2 ▼ a u g u s t 1, 1 9 9 3 T Just o u t
just out
s in c e 1 9 8 3
PUBUSHER
Renée LaChance
steppin’ out
contents
EDITOR
VOL. 10 NO. 18 AUGUST 1,1993
Ariel Waterwoman
FEATURES
CALENDAR EDITOR
Meroe Elahi
Lesbian Avengers
f
FEATURE WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHER
A national direct-action
group provides an outlet for
explosive feelings
Linda Klicwer
|pp. 16-17)
Grant Michael Menzies
ADVERTISING
Meg Grace
E. Ann Hinds
Jewel Robinson
V t I t
W
DEPARTMENTS
Q
World briefs
IO
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
London police investigate a
serial killer known as "Sado
Sam" who has vowed to kill
one gay man a week
E. Ann Hinds
b
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rupert Kinnard
PROOFREADER
■if
A /® f
Beth Hyams
Vf
V
m
(P- 4)
mm
National news
Soi
Clinton's new gays-in-the -
military ban confuses experts
IpH
TYPESETTER
Dec SlarDanccr Fultz
■V
OFFICE MANAGER
(pp. 5-9)
Local news
Fred Allemann
DISTRIBUTION
PHOTO BY UNDA KUEWEH
Up Front Distribution
The Lesbian Community
Project takes one giant step
for lesbiankind
(pp.10-11)
CONTRIBUTORS
Lee Lynch
Dr. Tantalus
Christopher Kamera
Howard N. Dana
Beth Hyams
Susan Patrick
Doug Zeb
Bob Roehr
Patrick Freiberg
editorial
COLUMNS
Is it a sign?
From floods to dueling magazines, the past few weeks have been lively in newsland
Strategies
Jackson County plans a civil
rights march in August
(p. 12)
Health
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Update on beta-carotene
by Ariel Waterwoman
at Robertson was on national television telling ev
eryone that his god was punishing the United States
for supporting “homosexuals” by flooding the Mid
west. 1 wonder if he has been listening to the same
news reports I have? The newscasters keep repeat
ing, “The dikes arc failing!” Maybe, but wouldn’t that be a
stretch, Pal? (The first time I entered these words into the
computer, it crashed and refused to give me the editorial back.
Pal Robertson can shock even the subtle sensibilities of a
computer.)
In World Briefs this issue there’s an interesting piece from
Australia in which the judge said he heard testimony that it was
easier to convert a heterosexual into a homosexual than it was
to convert a homosexual into a heterosexual. Comparative
analysis boggles the mind, rapidly resulting in shouts of “Who
cares?" and "How is this going to nurture hungry children?”
Some excellent news that might inadvertently feed some
hungry children inOrcgon is that House Speaker Larry Campbell
is not opting for rcclcction. We stand and applaud this fine
public service he’s performing. We hope it will be his last
public service.
Perhaps the most stunning measure of the success of nor
malizing the existence of queers (and that we’re not all gay
men) is found on the covers of some recent national magazines.
W e’ve been calling it “dueling magazines.” Newsweek and
Vanity Fair seem to be duking it out in the “best lesbian cover”
category, while U S. News and World Report is running last in
timeliness.
Vanity Fair certainly outdid itself in the fantasy category
with the cover and inside display of k.d. lang and Cindy
Crawford. It’s fun to sec k.d. playing with Cindy. In a perfect
P
(p. 1 5)
Religion
world these images would be viewed with delight and inno
cence. As it is, this dyke is left wondering who is being served?
It’s painful to think that these innocent pictures have reduced
lesbians to sex objects. This is not a perfect world.
The Newsweek cover and inside story certainly were more
grounded in the reality of lesbian experience. It presented a
fairly balanced view of lesbians and the lives we lead. It also
offered visuals that were more representative of who we might
be.
The July 26 issue of Newsweek presents an intimate look at
what’s really happening on the open seas in a story called
Homocroticism in the ranks. It’s an interesting piece that
looks at how the military actually creates the circumstances
that force young men to confront their feelings for other men.
The military, in these cases, serves as a catalyst for young men
to “become” gay. Combine this with the ritualized drag shows
and the paddling sessions that “straight” men in the military do,
and it’s no wonder there’s so much confusion and hostility
about queers being out in the military.
It’s obvious that this military confusion will drag out for the
next bazillion years, until someone in power (judge, president,
etc.) has the courage to uphold the separation of church and
state on social issues. But how any sane and healthy person
could support or want to be in the military is beyond my
conceptualization. The U.S. military protects its citizens from
nothing, and unashamedly perpetrates gcnocidal sweeps through
indigenous populations worldwide. Lifting the military ban is
not the shortcut to a federal reform of civil rights for sexual
minority people. The military complex is a gcnocidal machine
that wreaks mayhem and havoc throughout the world. W hat’s
the point?
(p. 1 4)
Amazon Trail
(p. 27)
It’s a Queer Thing
(p. 26)
ARTS
Theater
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
is incorporating real life into
its productions this sum m er
(p. 24)
Cinema
Orlando is a vast, dazzling,
amusing experiment
(p. 25)
Music
We’ll have fun, fun, fun if
summer gets here
(p. 23)