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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1993)
ju s t ou t ▼ s s p t s m b s r 1 5 , 1 9 0 3 ▼ 1 3 SPECIAL TRIBUTE Champion of human rights Keeston Lowery* s death forces us to face the senseless toll of AIDS and remember the man who touched so many T by Renée LaChance A s a human rights activist Keeston Katz and Portland City Commissioner Mike Lowery put a warm, kind, smiling Lindbcrg. Lindbcrg, in addition to being Kecston’s face on what so many straight people boss, was one of Kecston’s closest friends. feared: a gay man. As another sense “Keeston and I used to get together and listen less death at the hand of AIDS he put to music,” reminisced Lindbcrg at Kecston’s a warm, kind, smiling face on a disease memorial. that too “All kinds of music. Country, blues, many people would like to ignore. rock and roll. I thought of two song titles that Keeston touched many, many lives. His smile describe what I’ve been going through these last and a warm hug or handshake greeted everyone few days. The country song title would be, ‘In who crossed his path. His death Sunday, Aug. 29, Four Days I’ve Cried a 4x4 Truck Full of Tears’ stunned those who had been out of touch with and the blues song title would be ‘Just Cuz You Keeston, and surprised those who were close to Sec the Train Coming Doesn’t Mean It Don’t him. Hurt When It Hits You.’” Keeston had been fighting AIDS-related ail Keeston was instrumental in getting the Port ments for the past two years. He never gave up his land City Council to pass a civil rights ordinance zest for life or his optimism in the face of dwin prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual dling health. orientation, in 1991. Yet, Keeston wasn’t a one- Keeston grew up in Jackson, Miss., where his issue advocate. He fought to open doors for any political ideologies were formed by watching the one without political power. civil rights movement in the South and the pro It was hard to know Keeston and not be in tests over the war in Vietnam. He cut his political volved in politics. One of his oldest and dearest teeth by working on Robert Kennedy’s presiden friends shared a lot of his political work. tial campaign and by “I was blessed for working against the having known Kee 1977 Dade County, ston for 12 years,” said Fla., anti-gay referen Tcri Duffy, a longtime dum that brought Anita friend and former Bryant out of her house spokeswoman for and into the streets. Multnomah County. “There were times When Keeston moved to Oregon in working at the county 1977 he didn’t hesi that I really appreci tate to involve himself ated having him as my buddy. Like when we in local lesbian and gay were trying to get a di politics. He served on versity training pro the Portland Town gram into place that in Council and helped cluded lesbians and gay found the Right to Pri men and when we were vacy political action trying to get a domes committee. Keeston tic partnership ordi educated and con nance within the fronted countless can county. didates and incum- “He and Mike bants in Oregon poli [Lindbcrg) included tics about basic equal me to work on ity for lesbians and gay Portland’s civil rights men. His many contri ordinance. Not only did butions to Oregon’s we get to work on lesbian and gay com things together profes munity were honored in 1992, when he received the Lucille Hart Award. sionally but we did things personally, too. He was State Rep. Gail Shibley worked with Keeston my soulmate. We shared travel and work and for several years on the Right to Privacy’s politi friends for the past 12 years. “One of the things Keeston and I talked about cal affairs committee. “I am tremendously sad the day before he died was how he really wanted dened by the loss of Keeston,” said Shibley. “Losing Keeston is more than experiencing the to see the city change its personnel policies on death of one person, one friend, one ally. It is domestic partnerships. I believe that Keeston re again confronting the enormous human toll of ally wanted that done, and I hope that people will AIDS. In that respect, Kccston’s death is sense get together and finish that little piece of Kecston’s less-enabled by ignorance, sanctioned by non work.” Politics dominated Keeston’s life but garden chalance and conspired by complacency at the ing was his love. When Keeston had to leave his highest levels of our government. I refuse to be complacent in the face of such unending honor. large home for a smaller one, friends helped him “ Carpe diem. Seize the day. That is how I will move over 200 plants. One woman who spoke at always picture Keeston in his fervor to promote the open mike at Kecston’s memorial talked about equality. I will seize this day, and day after day how Keeston helped her re-landscape her front yard. “He said to put in a lot of curves so that when refuse to compromise with inequality.” Kecston’s death has touched many within you come around a comer there will be these politics. The majority of speakers at his memorial beautiful surprises. That’s how Keeston lived his were politicians he had worked with: former life, always looking around the next comer for Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt, former U.S. beautiful surprises.” representative Les AuCoin, Portland M ayor Vera A r . t * sj L • P h i l o s o p h y • CO UCAT/ oa j I \n nit' bloom 7 $ 3 4 0 -S.VV. C A P IT O L Hw^. a n o .O R . 97i , 2 V P o f 2 4 b ‘ O O v^ 1 ^ O pen r u ev ^ r v F r e e c > a ^ <S p e v ://N - io e /- / 0 4 - 0 0 y • ) FKFto^i Ay s mi * . I f o r e / t / u / s e „ t . 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