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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1990)
just news Third Annual Festival o f ern Dance Choreography ► PROCRAM A June 8.8:00 pm June 9,2:00 pm Ckorrograpto By Carolyn Altman. Kllzabeth Abts. Judith Calerail. Joan Findley. Keith Goodman. Minh Tran ► PROGRAM B Saturday. June 9.8:00 pm Sunday. June 10.2:00 pm Choreography By ley. Amy Bennett Gaehler, Joe Morales, Judy Patton LAND CENTER FORMING ARTS dlate Theater $ 14 »Ingle program $ 2 1 both programs discount students, seniors. DCO and PATA members discounts available: call 255-2783 ACT UP to name names on capitol steps to create a climate where it is chilling to be gay? Are we using homosexuality as a weapon?” HRCF and NGLTF, along with openly gay Congressmen Gerry Studds (D-Mass.)and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) would probably be in the best position to help ACT UP compile its list of closet cases. Three months ago, before the current outing rage, Bray said on the record, “If we were to compile it, I think [it’s] 35 [Congressmembers] — that is people whose sexual orientation is reported from the grass roots level." Six months ago, London, England’s The Pink Paper quoted Bray as saying the list would have 50 names on it, but Bray believes the British interviewer misunderstood him. Frank, meanwhile, once threatened to “out” Congressional Republicans after former Republican National Committee communications director Mark Goodin released a memo suggesting that House Speaker Thomas Foley was gay. Michael Petrelis, a spokesman for ACT UP, is “infuriated” that NGLTF and HRCF will not help compile the list of closeted Congressmembers. "What good does it do to have a list and then keep it locked up in the closet?” Petrelis asked. “Now is the time. This rainy day that the leaders seem to be waiting for has arrived. We need legislation protecting the civil rights he Washington, D.C. chapter of ACT UP announced plans to name names of closeted members of Congress at an early June press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. But the group hit an immediate roadblock when both the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the country’s two largest Congressional gay lobbying groups, refused to help compile the list. “This organization does not endorse outing, which this press conference would be an exercise in,” said NGLTF spokesperson Robert Bray. “We are a resource for other gay and lesbian organizations, so if they want background or voting records of any legislators, we would be happy to provide that,” said HRCF political director Eric Rosenthal. “But if they want a list of legislators who have been alleged to be gay, I don’t think HRCF would be able to provide that. We don’t have one to start with . . . . Do they want T of gays and lesbians and an end to the AIDS • • *» crisis. Petrelis dismissed the argument that outing is causing a loss o f respect for the gay and lesbian movement, pointing out that “there wasn’t much respect for the people at the Stonewall Riots either. “We celebrate a riot every year,” he said. “We don’t celebrate a bake sale. We have to embrace our history and our history is a bit violent and nasty.” ACT UP has invited gays and lesbians from around the country to send them names of Congressmembers who should be included on the list. At the moment, only Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Mary.), Sen. Mark Hatfield (R- Ore.) and Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.) are set to be outed, Petrelis said. “But this has to be done quickly. We have the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emer gency Act up for a vote, the bill to remove HIV from the immigration list, and, frankly, I’d like to see the gay and lesbians rights bill passed early in this decade,” Petrelis said. The leadership of most all U.S. gay and lesbian organizations opposes outing. The chief proponents o f the tactic are some staffers at OutWeek magazine in New York, scattered ACT UP chapters, the supermarket tabloid newspapers, and a few isolated gay journalists. — Rex Wockner « made possible with support from National E ndowment for the Arts. H A temple Foundation. Ic Bank Oreaon R o se E Tucker trust and Graphic Media, Inc Su p e r Sp ecials! Manicure ....$10 Pedicure....$15 Manicure & Pedicure....................$20 'Æ Leg Wax..$ 15 Bikini Wax *..$10 Let us help you get a start on your summer tan! 10 Tans............................ $24.50 20 Tans............................ $45.00 Offer expires June 30, 1990 295 1242 120 NW 23rd Avenue, Suite A I5LATRICL W O O D JIM HAIR PHOTOGRAPHY 653.7842 l’OK I KAITS $30 in VI AN NOI K MOVIL or \1N (¡AKIM \ - Portland, Oregon ó aio it it tk just out ▼ 10 ▼ June 1990 M AS A M I T I KAOKA