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
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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)