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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1992)
2 ▼ S ep tem b er 1 0 02 ▼ ju s t out ju st out s in c e 1 983 PUBUSHER Renée LaChance steppin’ out EDITOR Ariel Waterwoman V O L. 9 N O . 11 SEPT. 1992 CALENDAR EDITOR Meg Grace FEATURE FREELANCE REPORTERS Jeff Williamson Jim Hunger Howard N. Dana Working in the worst of times Eric Rofes, the executive director o f Shanti Project in San Francisco, talks about the International Conference on AIDS and his thoughts about the AIDS epidemic. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Linda Kliewer Linda Carter ADVERTISING Amanda Colorado Meg Grace E. Ann Hinds (p. 13) DEPARTMENTS CREATIVE DIRECTOR E. Ann Hinds PROOFREADER Mary Catherine Lamb TYPESETTER Amanda Colorado FORMATTER Meg Grace Letters (pp. 3-4) We ca n ’t all be winners. Meet the losers o f the Lesbian Community Project's Tournament o f Choice, the SOS Team. They lost every game and had a blast doing it. The tournam ent took place Aug. 15 and 16. guest editorial The master’s tools SUBSCRIPTIONS Chloe De Scgonzac Just Out is published on the first day of each month. © 1992. No part of Just Out may he reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The subm ission o f written and graphic m aterials is w elcom ed. Written material should be typed and double-spaced. Just Out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. Just Out consults the Associated Press Style Book and Libel Manual on editorial decisions. Letters to the editor should be limited to 400 words. D eadline for submissions is the 15th of the month proceeding publication. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessarily those of the publisher. Display advertising will be accepted up to the 17th of each month. Classified ads must be received at the office of Just Out by the 17th of each month, along with payment. Ads will not be taken over the telephone. Subscriptions to Just Out are available for $17.50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $30 for 12 issues. A free copy o f Just Out and/or advertising rates are available on request. The mailing address and telephone number hr Just Out are: PO Box 15117, Portland, OR 97215; (503) 236-1252 World briefs (p. 9) DISTRIBUTION Up Front Distribution CONTRIBUTORS Lee Lynch Dr. Tantalus Rex Wockner Sandra de Helen Matthew Nelson Tee Corinne Rachel Timoner Susan Baker Susan Dobrof Steve Warren Brian Gorrin Walt Mandcll contents by Pattie Ladd I An easy lesson on internalized oppression, internalized homophobia just got home from a No on 9 house party where I saw heterosexual variety.) the infamous OCA video for the first time, and I feel I understand that it’s too much to expect perfect harmony sick and sad. Not because the video is a powerful and unity. W e’re all so scared. But I don’t expect such propaganda piece, obsessive and manipulative beyond intolerance from people who are currently the linchpins in a belief. Not because the video provides more evidence movement to freeze right-wing hate crimes. Too much is at that some members o f the OCA must be getting off on us (they stake-for us, for Jews, for people o f color and for every fringe do see the video over and over). Not because their lies this time element and despised subculture targeted by the ultraright. around are at least as vicious and calculating as last time. That What really capped it for me tonight was when the cam all made me angry. What makes me want to cry and throw up paign worker who brought the video to the party said that is the reaction of the majority o f the people in the room watching ignorance of OCA supporters is obvious...so many words the video. After watching footage of gay men in the San misspelled in their hate mail! Let’s try to remember how many Francisco Lesbian and Gay Pride March waving their penises people who can’t spell “homosexual” are going to check “no” at the crowd and the cameras, one lesbian said, “I don’t blame on their ballots. I ’ve heard about other official spokespeople the OCA, I blame us!” Someone said thank goodness they referring assumptively to “the rednecks in rural Oregon....” “behaved" much better in Portland’s parade this year. The And the word “Christian” is thrown around so loosely that my murmurs of affirmation in the room made my heart begin to m other-a straight but not narrow Christian-would believe pound. In my head I heard that part o f Bi 11 Clinton’s convention herself lumped in with the likes of Lon. Is it so hard to speech when he talked about Americans “them-ing” ourselves remember that it’s fascism w e’re facing down, not Middle to death. While the OCA is busy painting us as other, we are just America? Stereotyping and name-calling don’t win us any as busy drawing distinctions between good and bad queers. votes. Without the support of people like my mom and the They want us to conform, and so do we. Getting cozy with the logger in Roseburg who knows his H ispanic neighbor is next on master’s tools. the OCA’s list, we will surely lose. We know exactly what the OCA is up to with this video. But And if we lose on Measure 9, who do you think the shock- I wonder if even the OCA realizes what a bonus it brings in troop bullies will kill or maim first in their celebratory frenzy? further dividing their enemy. The video brings the gay and The gay lawyer on his way home to his loft in the Pearl District lesbian community’s differences into graphically sharper focus or the drag queen hurrying down Stark Street to catch his bus? and provides a golden opportunity for the margins-to-the- One of the Lesbian and Gay Pride organizers said recently in mainstreamers to set themselves apart from the leather dykes print that he was looking tor a way a “normal” gay man like and flaming faggots. No, that man with the leather jock strap himself could become politically involved. Can we even hear on the parade float doesn’t represent me. And I w ouldn't think ourselves? Is this battle worth winning if it’s on the backs of of trying to represent him. What an odd notion. But let me tell those of us who can’t pass, who can’t or won’t assimilate, or you, the mood in the room at the house party was such that if we who insist on flaunting it for those of us who can only talk the ran the world beginning tonight, the man on the float with the ^ ° f freedom? This is about stopping an organized move fish between his legs and the bare-breasted dyke with the whip ment of ten-orist bigots who don’t care whether you find your would not be free to walk the streets. We, ourselves, would pleasure in the Dungeon or in your Jacuzzi. I have to believe punish them for not conforming. Their civil rights were so we’re going to win this one. and when we wake up from this clearly less precious than ours tonight, in that comfortable terrible dream, I hope we have strength left to fight the room, in the blue TV light, as we happily scarfed down our “No homophobe perched within. on 9” cupcakes. Donna Red Wing said recently if you don’t come out this (Please know that I’m not defending members o f the North year, don’t bother, because those of us who will take the heat American Man-Boy Love Association, who were trotted out need you right now. To that I would add: if you’re not working later in the video. I wholeheartedly support rejection of to protect the civil rights of all queers, keep your money and NAMBLA as criminal pedophiles, indistinguishable from the stay home. National news (PP- 10-12) OCA watch Former Just Out staff photographer Catherine Stauffer is finally getting her day in court, and the OCA may have to pay. v r r No on 9 and No on Hate share their progress in fighting the initiative. (p.14) Local news Tee A. Corinne reports from the southwest corner o f Oregon. (p. 18) What I'm doing to fight the OCA Readers write in with many creative ideas from sample letters to coming-out stories. (PP- 5-7) COLUM NS Amazon TVail (p. 35) ARTS Cinema Lily Tomlin gives Steve Warren her still-not-coming- out interview on the eve o f the debut o f her movie on Showtime. (p. 27) Gus Van Sant will direct The Life and Times of Harvey-Milk (p. 29)
