictum that lesbian and gay concerns. bad biology and bad biochemistry result in bad The last straw for me came when Randy theology.” Ponce told me that The Oregonian rejected the Cascade AIDS Project’s new AIDS education — John Shelby Spong, ad campaign. Ponce, CAP education coordi Bishop of Newark, nator, said that he had been unable to arrange a The Episcopal Church (Living in Sin? meeting with The Oregonian's officers to A Bishop rethinks human sexuality. discuss the matter further. Harper and Row, 1988.) In a letter to Ponce dated June 10, 1988, Stephanie Oliver. Jirectorof public relations at Stripes The Oregonian, said, “ I cannot recommend that The Oregonian put public service financial ay power may be rainbow power, but one support behind your proposed ad. stripe does not a rainbow make. On the “ The message of the ad is unclear to the evening of June 18. when hundreds of lesbians broad spectrum of Oregonian readers and there and gays trooped from the pride rally to that fore ineffective as far as AIDS prevention is empty green and white tent near the Morrison concerned.” Oliver said. Bridge, the message rang out loud and clear: What follows is from a QUAC (Queers “ If it’s gay, stay away." United Against Closets) press release: It is not that Lenora Fulani did not make “ The Oregonian was chosen for this strong appeals to other stripes of the rainbow — demonstration because of its systematic censor blacks. Native Americans, progressives, the ship of news concerning gay and lesbian issues. homeless — but it was gays and lesbians (and a The Oregonian appears to unilaterally support miniscule smattering of others) who showed up gay-bashing by the Oregon Citizens Alliance as to put Fulani on the ballot. shown by a column by Steve Duin published on According to Fulani campaign organizers, June 21, 1988. when the other “ stripes” realized that the "The Oregonian chose to ignore the 4,100 convention would follow the Lesbian and Gay people who participated in the Lesbian and Gay Pride Rally all pretense of support vanished. Pride March on June 18, 1988. Even 5,000 And once again, homophobia was the name of people at the rally were not enough to attract the the game. attention of the newspaper’s editors. Just imagine, a rainbow in two colors — one The Oregonian's biased story by John Snell lavender stripe on a field of yellow. on discredited psychologist Paul Cameron’s appearance in Beaverton on June 14. 1988. in which Cameron debunked AIDS education and called for the genocide of all homosexuals QIJAC, OFF: getting started failed to report that Cameron’s peers rejected his credibility when he was ousted from the red Menard saw red when he saw that American Psychological Association in 1983. vicious sign in Lloyd Center. Then he took "QUAC will not sit back and allow The action and called a meeting to discuss the Oregonian. Oregon's largest statewide news homophobes* petition drive. He mailed a letter paper. to ignore 10 percent of the state’s popula to every address listed in the resource directory tion while espousing the anti-gay propaganda of in Oregon Gay News Fifty-four people the Oregon Citizens Alliance.” • What's U going on ' here? Just A d d W ater & Stir S G ay o w n e a n d o pera ted C om plete S pas rat ly in g fro m $2305 to $4000. C all us to d a y fo r m o re in fo rm a tio n 227 - 1962 . ‘Y luerfiue years of experience in hot water T Creative Instinct. . . Certain People Have It Free Consultations 1123 SW Washington 227-1660 G F ONiA fu st OUI • 4 • July l**KR