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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1993)
20 T n o v tm b c r 1, 1003 ▼ Ju*t ont 10 th A n n iv e r s a r y S p e c ia l W hen 1 was a little boy in school in experience with maps. Flat, moving in a more or of another, even though that other place cannot be ultra-rural Indiana, and history less straight line from one point to another. Being felt or seen, our usual criteria for belief. The words of Jeanette W interson in Sexing the books and timelines were in time, in a continuous present, is to look at a map shoved in front of me, some and not see the hills, shapes and undulations, but Cherry express so completely my long-held sus thing didn't feel quite right. It only the flat form. There is no sense of dimension. picions of history articulated and presented as all just seemed too neat and tidy only in the most for the surface__ Thinking about striedy linear. For a historian, Winterson’s words a feeling appallingly unimaginative and sterile and turning I time ways, is like the globe round and round, may seem exaspcratingly impossible. And yet, instinctively thought, "They're lying.” Howcould that alljourneys exist simultaneously, her inherent embrace and acceptance of a multi recognizing the chaotic past and present possibly be cata that to be in one place is not to deny the existence plicity of simultaneous stories and existences arc logued? And then one day early last summer, under a Boston sun with a “frappaccino” from Coffee Connection in one hand and a lit fag in the other, the words of a British literary goddess floated down: Every journey conceals another journey within its lines: the path not taken and the forgotten angle__ My experience of lime is mostly like my m Cook disabled by HIV and AIDS named in his honor, is founded. Community activist Steve Fulmer later reflected, “[Chester’s death is] what brought it home to me, that people were dying without any support from the gay community. Not only were they not getting any support from the govern ment, but they weren’t even getting support from their friends."Just Out staff member Harold Moore writes in a tribute five years later, “Let the life of one working class drag queen inspire us.” Just Out reports on the continued output of women’s music, noting recent work of Meg Chris- tian and Holly Near. Over the next decade, Just Out regularly documents the in creasing presence of women in the music industry— from Portland’s ownMusicaFem- ina to k.d. lang, from the annual M i c h i g a n jy|e|lssa Etheridge Womyn s Music Festival, which in 1993 expands to40entertainers and 300 workshops, to the benefits for No on 9 and Artists for a Hate Free America by Melissa Etheridge. October Just Out premieres. In its first year, Just Out runs features on lesbian and gay rural life, reli gion, marriage, parenting, alcoholism, unlearn ing racism, aging, and even a serial soap opera— The Life of Ryan, or Gays of Our Lives. Also during its first year, the Gay Press Association recognizes Just Out as the nation’s best-designed lesbian and gay publication. November Six votes short of the two-thirds majority necessary for passage of a constitutional amend ment, the U.S. House of Representatives fails to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Women's groups angrily denounce the vole, and Kathy Wilson of the National Women's Political Cau cus says, “Those who voted against us will soon learn die consequences of the gender gap.” Ten years later, 55 women are in Congress. ‘This is such an extraordinary life experience,” says Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mczvinsky (D-Pa.). "These are extraordinary women who did battle hard to get here." President Ronald Reagan signs a bill designat ing die third Monday in January a national holi day commemo rating the birth of Martin Lu ther King, Jr., despite right- wing opposi tion, notably from Sen. Jesse H c 1 m s ( R - N.C.). Coretla Scott King, wi dow of the slain civil rights lea der, proclaims, Martin Luther King Jr. “America is a more democratic nation, a more just nation, a more peaceful nation because Marlin Lu ther King, Jr. became her pre-eminent non-violent commander.” J a n u ary After serving five years for the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Mosconc and Supervi sor Harvey Milk, Dan White is released from prison. Harvey Milk became California’s first openly gay elected official in 1978. An outspoken gay activist. Milk was instrumental in passing a gay rights bill in San Francisco and working to defeat the homophobic state-wide Briggs initia tive. Dan White, an opponent of pro-lesbian and gay rights legislation, had resigned from the San a valuable commentary on the presentation of any history. Like little red flags on a map, the timeline that follows is a series of markers. It is possible to follow this seemingly linear history with your finger, and believe that somehow the last ten fabulous years of lesbian and gay history have been documented, but each entry easily elicits a number of conflicting versions and observations and conclusions. At best, each entry is a fragment of the past. The thousands of people, the millions of hours of work, the bitter blow-out fights and the daily celebrations cannot possibly be captured in this timeline or anywhere else. With these thoughts in mind, what follows is a series of points of departure for discussing and remembering yesterday and the days before that. Just Out reports that there are 12 AIDS cases in Oregon, and at least six deaths resulting from complications from AIDS. Just Out goes on to note the one-year anniversary of the Cascade AIDS Project. Formed in February, 1983, less than a month after the first death attributed to AIDS in Oregon, CAP was the result of efforts of a group of concerned citizens, physicians and people with AIDS. By 1993 CAP grows to a staff of 30, over 600 active volunteers and a multi million dollar budget. Francisco Board of Supervisors. When White changed his mind, and asked for his position back. Milk discouraged Moscone from reappointing him. A despondent White entered City Hall through a window and shot and killed both Mosconc and Milk. During his trial, his lawyers argued that While was adversely affected by consuming too much junk food (the Twinkie defense). While’s sentence of 7 1/2 years out raged members of the lesbian and gay commu nity, and foreshadowed years of struggle for basic equality for America’s lesbians and gays. The National Organization for Women spon sors the nation’s first lesbian conference in Mil waukee, Wis. Among the issues facing the con ference: homophobia, racism, semantics and NOW’s endorsement of presidential candidate Walter Mondalc. June The lesbian and gay pride celebrations of the early ‘80s arc dominated by heated discussions surrounding issues of race and gender. Continu ous disputes over including “lesbian” in the title “gay pride” leads to accusations and alienation. One man writes, “Real Women are non-sexist gays, not hcll-bcnt-for-disruption lesbian womyn . . . . Perhaps we’ve been loo diplomatic in our handling of these irresponsible, selfish feminists ... to the womyn and their yesboys—thanks for April raining on our celebration." In 1981, a group of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Roscburg gay activist Billy Russo’s first col Members callcdTKO (technical knock-out) formed to build umn appears in Just Out. Russo, one of the founders Douglas County, including Billy Russo bridges between men and women. During cel of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance in Douglas ebrations in 1983, a white man in blackface and County in 1980, and one of the most visible gay Aunt Jemima costume is confronted by a black leaders in rural America, offers commentary about woman at the rally, and is asked to leave. Sides are rural lesbian and gay life in Oregon. Also in 1980, Chester Brinkcr dies. Also known as "Esther," drawn as people debate whether the costume is Russo founded Ruby House, an AIDS hospice, in Brinker is one of the first Oregonians to die from “fun” or racist. In 1985 there are two separate Roscburg. AIDS. Esther’s Pantry, a food bank for those steering committees for the parade. The emo- ________ M a y ______