)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