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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1990)
! L Forced outing reserved for political hypocrites To the Editor, I ’m writing in response to a letter in, I believe, the June issue, from a newly-declared lesbian concerned about ‘outing.* She seemed concerned that ACT-UP might ‘out* her without her consent, and she was under a misconception that ACT-UP ‘outs’ people on a regular basis. The only person that ACT-UP Portland has outed is Mark Hatfield, and the only reason we expose him at every opportunity is not because he is gay, but because he is gay and votes anti gay and anti-AIDS in the U.S. Senate 50 percent or more of the lime. If he did not use his position to cast oppressive votes, we would not have brought him out of the closet. Each ACT-UP chapter is autonomous, and each has made its own policy decisions regarding outing. My personal opinion is that, though the more people who come out, the better it is for all of us, each person should have the right to come out on her/his own, unless s/he is in a position of power and uses that power to oppress her/his own people. In such a case, the person needs to be outed to expose their hypocrisy. I am personally opposed to outing people simply for the sake of outing. Some magazine editors claim that outing celebrities, for example, is necessary, because we need ‘role models.’ Personally, celebrities E T T are not the role models I would choose for myself! Anyway, please rest assured that ACT-UP Portland does not have the outing of innocent lesbians and gays as any part of its agenda. But please, please— come out as soon and as far as you can—we need all of you to come out here with us. And, as I discovered after the passage of ballot measure 8, we can usually come out a lot farther and a lot sooner than we think we can— support comes from the most unexpected quarters, and the wonderful sense of self validation that comes with every piece of coming out is well worth it. Catherine Smith Member, ACT-VP Portland Why New York City in 1994? To the Editor, My deepest gratitude goes to the organizers and volunteers who made Celebration ‘90, Gay Games III the most moving and celebratory gay event of my life. Essential to the success of the event was locating the games in Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver offered beaches within walking distance, clean air wafted by ocean breezes, reasonably priced accommodations and food, a relatively violence-free populace, an efficient transportation system, a well-defined gay area EARTH FRIENDLY E R of town, all located within a city of perfect size and scale. Why then, after making such a perfect choice, did the organizers of the 1994 games choose New York City for the next celebration? New York may be perfect for many other events, but not for Gay Games 1994. Every quality which made Vancouver such a wonderful experience is lacking in New York City. No amount of organizing and volunteer ing will be able to make up for the differences. Picture hot summer days, traffic congestion, violence, air pollution, and unbelievable living expenses. Because of the size of New York City, the tens of thousands of participants and spectators will be lost in the millions who live and work there. That wonderful feeling of immediate connectedness to all the others there for the games will simply be impossible. I have already heard comments from several who say they will not attend an event in New York. I have also heard that New York won by default. There are so many places that have been used in the past for summer and winter Olympics. They have the facilities and the experience to host large events. I ask that readers write to the Federation of Gay Games, 584 Castro Street, #343, San Francisco, CA, 94114. Please also write to the Advocate, which can serve as an open forum. The Gay Games is an athletic event and celebration. Please ensure that the next location has all the qualities necessary to maintain the health and spirit of everyone concerned, even if it means organizing opposition to the current New York decision. Will Anderson Portland How could we? Heathens, I am sorry that I have to call this to your attention. I am appalled that you would let something like this take place in your beautiful state. I had a wonderful time visiting your part of the country and as I was about to leave, I saw a picture of a spotted owl in a newspaper. I picked up the newspaper to see what this was about because my brother was just laid off work as a result o f the protection of the owl. Much to my surprise, I discovered that I was looking at an advertisement in your homosex ual newspaper. I was shocked and angered that you people would use a delicate issue like the death of the logging industry to advertise your sin and perversion. I have always maintained that there would be no need for prevention or the use of the condom if these people did not behave in their sinful ways. I hope that there is something that you could do to stop this kind of ad from running. Thanks for your time. Pat Schwartz Blaine, Montana '* Editor’s note: The advertisement to which the writer is referring is on page 29 o f the Sep tember issue o f Just Out. 1 wonder how s/he got that fa r before figuring out what s/he was reading. OREGON DANCE CONSORT Enjoy X-C skiing and hiking on 440 acres of meadows and for est. Private suite in old country farmhouse, quiet and restful, hot tub. Visit Ashland theatres, restaurants, galleries. Brochure available. A WILDERNESS BE D& BREAKFAST NO ANIMAL TESTING S 658 Shale City Road Ashland, OR 97520 503-776-1728 R o a rs, R itu a l and R enewal ♦ A retrospective o f dances by choreographer paul m itchell • rojoc • tigi • bio tec • joico JUD ITH C A T T E R A L L ♦ A t gary luckey we care about the environment and the animals that share it. N o animal testing, biodegradable, recycled packaging. We encourage our customers to recycle. We refill most of our product lines from bulk for $ 1 off retail price. 1323 NE BROADWAY 281-7831 • 288-7831 GW LUC<EY “a celebration of Featuring performances by Pattie Benson, Ruby Bums, Tami Gray, James Greiner, Bonnie Mansen-Young, Joe Morales, Jud Schlacter, Jacqui Sutton, Ray Terrill, Peggy Gilliam, Lisa Catterall PO RTLA ND CEN TER FOR T H E PE R FO R M IN G ARTS Interm ediate Theatre OCTOBER 6 &. 7 • Saturday 8pm • Sunday 2pm $11.50 reserved seating $10 students, seniors, DCO and PATA members (includes PC PA service charge) Tickets available at PCPA box office (248-4496) and TicketMaster outlets Fund'd in ptn to On#»» A m Comm «ton, Nawn.1 Endmrmmt far rto A m juat cur V J Y Octobmr ¡990
