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Metropolitan Human Relations
Commission sets new course
"The first thing we have to do is increase our credibility
and contact with the community. "
— Jeanette Pai
Executive Director, MHRC
BY
ANNDEE
HOCHMAN
T
ACT UP revitalizes
in the '90s
A
CT UP/Portland is holding a new mem
ber orientation January 17.
For the past year, ACT UP (AIDS
Coalition to Unleash Power) has been a vital
motivating force in fighting AIDS-related
injustice in Portland and throughout the
United States. We cannot continue to do this
without your active participation. Come and
get involved. Take an effective, active stance
against the racism, homophobia, classism and
other discrimination that has stemmed from
the AIDS crisis.
One of the key aspects of ACT UP is self-
education. We need to know the issues to be
able to act Future guest speakers will
include: (January 17) Kathy Oliver of
Outside/In, to discuss her organization’s
program of heedle distribution to IV drug
users and safer-sex outreach to teenage
prostitutes; and (January 31) Elizabeth Waters
of the Oregon Minority AIDS Coalition
(OMAC) to detail OMAC’s program of AIDS
awareness in Portland’s ethnic communities.
February events will include a Portland
premiere of New York-produced Safer-sex
videos and discussion of AIDS activism
throughout the United States.
While one leg of ACT UP is education, the
other is direct action: once we know, we need
to act Acting up in ACT UP is not simply
getting arrested (many members never have
been). Vitally important is the variety of
skills people bring to the group: planning and
organizational skills, communication and
networking abilities, access to resources,
familiarity and enjoyment of research, and/or
simply a desire to affect change. PWAs are
especially important in bringing their anger
and experience to help set the ACT UP
agenda. Your voice is important; come and
give your input
Take this opportunity to get involved.
Gain a sense of pride, reclaim your voice.
Alone our voice has no power; as a group our
shout brings change.
For more information, call 288-7853.
ACT UP/Portland
MCC Church basement
NE 24th and Broadway
7:BO pm - 8:30 pm
1st and 3rd Wednesday o f every month
— Jeffrey Hart and Michael MacKillop
N
ow is the time to iegister for Gay Games
III before the registration fees increase.
Athletes intending to participate in the Games
are reminded that January 31, 1990 is the last
date they can register before the fees increase
50 percent from $36 to $54 for most sports.
Vancouver officials stress that individuals
must pay in full and complete all required
documentation by January 31 in order to get
the lower fee. Team Portland can assist
individuals with the process, but it is impor
tant to get started and not wait until the last
minute.
Co-Chair Richard Brown also points out
that those seeking hosted housing in
Vancouver need to register before January 31
for no-cost housing. Vancouver officials have
reported that only 20 percent of a possible
10,000 registered athletes and artists will have
the option of free accommodations. Billets
will be allocated on a first come first served
basis to registered athletes.
Team Portland has been actively
promoting early registration with extensive
publicity over the past several months. In late
December the organization held a “registra
tion fair” at the downtown Portland YWCA.
Spokespersons say the event was successful,
but there is still a long way to go to have the
targeted 100 athletes registered before the
final deadline of May 31, 1990. For informa
tion about registration call Tyler at 289-2226
or Richard at 245-5301.
Team Portland has T-shirts bearing the
Team Portland logo which are available in
three different colors and sell for $10 each.
The group also has plans for promotional
buttons to be sold for $1.
In addition to registering athletes for the
Games, Team Portland members have been
active in fundraising efforts. The group plans
to raise sufficient funds through individual
donations, fund-raising events and business
sponsorships to defray the cost of a team uni
form which is now being designed. Persons
wishing to make a contribution or participate
in fundraising events may contact Team
Portland treasurer Geoff Pleat at 234-1629.
JoAnn Loulan comes to
Portland for a lecture
Saturday, Feb. 24, and
a workshop Sunday,. Feb. 25.
Portion of proceeds benefits
A Woman’s Place Bookstore.
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653-7669
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activity, she said. And such problems are no
longer confined to Portland’s urban core. Her
o locate the Metropolitan Human
office receives reports of hate crimes and
Relations Commission, you first must
intimidation from Beaverton; even in her own
find a parking space downtown. Then you ride neighborhood of Raleigh Hills, Pai has seen
the elevator to the fifth floor of the Portland swastikas painted on street signs.
Building. You wait in a chair for, say 15
“People are feeling like they need to do
minutes, because the new executive director is
something,” she said. “We see neighborhood
on the phone.
groups pulling together.”
The office is pleasant, filled with bright
The increase in hate crimes is a particular
posters and cheerful staff. It’s just a little hard
concern for Pai. To respond, the commission
to find. And that inaccessability — both literal
recently published a brochure titled, “Hate
and figurative — is what new MHRC director
Crime: Your Rights and Responsibilities,”
Jeanette Pai wants to change.
which details new Oregon laws requiring the
The MHRC, a joint advisory group to the
reporting of crimes based on race, color,
city of Portland and Multnomah County, is
religion, national origin and sexual
designed to be a watchdog on civil and human
orientation.
rights issues. But in recent years the
The brochure defines hate crimes and lists
commission has gained a reputation of being
steps individuals can take to combat such
more like a sleeping hound.
behavior, including lobbying, starting a
Pai, 32, became head of the MHRC in
neighborhood watch and joining community
October with the intention of bringing back
groups to address supremacist violence.
the commission’s bite.
“A lot of what we’re talking about is
Her first task has been to let the public
education and empowerment,” Pai said. Under
know the commission exists. By opening
her direction, she said, the commission will
satellite offices on Portland Community
shift its emphasis from analysis and reports to
College’s Cascade and Southeast Center
action and visibility.
campuses, Pai hopes to boost the MHRC’s
“I feel like I’ve been talking for two
visibility. And a series of six speak-outs in
months straight,” she said. “People are
different sections of Portland are intended to
starting to say — well, it looks like the
let communities set priorities by telling
commission is going to come back. The track
commission members what’s on their minds.
record we have right now isn’t so hot I think
“The first thing we have to do is increase
we’re really starting from the ground up.”
our credibility and contact with the
Schedule of Metropolitan Human
community,” Pai said recently. "We want to
Relations Commission speak-outs for
be the ones who call 20 people [about an
January:
issue] and ask them to sign on with us.”
Tuesday, January 9, at Harvey Scott
Pai, who formerly served as staff liaison
School, 6700 NE Prescott, 7:30 pm.
for human rights for the Salem city
Wednesday, January 10, at the Northwest
government, said the current emotional
Service Center conference room, 1819 NW
climate in Portland is ideal for human and
Everett, 7:30 pm.
civil rights work.
Tuesday, January 16, at the St. Johns
The public feels a growing urgency about
Community Center, 8427 North Central, 7:30
the increase in hate crimes, gang and drug
pm.
T
Time to register for
Gay Games III
dwindles
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m fH H H H m iiiiH niiiiiiiiiiiiiiif
just out ▼ 9 ▼ January 1990