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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1994)
jOTt o«*t ▼ fabraary 18, 1894 T 3 : letters r :>•' v. Looking deeper To the Editor Having recently seen the movie Philadel phia, and being from South Philly, I was reading the Jan. 21 editorial, '‘Office Chatter,” about the movie. Then I got to the part where [the editor] starts talking about the main gay character and his lover. I find it very interesting that this white woman had the nerve to address the main char acter (white) by his full name but had only the racism available to her to omit any mention of the lover’s last name. And not only once. When she refers to the white boy, she refers to him by either both names (Andrew Beckett) or his last name only. The Latino lover is nowhere men tioned by his last name. Only by his first name. Miguel. Does the author of this piece of racist shit realize what she has done? It’s not that white women don’t know any better. How often do you have to be told how to respect someone who is not white? How stupid, arrogant and hateful are you? Do you even have any idea of what I’m talking about? Really? Men who are not white are not boys. Who smacked you in the ass with the book of women’s mysteries and called you goddess? How many times do you white women have to be told that it is arrogant, racist and just down right rude, god damn it, to refer to white boys (and girls) by their full names and then refer to people who aren’t white by just their first name? Don’t do it, god damn it. Just don’t do it Got it? sister species of crow, o.c. Winston Editor’s note: In both the review of Philadel phia (Jan. 7) and the Editorial (Jan. 21) the character played by A ntonio Banderas, an actor from Spain, was referred to as "Miguel.” In Philadelphia, the character Miguel has no last name. 1 looked for just the reasons raised. This name disparity does reflect racism within the movie industry. Readers familiar with Just Out know that I am of mixed ancestry. / am in the Beaver Clan of the Tsalagi (Cherokee) people, Welsh and Jewish. Being of mixed ancestry though is no insurance that I will never reflect the racism that permeates all of our lives. As a news service Just Out is committed to actively fighting oppression. We welcomefeedbackfrom the community that helps us become more effec tive in that fight. Our heras! To the Editor We are writing in response to the Feb. 4 article, “Lesbians avenge The East Side,” by Lee Norwood. We appreciate the effort and concern that/art Out has shown with regard to the recent changes at the former East Side. However, we feel that a few inaccuracies in the article need to be corrected. The Lesbian Avengers’ first action at Dooley’s was on Jan. 15. Our objective was to simply exercise our right as women and as lesbians to attend the club and to challenge Dooley’s male escort policy. The security guard met us at the door and admitted seven of us with a single male escort. We asked to speak to the owner about this policy, and then we sat at the bar by the stage to watch the dancer. The owner, Odell Jones, came out and told us that we each required a male escort; he was unjustifiably hostile and was unwilling to listen to our concerns regarding the house rule. All three dancers at the club sup ported our right to be there, and one of them quit on the spot. Two other dancers were fired for speaking up in our defense. While there, one Avenger placed a couple of stickers of the Les bian Avengers hotline number in the women’s bathroom, which enabled the dancers to later contact us. This is the extent of the alleged vandalism for which the Lesbian Avengers are responsible. Our exchange with Jones became heated and he told us it was his right to refuse us service and to get out. After approximately ten minutes in the bar, we danced out proudly to the music playing, “Let’s talk about sex.” Our second action, on Jan. 29, was a demon stration to protest Dooley ’s discrimination against women and lesbians. Two Avengers were ad mitted to the club with male es corts, but were both denied ser vice when we tried to order drinks because one of our escorts was in the other room. The entire time we were in side the bar (ap proximately five minutes), Jones harassed and in timidated us. He made it very clear that we were not welcome there, despite the fact that we were willing on that occasion to be escorted and fol low the bar’s rules. We feel that his male escort policy is simply a front to keep women, espe cially lesbians, out of his establishment. Besides violating Oregon’s public accom modations law, Jones’ discrimination against lesbians is absolutely unacceptable and can be seen as an attack on the queer community. We are encouraging any women who have been denied access to the former East Side to file complaints with the Bureau of Labor and Indus tries’ civil rights division (731-4075). We also call upon all concerned to boycott Jones’ other establishment. Captain’s Comer. The Lesbian Avengers are continuing to confront Jones’ in tolerance and any other issues pertinent to les bian self-respect and visibility. We Recruit! The Lesbian Avengers Portland with unfriendly judges by Reagan and Bush. A Supreme Court which not so long ago ruled that a man may be taken from his home and locked in prison for homosexuality is not to be relied on for protection against discriminatory laws. I strongly disagree with the editorial’s con clusion that nothing was gained from the fight on 9 except the chance to do it again. We showed that people, homosexuals and heterosexuals to gether, could turn back a hate campaign. We stood up for liberty and justice and human rights, and when people stop doing that, don’t bother to look around forjudges to make everything okay. True, we need to know we can probably survive even if we lose. But it won’t even be worth surviving if we do so in a state of apathy, trusting others to provide the vigilance which really is the price of liberty. Ron Unger Eugene Funding shortfall To the Editor I want to thank you and Just Out for the continual coverage that you have given to the Outreach to Rural Youth Project. The amount of space provided for the most recent article, “It’s Only Fair,” and the previous feature article are especially appreciated. I have always received the utmost in courtesy and attention in working with Just Out in covering the work that I was doing in Eastern Washington. Unfortunately, at this time, I don’t have the funding to continue the work that I hoped to do Can’t trust courts To the Editor The Jan. 7 issue of Just Out contained an editorial which suggested it would have been better to save time and money by allowing the Oregon Citizens Alliance win on Measure 9, and then let the judicial system deal with the conse quences. The idea seemed to be that no matter how badly we are defeated politically, we can count on the courts to uphold our rights. Where did this notion come from? Some seem to think that since the OCA’s Measure 8 was found unconstitutional by the courts, we can continue to count on the courts to overrule future initiatives. The problem is that Measure 8 was overruled based on the Oregon Read the Bible To the Editor The fight over Measure 9 was a very tough time for me. Not only did I have to help fight against the Oregon Citizens Alliance, I had to struggle within my own family. I found out my brother is a member of the OCA and friends with Scott Lively and Lon Mabon. So I would watch the news at night and there would be my brother and his kids on the TV holding signs, “Yes on 9.” What I did to help myself and take my life back was to write my brother a letter. Here it is: Dear Larry, I saw you on the news last night. I was shocked and appalled. How could you stand up and call yourself a Christian when you are promoting hatred and bigotry and teaching this to your children, my nieces and nephew? I am gay and your sister and can’t believe you would want to take my rights away! If you are a man who believed in God why don’t you read the Bible? Here are a few of many for you to start with— I Corinthians, 13:1-13, Ro mans 2:1-16, Luke 6:27-45, Matthew 22:36-40, Titusl:15. One of the main things the Bible teaches is love thy neighbor. Neither you, Scott, Lon nor all the other OCA people are doing that. I think you need to take a look at your own lives. God loves me for who I am. I know that for sure. P.S. Not that I need to defend myself but someday I hope my nieces and nephew will see me for who I am and not like all the lies you and the OCA have said. This is how I took the power back and took the control. I thought I would share it with you and others. Nancy Zimmer Portland in Oregon. Should financial support come through for the project, I will look forward to continuing a positive relationship and in working with you in the future. Again, thanks for the support that you’ve given both me and the project. I know that such coverage makes a big difference. Scott Thiemann Portland A welcoming church Constitution, which will no longer be intact once one of the OCA’s new initiatives, which are constitutional amendments, are added to it. Any appeals will then have to be made based on the U.S. Constitution, and ultimately be judged in federal courts, which have been well-stocked ness Committee at the Salem UU Society, which is a welcoming congregation. It’s at 490 19th NE, Salem, OR 97301. (503) 364-0932. Lloyd Kumley Salem To the Editor In your Spirituality column of Jan. 21, it was noted that 112 United Church of Christ congre gations in the nation are a part of the Welcoming Churches Movement, which publicly welcomes gay, lesbian and bisexual people into local churches. A large number of the Unitarian-Uni- versalist groups are also welcoming churches, including most, if not all, UU Societies and Churches in Oregon and Washington. The UUs arc creedless and open. People from a wide variety of philosophical and religious approaches are likely to feel comfortable in these congrega tions, from theists to humanists to atheists. I am a member of the Gay/Straight Aware TRANSITIONS Dancing across Michael James Calder died on Feb. 6 of complications due to AIDS. He was 33 years old. Calder was active in dance. He also worked for five years as the design manager at Oregon Tile and Marble Company. Calder was bom in Tacoma, Wash. He is survived by his sister, Catherine Joan Hector, and his brother, Charles P. Calder, both of Port land. Contributions in Calder’s memory may be made to the Cascade AIDS Project Correction An article in the last issue of Just Out (“Les bians avenge The East Side,” Feb. 4) incorrectly stated that the Oregon Liquor Control Commis sion was concerned that the club would bring drugs, alcohol and crime into the neighborhood and that the OLCC was misled by the owner who never revealed to them that it was a strip bar. Those concerns actually belonged to the resi dents who attended a neighborhood meeting on Jan. 27, as relayed through the OLCC represen tative. §