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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1990)
)w t out V No w m b f 1990 ▼ 5 letters world you are defending child molesters. Today more than ever we need to care very much how we appear to the eyes of the world. (And by the way, it is absolutely irrelevant that most child molesters are straight. When the public gets hold of a male child raper or killer who has male victims, they will exploit to the fullest any indications that he ever had a homosexual experience, and may even gloss over the fact that he has had female victims. A male child molester with male victims is seen as a queer, period.) Society tells us whom and when and how to love, and creates laws to make sure people love as they are supposed to. There will always be “misfits” — those of us with alternative living styles who do not fit society’s narrow defini tions — and we’ll always be breaking laws. But a misfit is not the same as a pervert, not the same as a criminal, not the same as a psycho path. I beg you not to align yourselves (and, by proxy, all of us) with the truly sick, bad, and dangerous people of this world. Lena Kinsley Portland Another one bites the dust To the Editor, Regretfully, and with a great deal of thought. Café Mocha will close its doors after the First Tuesday Coffeehouse on Nov. 6. The reason is simple: the lack of interest necessary to sustain a non-alcohol space providing music, games, entertainment and a safe place for lesbians and gay men. We sincerely thank all of our supportive customers, event promoters and entertainers who have helped keep Café Mocha alive the past 18 months. Anyone wishing to salvage the dream may make an offer to La Verne Lewis or Renee LaChance. LaVerne Lewis Reneé LaChance Portland Qualifications questioned To the Editor, I am writing to you because, frankly, I am really concerned about what I read in the October issue in the column entitled “Dr. Exel.” Actually, it is what I didn’t read. My concern is that we are given no information about Dr. Exel’s qualifications or training. As consumers of mental health, gay men and lesbians need and deserve to know these things for their own protection. “Mental health” has become one of our society’s favorite "products” at this point And our community partakes of these products fairly regularly (some surveys show that we do so more than the straight community). There’s no sure way of knowing whether a therapist is qualified or good. But having training, experience and education are the basics to expect of anyone who says they can help with personal vulnerabilities and problems. As consumers of mental health, I think we have come a long way and one thing we’ve learned is to ask potential therapists about qualifications and experience. It doesn’t guarantee, but it is a start I’ve been in the community long enough as a therapist to have seen people who have been damaged by therapists (of all or no qualifications) and by at least one therapy cult. So, I am asking Just Out and Dr. Exel to let the community know his or her qualifications and training for our own protection. Peggy Hanley-Hackenbruck, M D. Portland Editor’s note: Dr. Jerry Exel (not a pseudonym) has a doctorate in clinical psychology and has completed post-graduate work in therapeutic hypnosis. Boycott bigger than a hill of beans To the Editor, Jack Riley, in his Between the Lines column wrote that neither ACT UP’s Miller/Marlboro boycott or PUSH’S Nike boycott will “amount to a hill of beans” and that they will create a “wider chasm between factions.” Let me guess. Jack—you are a white middle-aged closeted fag who would like all of us “noisy” queers to quit messing things up for you boys and girls with privilege? The mere fact that people across the country are talking about Philip Morris’ support of Jesse Helms and Nike’s discriminatory hiring practices—is amounting to a hill of a beans. Companies like Nike and Philip Morris (not, as you state, R.J. Reynolds) will no longer be able to use our money to legislate us out of existence—without thinking about it first. For your information, Jack, the Miller beer and Marlboro cigarette boycott is gaining ground as evidenced by additional endorse ments from the Coalition of Freedom of Expression, the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the United Farm Workers, the United States Students Association, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Local 250 (unionized health care and hospital workers in California with 23,000 members) and here in Portland, the Right to Privacy PAC. Hundreds of bars and restaurants across the country have also joined the boycotts. Ten gay bars have pulled both Miller and Marlboro in Portland. Within the first 10 weeks of the boycott, spending on AIDS related donations by Philip Morris Co. (parent company of Miller and Marlboro) has doubled to one million dollars. However, no amount of spending on AIDS research can counter the effect of Philip Morris’ contributions and unprecedented financing of the hate campaign of Jesse Helms. Further evidence that the boycott is having an impact comes from a complaint by the Re-elect Jesse Helms Committee of the Conservative Campaign Fund filed with the Federal Elections Commission asking for an investigation into the boycott In the midst of a tight senate race in North Carolina, the boycott has put opposition to Helms’ bigotry on the pages of major newspapers nationwide as well as local TV and radio, and reminded gays to donate their dollars to defeat him. National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” recently aired a story explaining the boycott Miller Brewing has been feeling the heat and has been negotiating the end of the boycott with ACT UP/San Francisco, but did not uphold their agreements made in Sacramento on Aug. 28. Miller agreed to donate 5200,000 to a non-partisan voter registration drive in North Carolina. This project would have targeted minority and low income persons, the very people who live at high risk to AIDS as well as the discriminatory politics of the biggest bigot. Helms! Miller also agreed to make a statement publicly which would denounce Helms’ attacks on AIDS funding, on lesbians and gays and on freedom of speech. ACT UP received a statement from Miller with a handwritten post script that the donation has not yet been finalized. It is clear that Miller has no intention of making the donation but sent its distributors about town saying the boycott had been resolved. The boycott is not over. To speak of civil rights for gays, lesbians and people with HIV while emptying your pockets into the Helms war chest is the kind of cover- all-your-bases politics that we will no longer accept from corporate America. This boycott is about a new brand of corporate responsibility— one that refuses to put profits from gays and lesbians into the hands of those who would destroy us. Jack, you may not agree with the boycott, but you must know the facts—it is amounting to much more than a “hill of beans.” When you are finally able to come out of the closet you will stop tolerating gay bashing of any form. Until then the same self-hatred that keeps you using a pseudonym will allow you to criticize political action aimed at ousting Helms, the biggest threat to the lives of lesbians, gays and people with HTV, and will allow you to criticize other political action aimed at attaining civil rights for lesbians and gays. Laura White ACT UP/Portland Member He's taking his business elsewhere The following letter was sent to Fred Greenburg, owner o f Armchair Video, 6517 NE Sandy Blvd. Mr. Greenburg, On Friday, Sept. 21,1 stopped in Armchair Video to rent a video. At that time there were a man and a woman working behind the counter. There was also a man who appeared to be a customer who knew the people working in the store. As I entered the store this customer was talking in a degrading way about gay men. The woman working behind the counter responded to this man by telling a story about a time she “left a bruise” on the face of a lesbian. At this point, I walked up to the counter and asked to have my name removed from the card file. When the woman asked me why, I told her that the discussion they were having was offensive and that I would be taking my business elsewhere. I do not expect everyone to like lesbians and gay men. I do, however, expect to be treated with respect by the people with whom I do business. I also choose to take my business and money to businesses that are gay and lesbian positive. This issue is larger than disrespectful and degrading conversations in my presence. Lesbians and gay men are subjected to physical and emotional violence almost daily. Discus sions like the one that I heard in the store support violence against lesbians and gay men. I have no wish to see these employees disciplined. I do think it would make sense for you to talk to all of your employees about respecting all people and to challenge them to question their stereotypes. I also think it would make sense for you to give your employees some skills in how to effectively stop such types of discussions when they occur. I am taking my business elsewhere until I am made aware that you have addressed this problem. Larry D. Whitson Portland Bookstore staff explains actions To the Editor, There has been concern by a few women in the community regarding the sale at Ladd's Editions of the remaining library books not chosen for the lending library presently operating at Ladd’s Editions. A Woman’s Place Bookstore sold the library to us and we then hired a woman to set it up. The criteria used to choose which books would be included, since our space was so much smaller than A Woman’s Place were, (1) books most often checked out; (2) most needed as resources for women (some books had been in the library for 10 years and had never been checked out) After this selection process there were many books left over. We chose to sell the remaining books and donate all the money to the Bradley Angle House. Whatever didn’t sell was donated to their library. We made no money from selling the library books. The whole process was carefully thought out, with the help of Terri Salvino, a former employee at A Woman’s Place, as to the best way to distribute the remaining books. We raised over $100 for Bradley-Angle House, which they were quite pleased with. Ladd’s Editions is a small women-owned business. Our purpose is to serve the east side of Portland in the most affirming way possible. The closing of A Woman’s Place is a real loss to Portland and we can provide only some of their services. The lending library, as it is in our store, is serving the community well and the remaining books are being put to good use. We hope any misunderstanding about the sale can be put to rest. Maureen Moreland Dori Rosenblum Nancy Beers Portland Beware of "bunchers" To the Editor, Lee Lynch’s “Happy dog story” in the October issue was wonderful. However, I was upset that she and her partner did not really know who they were giving the dog to. The possibility of people called “bunchers” obtaining a dog in this manner, then selling it to a dealer who sells the dog to a research facility is very real. There are a few who even pose as happy families in search of a pet by bringing children with them. In fact, Joe Hickey, the rather infamous dealer in Lebanon, Oregon, used to accompany his father when he was a child. So, please, always know where a dog or cat is going if you give them away. Take them to the home of the new owners and check back in person a few days later to be sure everything is all right. Your indication of your intention to follow through will scare off bunchers. The more they are into keeping in touch the better. I am not criticizing Lee Lynch, but her story made me realize that many people still are not aware of this mode of deception, and none of us wants a beloved animal companion to end up as a research object For further local information on this issue, contact Animal Aid at 244-7936. They also have a lost and found pet hotline at 245-0045. Bea Johnson Eugene
