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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1993)
2 ▼ octob«r 1, 1 0 0 3 ▼ Just out just out sin ce 1983 steppin’ out contents PUBUSHER Renee LaChance EDITOR Ariel Waterwoman VOL. 10 NO. 22 FEATURES C ALEN DAR EDITOR Mcroe Elahi In the same boat? FEATURE WRITER Grant Michael Menzies Gay men and lesbians are often lumped into the same boat, in spite o f our differences PH O TO G RAPH ER Linda Kliewer (pp. 16-17) A D V ER T ISIN G Meg Grace E. Ann Hinds Jewel Robinson DEPARTMENTS World briefs CREATIVE DIRECTOR E. Ann Hinds Lithuania decriminalizes same-sex relations G R A PH IC D E SIG N Rupert Kinnard (P- 4) PROOFREADER Thomas Lauderdale National briefs TYPESETTER Dec StarDancer Fultz OFFICE M A N A G E R Fred Allcmann DISTRIBUTION Up Front Distribution CO NTRIBUTO RS Bob Roehr Howard N. Dana Lee Lynch Jamakaya Lee Norwood Pamela Lyons Kelly M. Bryan Louise Rafkin Dr. Tantalus Just Out is published on the first and nH eenlh day of each m onth. Copyright ©1993 by Just Out. No part o f Just Out may be reproduced w ithout written permission from the publisher. The submission of written and graphic m aterials is welcomed. Written material should be typed and double-spaced. Just Out reserves (he right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length We will reject or edit articles or ! advertisem ents that are offensive, ; demeaning or may result in legal action, j Just Out consults the Associated Press Style Book and Libel M anual on editorial decisions. Letters to the editor should be limited to two double-spaced typed pages. Deadline for submissions is the 1st and 15th of the month prccecding publication. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features arc not necessarily those of the publisher. Display advertising will be accepted up to the 2nd and 17th of each month. Classified ads must be received at the office of Just Out by the 2nd and 17th of each month, along with payment. Ads will not he taken over the telephone. Ad policy. No sexually exploitive advertising will be accepted C om pen sation for errors in. or cancellation of, advertising will be made with credit toward future advertising Subscriptions to Just Out are available for $17 50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $30 for 12 issues A copy of Just Out is available for $1 and/or advertising rales are available on request The mailing address and telephone num ber for Just Out are PO Box 15117, ! Portland, OR 97215; (503) 236-1252 Our fax number is 236-1257. OCTOBER 1,1993 Th* Lesbian Avengers staged a march on the bus mall in downtown Portland, to draw attention to the increase in gay bashing on Tri-met buses. Residents o f a neighborhood in San D iego are recruiting gay men and lesbians (p .5 ) National news editorial W e're not straight, yet some of us are narrow To become more comfortable with individuals and communities that make up the sexual minority population, we must own that we’re all in this together. Stonewall 25 is gaining momentum ; Christians fla y NAMBLA; ACT VP w o n t let the new AIDS Czar cover fo r Clinton (pp. 6-8) Local news Donna Red Wing to leave LCP and head fo r the Big Apple (p. 12) T by A rie l W a te rw o m a n he majority of people in the United States are ; ant (is itpossible to be too flamboyant?), SM queers, queers that uncomfortable, at best, with gays and lesbians. A “flaunt it,” barc-asscd leather dudes in chaps and topless dykes hefty 20 percent of people in the U.S. believe that who are alive with personal power. Dicty-forbid that any of us the Holocaust was a lie. I ’m just guessing that a poll would exchange more than the most platonic kisses in public. would also reveal a majority of people who are The whole concept of a mainstream queer would be funny if it willing to invalidate the struggles of other minority populations weren t such a tragic reflection of how desperate too many of as well. us feel as we watch homophobia sweeping the nation and Surveys arc funny things. The key point for understanding passing itself off as publicly sanctioned “religious doctrine” or the findings of any survey is knowing who is paying for it. an ABC News poll. The continual barrage of negative energy Surveys arc easy to stack by asking questions like: Do you focused on our daily lives is taking it’s toll. Mainstream gay believe that a militant homosexual agenda should control men and lesbians seem to be forgetting an important piece of Congress? Which of the following two sentences reflects most this picture. accurately your beliefs: I believe that people should strive to live up to certain values; or I feel condoms should be freely dignity are people who have chosen to be abusers. They a available to children, in all levels of education. Answer true or invested in abuse on every level: financial, spiritual, cultun false to the following: People get AIDS by indulging in certain emotional, social and intellectual. They are the only ones wl behaviors. can slop attacking us. We think we can control their abuse 1 Arc you getting how these things work? These surveys and cooperating with their demands, internalizing their hatred polls reflect the thinking and wishes of the organization that is us. We can not. Collusion with our oppressors makes us fe paying to have them done. It’s one of the more creative tools more shame and a sense that we are less worthy of hum. available for manipulating public opinion. dignity and respect, which often results in peer oppressio One thing that seems pretty consistent is that most hetero 1 his only encourages the abusers because they see how wc sexual people arc uncomfortable with gays, lesbians, bisexuals their strategy is working. and transgenders. Just look at our own communities. How 1 umtng our backs on some queers and calling them “frinj many of you winced at the inclusion of bisexual people? elements kicks a solid foundation out from under us and pla’ transgcndcrcd people? lesbians? gay men? W e’re certainly not right into the hands of our oppressors. As we appear to swallo a laid-back welcome wagon for sexual “others,” ready to die we re not those ‘other’ queers, we’re in the mainstrean embrace each other at the drop of a hat. The realities we each hook that would be an inevitable result. Think how many hear live in arc very different. would break and how fractionalized we would become if v It seems there is a concerted attempt to create the image of contmued to squeeze our movement into straight-laced cloth, a “mainstream queer.” Some activists arc distancing them- j because wc thought it would get us civil rights. selves from queers that arc too out, queers that arc too flamboy- j e re all queer, we’re all here and we’re all fabulous. T CO LU M NS It’s a Queer Thing In queer Montana you don't let frat boys melt your ice cream (p. 26) The Amazon Trail A lesbian literary legend is still going strong after all these years (p. 27) ARTS Cinema The Ballad o f Liule Jo is destined to be a lesbian classic (p. 24) Music The Portland Gay Men s Chorus gets a new conductor (P- 28)
