Just out
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C O N T E N T S
steppin out
Publisher
Lette rs...........................................................3
Renee LaChance
Just B rie fs .....................................................6
Editor
Just N e w s.....................................................9
A C T U P N ew sletter.................................11
Beth A. Allen
Calendar Editor
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Just N e w s...................................................12
7
Philip Anderson
A ID S 101 ...................................................14
Entertainment Editor
Amazon T r a i l ........................................... 15
Between the Lin e s.............................. . 14
Sandra de Helen
Just Be Aware........................................... 16
Coming O u t..............................................17
Staff Reporter
Anndee Hochman
R e lig io n .....................................................18
Recovery....................................................19
P ro file ........................................................ 21
Advertising Director
Yvonne Mammarelli
Out About T o w n ..................................... 22
Photo essay...............................................26
Advertising Representatives
Just Entertainm ent...................................28
Brant Fether, Kristin Pressey
M usic ......................................................... 30
Books......................................................... 31
Art and Production Director
Cinem a......................................................33
Carla Jean Looney
Comics....................................................... 35
Computer Manager
Littlejohn Keogh
Proofreader
Printed on
recycled
paper
Philip Anderson
Typesetter
Steven Apodaca, a tenor, sings with the Portland Gay Men's Chorus
during the opening of the Oregon Convention Center last month
Maggie Powers
Graphic Inspiration
Rupert Kinnard, E. Ann Hinds
Distribution
LeeAnn LaBar
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P ut on a masl t fo r H allow een, take it off fo r C o ming O ut D ay
Robin Bentzel
Contributors
I
O c to b e r has th e g a ye st holidays
Subscriptions
Cyd Athens
Steve Warren
Dell Richards
Matthew Nelson
Jerry Exel
Dr. Tantalus
E D
PHOTO BY BETH A. ALLEN
Rosearme King
Erin Rouse
Richard Francis
Lee Lynch
Jack Riley
Dakota Stone
Jeffrey Zur linden
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ju if 9 u f W2 T ftctofkr
I he two gayest holidays o f the year are
A upon us: H alloween, Oct. 31, and N a
tional Com ing O ut Day, Oct. 11. Both can be
pretty frightening and a whole lot o f fun.
Halloween, like no other day of the year,
has becom e a gay holiday filled with fun and
frivolity. O ur practice o f feigning to be
som eone w e’re not finally pays off and the rest
o f society has to take a backseat to the pros o f
pretending. Fantasies becom e reality, if only
for one night. Vam pires, pirates and Joan
Rivers stalk the streets.
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Unlike Halloween, National Com ing O ut
Day gives gays and lesbians a chance to quit
pretending. W eeks before donning the masks,
all the m asks can fall. O f course, there is no
guarantee that com ing out will always be fun
and frivolous. B ut as often as not, the
experience is a lot less horrifying than the
im agination has envisioned. For som e the
thought o f com ing out strikes fear into the very
bow els of their being. Com ing O ut Day isn’t
sanctioned by all of society as H alloween is.
But it can be a joyous and freeing experience.
Especially if we have each others’ support.
W e all com e out at different speeds and to
different degrees. Som e people com e out as
soon as they understand their sexual orienta
tion. Som e people never quite m ake it out o f
the closet. For some, being out m eans being
out to everyone and at all times. For some,
being out m eans telling close fam ily mem bers
and friends. For some, realizing and accepting
the reality o f their sexual orientation is as out as
they can ever im agine being.
W hat we can do as a com m unity is support
everyone’s personal speed and degree of
outness, w hile gently prodding our friends on.
W e need to help each other to com e out as far
as feels safe. W e can do that by accepting our
sisters’ and brothers’ individuality and under
standing that no two persons’ circum stances are
the same.
If som eone is locked tight in a closet, the
thought o f com ing out to the whole world will
likely m ake him or her throw up on the shoe
tree. For totally closeted people, com ing out to
one friend or one fam ily m em ber will be a great
success.
M any gay m en and lesbians fear losing their
jobs if they are out. T hat fear is often justified
because discrim ination is socially acceptable
and also, unfortunately, because discrim ination
is still on the record as lawfully acceptable.
Perhaps a good first step for these folks would
be to celebrate Com ing O ut Day by writing a
letter to their representative in Congress and let
them know o f another vote that will be tied to
their record on gay and lesbian rights.
M any gays and lesbians consider themselves
out, but still hide behind a m ask of anonym ity
when relating to people they com e into contact
with on a casual basis. At work, at school or
while shopping, the subtle lies or om issions are
like a hand gripping the closet doorknob. Tell
the florist why y o u ’re sending flow ers to
another wom an. Tell your buddies at work why
you want to get hom e early on the night o f your
anniversary. D on’t just say no when som eone
asks if you are m arried, tell them your actual
status: I’m a single lesbian; I ’m a gay m an in a
com m itted relationship; w hatever the truth may
be. '
If y o u ’re one o f the fortunate few w ho is out
with no holds barred, find som eone who is
ready to com e out a little farther and share your
stories, your strength and the freedom that
being totally out brings. Practice patience,
though, because no two people’s com ing out
will be the same.
Rem em ber, this is a day o f celebration. A
holiday of m ajor consequences. Take off your
mask and throw away your costum e. This is
the one holiday w here we can celebrate being
who we really are.
T
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come out! come out! wherever you are!
October 11th is national coming out day*