4 ▼
a p rii 1902 T ju st out
A re a d in g a n d b o o k
s ig n in g w ith a u th o r
LADD’/
EDITIOn/
BOOK/IORE
—
V
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MON-SAT 11-6 «SUN 12-5
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236-4628
K a th e rin e V .
F o rre s t
F rid a y , A p ril 17
7:30-9:30pm
Wide selection of
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M ary J e an 's
F lo w ers and G ifts
Let us help the Easter Bunny with
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METRO AND WORLDWIDE FLOWER DELIVERY
PHONE ORDERS GLADLY ACCEPTED
13822 SE Oatfield at Courtney
Milwaukie
653-8444
Ifou Have A Right To
Mare Than Just A House.
With any luck, we'll all
need a retirement plan
To the Editor:
I certainly “can’t imagine living in a retire
ment community with natty, het old men,” as
described by Lee Lynch in the March ‘92 article
“The Deepest Closet,” or abusive attendants or
doctors for that matter.
We should attempt to create retirement living
arrangements for the lesbian and gay comunity.
This aim should be an integral part of our diverse
community’s interest groups that deal with “daily
living" issues.
Many of us will not be in a position to provide
entirely for ourselves and will have to rely in part
on whatever subsidized housing comes available.
The worries and unpleasant experiences of the
elderly (high cost of rent in relation to income,
necessary medical expenses combined with the
inability to pay, housing shortages, long waiting
lists, housing not appropriate to physical needs)
were brought to my attention in my first few days
as a property supervisor with a successful non
profit housing development and management
company in California. Although I have elderly
relatives who can support themselves, they do
seem to eventually move into elder community
settings or medium-sized retirement residences
because of their specific health needs.
Because there is such an increasing demand
for any type of retirement housing that, unless the
lesbian and gay community organizes itself to
make available these retirement community liv
ing settings, we will be struggling to get into the
typical retirement housing and have little or no
choice as to its internal or external demographics.
I am quite interested in knowing what specific
group(s) are presently working on this issue, and
what progress they have made.
P.S..It is nice to experience the unifying taking
hold within the lesbian and gay community as
well as the growing support and involvement
from other individuals and groups outside of the
lesbian and gay community.
Elaine Doe
Portland
Wield economic power
As an activist in Portland’s
lesbian anti gay community for
20 years, I am fighting mad.
The (XIA’s latest attempt to
legally make us second class
citizens by amending the Oregon
Constitution is an outrage.
H ere’s what I’ve decided
to do: for evt»ry client who
wears an anti-OCA button, ’
volunteers o r in some way
helps out, I will donate 5% of
my net proceeds to Hie
CatnftaijQi For A Hole Free
Oregon — the group running
the statewide campaign against
the OGVs initiative.
I am proud to provide ethical,
professional and caring real
«»late services. 1 am also proud
to be a member of Oregon’s
lesbian and gay community.
W hether you are in the
market to buy o r sell, join with
me to fight those who would
deny us that pride.
Cat hy Siemens
Bridgetown Realty
(5 0 3 )2 8 7 -9 3 7 0
Bridgetown Realty
letters
(503)238-0135(hom e)
To the Editor:
Bigot Busting is the process of handing out
counterinformation where the OCA is trying to
gather signatures. It’s very effective; when a
balance of information is made available to the
public very few sign their petitions.
Unfortunately many area malls are allowing
the OCA to gather signatures at their malls, but
evicting the Bigot Busters; thus giving the OCA
a monopoly of access to the malls where they are
gathering thousands of signatures!
Recently the OCA was at Lancaster Mall
gathering signatures and the mall security evicted
the Bigot Busters. I ’ve sent a letter to the manager
of Lancaster Mall, along with a few of the mall
tenants cut up credit cards, stating that I object to
the OCA being given a monopoly of access to the
mall and that I won’t be shopping there in the
future. I ’ve also contacted the card issuers in
forming them of the reasons for terminating my
accounts with them.
It is crucial that we have equal access to the
voting public. We have economic power; let’s
wield it! Contact your local mall management
and retailers and let them know you won’t patron
ize establishments that grant the OCA exclusive
access to their patrons. Conversely, please do
vigorously patronize Freddies and other retailers
who support non-discrimination.
If you haven’t already joined the anti-OCA
struggle, what are you waiting for? These Nazis
aren’t going away and will make life for us
unbearable unless we (this means you and I) stop
them!
If you don’t believe it, pick up a copy of the
OCA initiative impact statement that’s available
and see how comfortable you will feel about your
life if the OCA intiatives pass.
Greg LeBlanc
Roselodge
I’m no prude!
To the Editor:
In response to your request in “Letters” of 2/92
I will toss in my two cents' worth.
Phone sex ads bore me.
I am not a prude. I am sure the advertising
revenue is great from them and obviously they
must generate business or they couldn’t afford to
keep the ads going. They also must be the safest
sex around. I’d like to see them gone, BUT the
revenue helps me to pick up this paper for free.
Ron Knapp
Tillamook
Childishly thumbing
your nose
To the Editor:
The person(s) who came up with the title of
“Queer Nation” for politically active homosexu
als should be [edited because of violent content]
from the Broadway Bridge! The term, itself, is
offensive and denigrating to all homosexuals.
Undoubtedly, this title was chosen for its shock
value but, unfortunately, it is this very shock
value that will continue to negate everything that
the organization is trying to accomplish!
Childishly thumbing your nose at the “straight”
community will only raise their hackles and re
affirm what they already believe in regard to gays
and lesbians. When their hackles are raised, they
are not listening-when they are not listening they
are not learning.
If you are truly serious about re-educating
people, give yourselves a title that will reflect
your commitment, conscientiousness and cour
age.
Pat Fuller
Estacada
To hell with the OCA
To the Editor:
There is no doubt that women’s experience
concerning exploitation is different than men’s.
The phone sex ads in your paper are not offensive
to me. They are at times funny, sad, erotic and
lewd; but never have I been offended by them. I
disagree with the two women’s letters in the Feb.
issue. I cannot agree that we should censor our
selves just because the OCA may use these ads
against us. The straight culture also has these
services. I am always amazed just how similar
our two cultures are. I don’t know why these two
women are against these ads except to express
their opinion. A more meaningful complaint
should have come from a male concerning exploi
tation. So far, I don’t know of any male feeling
exploited. Concerning offering more ammuni
tion to the OCA, to hell with the OCA! I think I
am in the mainstream o f gay culture, not into
leather, nor a drag queen; that is to say, pan of the
invisible majority of gay people. I don’t think
curtailing any part of our lives, including phone
sex, is a valid response to the hate generated by the
OCA. If we start to compromise our culture,
diverse as it is, when will it stop? And why give
the OCA credit for doing that?
Keith King
Portland