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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1990)
A C TM FE ACT This space is the newsletter o f AC T UP and is made possible by a grant from the M acKenzie River Gathering and Just Out. Postcards to the stars he lesbian and gay community responded enthusiastically to ACT UP/PDX “Postcards to the Stars” campaign at Pride celebrations in Portland and San Francisco. Al together, 500 people addressed postcards to over 70 different closeted entertainers and poli ticians, urging them to join the struggle for lesbian and gay civil rights by coming out of the closet. Almost twice as many famous dykes than famous gay men. Jodie Foster, Tracy Chapman, and k.d. lang were the top three women addresses; Tom Cruise, Greg Louganis and Arsenio Hall were the most popular men. Actors, sports figures, musicians and comedians are idolized in our society, and can sell anything. Why not civil rights for gays and lesbians? If every closeted queer in Hollywood came out, imagine the challenge to damaging stereotypes and the change in people’s attitudes that would have to take place in this country. It may be that many gay and lesbian entertainers feel locked in the closet; for some the closet may not be a matter of choice. We are sending those people a message that they have support and reminding them that in order to break down the walls of homophobia, they must come out. The postcard reads: "How can we gain civil rights i f we pretend we don't exist? Come out o f the closet! "Dear (fill in the blank), A s a visible public figure, you have a tremendous ability to prom ote civil rights fo r lesbians and gay men. Every tim e you hide the truth, you perpetuate the misconception that there is something wrong with being a lesbian or gay man. Some people would like us to stay in the closet and keep our mouths shut. I fe e l it is time fo r all lesbians and gay men to openly and proudly speak out about our lives. By publicly identify- ing yourself as a lesbian or gay man, you can change the course o f history and create a positive image o f who we are. I support your step out, I do not support your silence. "Love, your fa n " If you would like to join us by sending a message and would like a copy of names and addresses and postcards, please send us a self- addressed stamped envelope and a check for 25 cents per postcard. T ACT UP meets with the Oregonian CT UP met with Bill Hilliard, the O regonian's top editor June 27. This was the first time a gay and lesbian group has ever met with an Oregonian editor. ACT UP asked for a meeting with Hilliard to discuss the Oregonian's policy on outing as stated in the June 22 edition. Hilliard said that the Oregonian resists printing allegations “about anyone’s sexual preferences or behavior unless the allegations are supported by facts and can be shown to have some direct bearing on the person’s public life or responsibilities.” The policy reflects a basic lack of under standing of the goals of outing as well as confusion about the critical difference between sexual preference/behavior and sexual orientation. (Sexual preference is what one likes to do in bed, whereas sexual orientation is how one identifies oneself.) Also evident in this statement is the persistent expectation of gays and lesbians to remain invisible. We urge the Oregonian to identify publicly out persons as lesbian or gay when reporting. The meeting became a dialogue about many gay and lesbian subjects which need attention A in the mainstream media, beginning with the lack of awareness by Hilliard that lesbians or gay men who lack contractual protection in em ployment contracts or employer policy could be fired from their jobs without any legal recourse. ACT UP suggested that the Oregonian run a story comparing the voting records of Oregon politicians on lesbian and gay issues. Hilliard invited ACT UP to return August 1 for a meeting with the editorial board and publisher to talk about outing principles and lesbian and gay reporting issues. We are hopeful about developing a relationship with the Oregonian and giving input which will improve their coverage of topics critical to our community. Deviants make-out at Federal Building U Ten members attend AIDS conference en members of ACT UP/PDX joined hundreds of other demonstrators in San Francisco for a week of protest during the Sixth International Conference on AIDS. The day before the Conference opened, over 1,000 people marched through downtown San Francisco’s rush hour to the INS building protesting discriminatory immigration policies. A highlight of this demo was the spontaneous storming of the Marriott’s lobby. Many delegates stayed at the Marriott and the Marriott supported the bill before the Senate that would bar people with HIV from working as food handlers. Demonstrations during the week were topical: Wed. — Protest of restricted access to medical research, treatments and the conference for People with AIDS; Thurs.— A march to expose the crumbling “San Francisco Model” of AIDS care, government inaction, and corporate profiteering; Fri— Demonstration against the exclusion o f women, children, and people of color from research, treatment, and services; Sat.— an HIV/AIDS March: A united call to action; and the disruption at Louis Sullivan’s speech at the closing ceremonies on Sunday. Two PDX ACT UPers were arrested for civil disobedience in the course of the week. We took time out from voicing our anger to attend "official” and “satellite” conference sessions (free and open to all) in hopes of learning more about AIDS. Travel is in your future. POWELL’S TRAVEL STORE CT UP/PDX held a rally and Kiss-in at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) offices on June 19 to protest M aps, tra rel guides, federal exclusion of openly gay and lesbian accessories. R eplogle globes tourists and persons who are HIV positive from a n d g reat coffee. the US. The protest was designed to focus public attention on two separate US laws. One a P io n e e r C o u r th o u s e 1952 law that excludes gay or lesbian visitors S q u a re entry into the United States because Congress ■ has deemed such persons to be “afflicted with psychopathic personality, or sexual deviancy” O p e n D aily and another a 1987 law that denies entry or ■ citizenship to any person who has a positive (503)228-1108 test result for HIV under the language “danger P h o n e O r d e r s W e lc o m e ous contagious disease.” Demonstrations in other cities on that day focused on the law barring people with HIV from the US. During the Sixth International Conference on AIDS in ACT UP/PORTLAND’s own t-shirt San Francisco, many scientists, conference delegates and organizers supported ACT UP’s ur new t-shirt is black with an exploding INS protest but no one specifically addressed pink triangle over which is written, ACT homophobia, the root of the HIV law nor did UP FOR YOUR LIFE! Call us at 775-4763 to Phoenix Rising Presents they mention the 1952 law. place your order. We have lots of other merchandise (shirts, buttons, stickers) and no ACT UP eats lunch with police outlet! Please give us a call if you would like to sell our wares in your store. ovember 9, 1988, 200 demonstrators blocked the Burnside Bridge to protest We need you the passage of the “No Special Rights” Committee’s Ballot Measure 8. The police e hope that the gay and lesbian commu responded with the ‘special’ rubber glove nity will join us to fight AIDS, homo treatment for the lesbian and gay demonstra phobia, racism, sexism and classism! Whether tors. Since that time ACT UP has been pursuing you join ACT UP, join us in coalitions or lend the police bureau to publicly recognize the support with contributions, we want you to homophobic root of this policy and has been know we appreciate your support. ACT UP/ pushing the bureau to develop an educated HIV PDX stays busy pointing out what’s wrong and policy. Our requests have been taken to the demanding and working for what’s right. Keep C h ief s office. Police Internal Affairs Auditing ACT UP acting up! Send contributions (make November 2,3,4 • 1990 Committee, the City Council, and the Mayor’s checks out to ACT UP) to our PO Box! Thank office. The City Council mandated a meeting you for your support! Camp Westwind between ACT UP and the Community Policing (near Lincoln City) Division. ACT UP invited representatives from Calendar Sliding scale $95-150 other gay and lesbian groups (CAP, LCP, MCC, Phoenix Rising, and Right to Privacy ) to CT UP meets the first, third and fifth attend the lunch time meetings (now held A three-day weekend retreat for gay men at a Wednesday o f every month at 7 pm in monthly) with Captains Schrader (liason to the the basement of MCC, 24th and NE Broadway. private facility with a 20 mile private beach, hiking trails, canoeing, horseback riding and gay and lesbian community) and Potter. August 1 — Open discussion on media rustic cabins and lodges: Issues to be discussed in future meetings relations. Westwind is a beautiful, wooded camp, include: reinstatement of cultural competency August 15 — Guest speaker, Linda Shirley located at the mouth of the Salmon River on training for officers and inclusion of cultural “The ty k e Behind the Mike” from KBOO. the Oregon Coast. The retreat is designed to competency questions in recruitment exams; August 29—Guest speaker: Donna be whatever you want, be it structured time, development of policies within the bureau that Redwing, director o f the Lesbian Community meeting new people, or being alone. facilitate lesbian and gay officers ability to Project. Com e join us. come out on the job and to openly recruit in gay and lesbian community (see ad this issue) and Fee includes all meals and lodging. Workshops will be available for those who development of a comprehensive HIV policy wish to participate. Participants will decide addressing education for officers about HIV the type of workshops upon arrival at the transmission and treatment of HIV infected retreat. Call (503) 223-8299 to register. officers, arrestees and prisoners. We are confident that the ongoing constructive dialogue will result in an improved relationship between the Portland Police Bureau and the ACT UP/Portland, PO Box 6352, Portland, OR 'J f lesbian and gay community. Thanks to Captain 97228. Please write or call Laura White at Potter who rode in the Lesbian and Gay Pride 775-4763 with questions or comments s in m A n n j" stuvfri n s r t t parade with only a few days notice! regarding this newsletter. A O N W A PHOENIX ju st out y 1 S T A ugust 1990
