Jmmt o u t V mmy 1
letters
A life-threatening illness
To the Editor:
I’m really sick of the hypocritical, anti-white,
man-hating dribble gushing forth from editor
Ariel Waterman (sic) and Just Out in general.
Your April 1, 1993 piece, “Sometimes It’s Hard
to Tell Who the Enemy Is” really hits below the
belt—subtly implying white men are “racist, geno-
cidal, and murderous.” The same can be said in all
races! Your statement is racist!
You say that you support a diversity agenda
for the gay community. Why is it that you are
quick to cut anyone down who disagrees with
you? You’ve got ‘PC’ dogma written all over
your magazine. In your quest to promote diver­
sity you consistently go overboard— parading out
the “Politically Correct Minority of the Month,”
bashing gay white men frequently, and whiles in
general, slashing all Christians without thinking
of how you’re alienating our religious allies, and
overpromoting minorities, when in fact the bulk
of the gay population is white. Your very tactics
promote racism, not mitigate it!
W hy do you c o n sta n tly em brace the
“transgendered” community? Gays have little in
common with them. Prove how a man wanting to
become a woman has anything to do with gay civil
rights! It does not!
Also, I ’m fed up with your frequent foul-
m outhing o f the gay com m unity by using
“queer”— that word is vulgar, painful, hurtful,
and hateful. Why do you ‘PC’ types continue to
use a word our enemies use against us?! You’re
promoting internalized self-hatred.
I doubt you’ll publish this piece, since it would
be “politically incorrect” to print anything that
opposes your racist, fascist agenda. I, as a good
number of quiet gays and lesbians who feel as I
do, have a right to speak my mind. That’s what
this country was founded upon. If you were a true
American, you’d realize t h a t . .
Kyle Martin
Portland
Editor’s note: It's in my jo b description to
m ake Just Out a m ore re p re se n ta tiv e
newsmagazine. It’s in my heart to work toward
ending oppression o f all peoples. I really ju st
want people to get along and play fa ir with one
another, and that means working to create a level
playing field. There is no hidden agenda about
my, or Just O ut’s, position on human rights. As a
Waterwoman o f the Tsalagi (Cherokee) Nation,
in the Beaver Clan, I do tend to think o fm yself as
a "true Am erican.” A s a lesbian o f color, I don’t
have the luxury to play "PC” games. Racism and
genocide impact my life in the United States every
day. Exchanging words, concepts and ideas is
one way to examine the construct o f these oppres­
sions. We are a ll conditioned in certain behaviors
and ways o f thinking that deny our inherent hu­
manity. One tool that I'v e found helpful over the
years is to really stop and examine where strong
negative feelings may be coming from within
myself, especially when I start directing them at
categories o f people. 1 share this, not to sound
condescending, but to offer another way o f ap­
proaching strong reactive feelings. We do have
real enemies that need to be fought. We have also
been conditioned to perceive people o f color,
queers, women, children, and the physically chal­
lenged as "wrong” andlessthan "human." When
people from these categories stand up and fig h t
this oppression, we have been conditioned to
perceive them as the real threat (pretty good
system fo r the oppressor). The oppressed are then
the "enemy” to be stopped, and the real enemy
remains in power and unchallenged. These be­
haviors are programmed into us from infancy.
I am not your enemy. I am naming the oppres­
sion, not creating it. Naming it is a "threatening”
thing to do, but it doesn't threaten your well­
being, it threatens the status quo o f an oppressive
society. The process o f eliminating oppression
1. We Give You A 12 Month Written
Lowest Price Guarantee
Cost-effective activism
Even though some chain stores buy by the carload and truckload, just
as we do, the savings don't always get passed on to customers. We
don't believe in that way of doing business. At Vancouver Furniture
you get a written lowest price guarantee. If the identical item is
offered for less in the next 12 months somewhere else or even at our
own store, we refund the difference or credit it to your account.
2. You Get Free Delivery, Portland to Longview
If you purchase anything at $499 or more, we'l 1 deliver it to your home
free o f charge. Vancouver Furniture has six large delivery trucks and
a service van on the road every week.
3. We Are The Only Union Furniture Store Of
Any Size From Seattle to Medford
Vancouver Furniture has employed union sales people and ware-
house/drivers for over 45 years. We arc proud of our professional,
dedicated staff.
4. Vancouver Furniture Is Community Active
Our company has always believed in community service. Some time
ago we decided to focus more on problems o f hunger and poverty. In
the past few years we have given over 3,000 new and used mattresses
to needy families. Our annual Peanut Butter & Johnny Limbo street
dance has generated over 32,000 cans of food the last five concerts.
This past year we donated 28 new twin mattress sets to the YWCA
Safe Choice shelter for women and children who arc victims of
domestic violence.
Lorn Folsom
Salem
Living peacefully
To the Editor:
Recently I was a victim of harassment when
three teen-aged boys began yelling “faggot” at me
while I was working in my yard. Instead of letting
this continue, I decided to conhont the boys and
told them that I did not appreciate their remarks.
Things got worse until I had no choice but to go to
the manager of where I live. We talked, and the
three “gentlemen” were found and brought over
to my home with their mother so that we could
have a nice discussion about the situation. Luck­
ily, this particular incident ended peacefully,
maturely, and without any damaging scars. I
guess what I’m trying to say is that we all need to
live peacefully together on this planet. We must
stand up for ourselves and prevent others from
hurting us. There are so many violent acts, both
physical and verbal, and we must help end this
stupidity. The Oregon Citizens Alliance is one
form of abuse to all gay people. Together we can
over come the obstacle and become the strongest
and most respected community ever! Let’s all be
there for each other! We deserve equality and
respect. Harassment will not be tolerated.
1993 W 3
Some things you might
want to know about 47
year old Vancouver Furniture
can reveal a multitude o f passionate feelings:
terror, guilt, anger, rage, grief, isolation, and
many more equally disturbing emotions. It's not
fu n or easy; that's why it's called "work.” Trying
to make me the enemy is keeping you from doing
this important work. In the long run, naming
oppression and working to eliminate it w ill ben­
efit all humanity, and the planet.
To the Editor:
In your coverage (March 1 issue) of President
Clinton’s efforts to lift the ban on gays in the
military, it is suggested by a Republican gay
activist from Texas that we send Western Union
“cablegrams” to politicians, urging them to dem­
onstrate support for the president’s plan. These
messages cost $8.75 each.
The Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF)
in Washington, D.C. has a better idea. Their
“Speak Out” program will accomplish the same
thing for $3.50 per mailgram.
“Speak Out” sends messages about 10 times
each year to our legislators on critical federal
legislation, always reaching them within 24 hours.
Signing up for four messages costs $14 and guar­
antees us instant political impact in Washington.
W hat’s more, you will receive a reply concerning
each message.
For further information and to enroll, call
“Speak Out” at 800-777-HRCF or write to 1012
14th S l NW, Wash., D.C. 20005
.
5. We Keep Our Promises
Expect courtesy, respect and service from us. We participate in the
Portland Better Business Bureau Care Program.
6. Brands You Can Depend On
Expect to find Simmons, Simmons Beautyrest, Scaly and
Posturepedic mattresses, every size, luxury level and firmness.
We also carry Lane, La-Z-Boy, Douglas, Stratolounger, Kincaid,
GuildCraft, Pulaski, Hippopotamus,
Amana, Maytag, Frigidaire, Toshiba,
Mitsubishi, Magic Chef and more.
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Rod Johnson
Cornelius
7. What About Oregon?
People from more than 85 differ­
ent communities in Oregon cross
the river to buy from us...from
Cascade Locks to Astoria. Reason?
Good taste need not be expensive.
At Vancouver Furniture we simply
sell for less.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere."
Martin Ijither King, Jr.
TRANSITION
Rod W. Smith, one-time resident of Portland,
died Friday, February 12,1993 with the help and
support of his loving family in the Chicago area.
Ron was bom October 3, 1959 and lived in
Portland in the 1970s and early ‘80s. He attended
Beau Monde College and was employed by the
Fred Meyer Corporation. After moving back to
Illinois in 1983, he worked as a stylist, eventually
owning his own shop.
Ron’s life touched many people. He will be
missed by his entire family, including his parents,
Mike and Mae Smith; those he worked with both
in Portland and Illinois; and his friends, including
Ron Huxhold and Jon Murray.
Not actors. The
Mortensen
brothers are really
drivers.
Audio TV
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DOWNTOWN
9 to 9
Vancouver
Furniture
A Lot O f Portland Stores Sell Great Furniture ^ \seven
W e S imply S ell F or L ess !
Downtown Vancouver • Eleventh St. & Broadway & C St.
(206) 695-3391
(503) 230-1400