2 ▼ Ja n u a ry 2 1 , 1 9 2 4 ▼ ju s t ou«
just out
s in c e 1 9 8 3
steppin’ out
PUBUSHER
Renée LaChance
EDITOR
contents
VOL. 11 NO. 6
JANUARY 21,1994
Ariel Walcrwoman
CALENDAR EDITOR
FEATURES
Mcroc Elahi
PHOTOGRAPHER
Remembering
James Baldwin
Linda Klicwer
REPORTERS
A Baldwin documentary
comes to town and we honor
the man in his own words
Pamela Lyons
Lee Norwood
ADVERTISING
(pp. 16-17)
Meg Grace
E. Ann Hinds
Jewel Robinson
\
DEPARTMENTS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
World news
E. Ann Hinds
South Africa prohibits
discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation in its
proposed Bill o f Rights
(P- 4)
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rupert Kinnard
PROOFREADERS
Thomas Lauderdale
Kelly M. Bryan
TYPESETTER
Dec StarDanccr Fultz
This sculpture, by David St rough, is being displayed, along with 16 others, in the exterior windows at SAKS
Fifth Avenue, 850 SW Fifth Ave., in Portland, through Jan. 24.
DISTRIBUTION
Up Front Distribution
CONTRIBUTORS
Bob Rochr
Miss Betsy Hunt
Kelly M. Bryan
Mathew Nelson
Lee Lynch
Grant Michael Mcnzics
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editorial
National news
Juneau votes to keep targeted
children s book on library
shelves; PBS’s Tales of the
City attacked by right-wing
groups; American Airlines
settles dispute
(pp. 5-9)
Local news
Office chaffer
Kind of a low news time, if you exclude earthquakes, ice skating scandals and kitchen knives
▼
by A riel Waterwoman
arthquakes, Tonya and domestic violence aside, the
hot topic around the office has been the movie,
Philadelphia. Our cinema reviewer, Kelly Bryan,
saw Philadelphia weeks before any of us had the
opportunity to. She graciously didn’t discuss the
movie with us—but she did join in discussions on how the
national reviewers were handling it. Many of us who work in the
office had read one or more of the reviews.
We read and discussed the alleged homophobia of the movie
because Tom Hanks and his movie-lover didn’t engage in
passionate kissing. We speculated at the motives of producer/
director Jonathan Demme for taking on this project. Was it only
to make up to the queer community for his participation in The
Silence o f the Lambs? We really got going in speculation-land.
These reviews didn’t prepare any of us for the impact that
seeing Philadelphia had. This movie was truly touching in its
portrayal of a gay man living with AIDS, getting fired and
choosing to take his case to the courts. It cut through most of my
cynicism regarding Hollywood.
After seeing the movie, we finally had a chance to talk about
the issues raised in the reviews. Was Demme, or some cluster of
movie-people, homophobic for not showing more physical con
tact between Andrew Beckett and Miguel? Possibly— less
homophobic than Joe Miller was at the end of the film. Scenes of
real intimacy between Bcckcltand Miguel were portrayed. After
a ten year relationship, intimacy is more about the little tilings—
Miguel kissing the tears off Beckett; dancing chcck-to-chcck in
matching navy outfits; the way Miguel and Beckett knew how to
be with each other in difficult situations. These, more than any
staged Hollywood kiss, gave a reality to Philadelphia.
I really liked this movie. Firstofall because itdidn’thurt me.
That in itself is a tremendous stride for Hollywood. I realize what
a sad commentary it is about the movie industry when we’re
happy primarily because they don’t hurt us. It’s a movie that was
E
Washington faces two
discriminatory measures;
Oregon appeals court upholds
award against the OCA;
community center moves
forward; anti-semitic flyer
circulates at Lewis and
Clark College
(pp. 11-15)
created for a heterosexual audience, that neither hurt nor was
demeaning to gay men.
Looking at the casting, the target audience was younger
heterosexual people of all colors. Philadelphia works for that
target group, and works well. For all of the diversity cast into the
movie, there wasn’t any grandstanding about it. There were no
Spirituality
Hollywood fanfares when the audience was introduced to an
Reform Jews recognize gay
interracial gay couple. Nor was there any preaching when we
and lesbian relationships
saw people in wheelchairs going about their business.
(p. 10)
Probably one of my favorite things about this movie was how
well the director worked with the medium. The camera angles
were inescapably involving. You couldn’t not be Beckett as he
left the courthouse and had to work his way through a crowd of
supporters and hecklers. Then there were some scenes that only
made sense in the context of the medium.
11 was very enheartening to watch as Millcr grew and changed.
Mutters
By the end of the movie, he was not a saint. He had learned a lot
Marlon Brando, Tim Miller,
and grown in proportion to the experience. This is real. People
Scott Capurro and the
change in little steps. The heterosexual people watching this film
Baltimore Waltz
now have a pattern for change. All of the elements of growth
were presented to the audience. We saw Miller’s joy at the new
(pp. 24-25)
life of his daughter. We watched as he stepped in when a librarian
was trying to discriminate against Beckett. We heard Miller
Books
reply to taunts with a new edge to his voice. People watching this
Lee Lynch's annual winter
movie experience a thoughtful man learning new things about
reading list and a review of
queers, and integrating dial information. At this point in the
struggle to ensure civil rights for our communities, this movie
The Corporate Closet
can do more than the best public relations campaign can for our
(p. 26-27)
cause.
Philadelphia isn’t targeting the queer community with all of
Cinema
our sophistication about gay men and painful issues surrounding
A joyful noise comes to the
AIDS. This movie is bringing straight people up-to-datcon some
o om- struggles, and doing it in a very engaging way. I walked
Northwest Film Center
,oilt of the trtcafcr.'dl-yin^ hiV/tdah, ¿nd feeling Very hopeful/ 1 ’ ' * 1 1 1 4 ' tn ^81 ' ’ * 1
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