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The coalitions and friendships that were built cut through old prejudices
by Dakota Stone
T
he activities and coalition-building Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
Redwing, being part of the planning process
marking the week of Oct. 5 through
and
not just invited to the party, assured that the
13 showed that despite broad diver
sity, many Portlanders define dig gay and lesbian agenda was not only represented,
nity in the same way. For the first but visible from the outset Jeannette Pai, execu
time in the memory of those involved tive
with director
Dig of MHRC and one of the week’s
key organizers, noted in retrospect that it made
nity and Diversity Week, racism, anti-Semitism,
sense and
to involve the gay community and other
homophobia, cultural oppression, sexism
child abuse came under attack as the groups
multiple in the planning stages and added that
Portland
needs to do more of that sort of net
symptoms of a single serious illness: hate.
Those who helped organize the week’s events working.
“The coalitions that have been established are
concede that if there was a wrinkle marring the
celebration, it was that it took the trial of a ones that probably wouldn’t have been, histori
known white supremacist to make it happen. It’s cally,” Pai said.
The Rev. Gary Wilson, pastor of the Metro
very likely that had Tom Metzger not been
forced to answer in court on Oct. 8 for the beat politan Community Church which became a hub
ing death of Mulugeta Seraw, the estimated for planning the Oct. 7 march and rally, agreed
3,000 marchers who took to the streets on Oct. 7 with the need for coalition-building among the
wouldn’t have given voice to the community’s area’s diverse groups. “I think that’s what we
unanimous demand for an end to crimes of op have to do more and more,” he said. “We can’t
sit back and say we don’t like their politics or the
pression.
Donna Redwing, executive director of the way they comb their hair or the way they wear
Lesbian Community Project, recalled an emo their jeans.” Wilson said it was a powerful expe
tional moment on the day of the march as she rience to watch new alliances being forged be
crossed the Burnside Bridge near the front of the tween the black and gay and lesbian communi
procession. “I looked back, and there were ties, and between Hispanic and women’s groups.
people from sidewalk to sidewalk, as far as I He also noticed that as police worked with left-
could see,” she said. The marchers included rep wing groups, each respected the other at the
resentatives of many ethnic groups, gays and table, even though they often disagreed. And he
straights, children and the elderly — a united saw close personal friendships develop across the
front that by Redwing’s reckoning broadcast a diversity of the community, as old fears and dis
dual message: to the many skinheads from trust were shattered. “Any of those bonds devel
around the country who came to Portland to ob oped benefit us in the long run,” he said.
serve the trial, it said that Portland will not put up
Echoing the sentiment of many, Pai deemed
with the likes of Tom Metzger. And with the the week a clear success, especially in light of all
help of the national media who covered the those who donned the rainbow-colored ribbons
events and trial, it presented the world with a that symbolized the unity of the community in its
picture more complete than simply Portland’s diversity. “One of the things plaguing our com
"sleazy underbelly.”
munity is a hesitancy to get involved,” she said.
LCP was just one of numerous grass-roots “For some people, wearing the ribbon was the
groups involved in organizing the week’s events. most they could do. It was the biggest risk they
The steering committee included an eclectic as could take.”
sortment of members, from USWest to the Black
Pai said the week’s major accomplishment
United Front, and from the New Jewish Agenda was bringing into focus a problem that the Port
to the Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice land community has long had and denied. Most
(SHARP). The groups worked hand in hand with people, she said, don’t want to hear that their city
each other, with law enforcement officials and has a hate crime problem. (In fact, statistics show
with such public agencies as the Metropolitan that Portland has one of the country’s highest
y
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An estimated 3,000 marchers turned out to demand an end to crimes of oppression.
Sylvia Wallula, an elder with the Warm Springs
tribe says a prayer before the march begins.
rates of hate crimes and violence against gays
and lesbians.) Thanks in large part to Dignity and
Diversity Week, Pai said, area residents can no
longer run from the fact that a problem exists —
and that individuals can be part of the solution.
Although no one seems opposed to the idea
of an annual Dignity and Diversity Week, it
appears more likely that any broadcast of a simi
lar message in the future will be in a format dif
ferent from that instigated by the Metzger trial.
Whatever form it takes, organizers acknowledge
that the message will have to be delivered again
and again and again. They expressed hope that
such groups as the Coalition for Human Dignity
and the Community Defense Coalition will carry
on with the work begun this fall. And they were
adamant that the week reflected a beginning, not
a conclusion.
“Nothing would have been accomplished if
that’s the end,” said Jeffrey Hart, a member of
ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power.
‘The message got out loud and clear that Oregon
will not stand for any bigotry and hate. But we
have built-in forgetters. As soon as the pain goes
away and the memory fades, we forget And the
Metzgers are always out there.”
Indeed Metzger’s recorded phone message
following Multnomah County’s jury’s verdict
against Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance
said Portland aryans needed to get together to
support their cause in Portland, the Northwest
and Canada.
“The foundation is alive and well. Don’t
worry my friends, WAR-TV and WAR will con
tinue . . . Metzger said. “Get ready for the in
flux of Californian white racists fleeing the crap.
And remember, this is WAR.”
Metzger told members not to communicate
with police or the media. He also gave the ad
dress of rental property owned by Judge Ancer L.
Haggerty, telling listeners that the rental was a
suspected drug house and that maybe they should
“check it out.”
For more information, call the Community Defense
Coalition at 232 2159 or ACT UP at 284-0262.