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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1994)
I received this year from the members of Pride Northwest, Inc. As one of our community leaders said, “We shouldn’t treat our own this way.” This is a matter of courtesy and respect. I wish also that next year’s organizers would be sensitive to gay and lesbian youth, and clean and sober people, who this year were squeezed into the street and a tiny patch of grass, because of the overly large beer garden. I hope the organizers of Lesbian and Gay Pride will be sensitive to the issues of all our community, whether it be leather folks, or drag queens, or young queer Christian Republicans in suits. Pride is for everyone and we need each other. Janna MacAuslan Portland Queer parents not always in closet To the Editor: I share Steve Warren’s pride and enthusiasm in his coverage of the Gay and Lesbian Day at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. [“Debbie does Disney,” July 1, 1994], I agree with his analysis that it was a win-win situation. However, his commentary towards “fag-dyke couples with rent- a-kids trying to pass” is a vision of an extremely lose-lose nature. As a gay single father with a six-year-old daugh ter, I would have been proud to share that experi ence with her. In fact, anything less than that seems absolutely absurd to me. It is Disney World, after all. My intention is not to misconstrue Steve Warren’s words and say he meant people should leave kids behind. Nevertheless, Warren continues, stating, “per haps what they saw will give them the courage to come out next year.” That does imply that if gay people bring their children, or children in their lives, with them to Disney World that they are hiding in the closet. I find that attitude very saddening. Unfortunately, it is an attitude that is all too common, especially in the gay men’s community. For me, it is always heartwarming when I see gay men and lesbians with children at gatherings. I believe we should embrace that aspect of our diversity instead of ridiculing it. Bryan Moore Eugene Get it right! To the Editor: Lon Mabon is trying to turn me back into a boy. The fact of the matter is that he doesn’t believe 1 ever became a girl. Sadly, his belief is apparently shared by many in the gay, lesbian and bisexual community. Those of us who literally change sex—trans sexuals—are having our reality denied every time someone in the queer community uses the term “transgender” to describe us. ‘Transgender” is not inclusive of transsexuals, for the simple reason that Nature's Miost Powerful Free Radical Scavanger and Antioxident gender is not the same as sex. Transsexuals change sex—we risk our health and lives undergoing dangerous medical procedures to remove genitals which we abhor and detest—and we have a right not to have our accomplishment minimized by people referring to it as simply changing gender, or transgenderism. It is a fallacy to claim, as some do, that “transgender” is an “umbrella term” inclusive of all trans-people—transvestites, transgenders and transsexuals. ‘Transgender” is no more inclusive of transsexuals than “gay” is inclusive of lesbians and bisexuals. I request that in the future Just Out extend the same consideration towards transvestites, transgenders and transsexuals as it does for gays, lesbians and bisexuals and stop its current practice of lumping all trans-people together in a term appropriate to only one way of being trans. ProPlus Now available from Cornerstone Nutritional Products, Inc. We'll send you our Free Technical Report. Call (503) 293-7725 Acupuncture «Chiropractic «Massage Counseling «Naturopathic Medicine Margaret Deirdre O’Hartigan Portland ( 503 ) CIRCLE HEALTHCARE CLINIC Cover the news 77 To the Editor: Hooray! Bigot Busters has been resurrected, active and effective in the fight against the OCA. Does Just Out rejoice in the health and renewed vigor of Bigot Busters? A resoundingly shocking “no” is the answer. Just Out’s censorship of this vitally important community meeting, at a time when the OCA is active again, is very dangerous and destructive to gay and lesbian Oregonians who are looking for ways to fight the right-wing attack on their civil rights. Just Out has a history of ignoring the left’s activism within the gay community. It has fre quently excluded news of the work radicals— including Portland Radical Women—are doing in the fight for civil and human rights for all of us. You have yet to cover the precedent-setting free speech case of lesbian and Socialist activist Sandy Nelson of Tacoma, Wash. Just Out needs to include all the voices in the gay community—including the radical and mili tant voices. You need to help in the development of the gay community and a movement to protect our rights. Your continued censorship of our voice plays into the hands of the right wing. Stop the censorship and join in the struggle to build a civil rights movement for the ’90s which includes all the members of the gay and lesbian community. Begin by supporting the community you claim to represent. ' y // / /, 1 s — L r - . 1 ( _ T 7 ^ Brooke Winter, L.Ac. Jan Corwin, DC N Kip M. Hard, DC Valerie M. Lyon, MS, LMT 1 S ' 1 230-0812 ^ Suzanne Scopes, ND Elizabeth Carlson, DC, LMT Simone Koos-Gibbs, BS, LMT 316 NE 28th Street • Portland, Oregon 97232 Buying or Selling? Let me give you a hand. Ybu deserve representation whether you are selling or buying real estate. MlUynn is one of the few top agents in Portland who offers buyers the same level of representation that sellers have traditionally counted on. And, of course, Millynn continues to offer top personalized service to sellers, bringing you top dollar with the least amount of hassle. Call now for a free market evaluation if you need to sell before you buy your next home! With her client-oriented services for non-traditional families in all our diversity, Millynn has become the #1 Eastside agent for Professionals 100 (the #1 company in Oregon). In today’s competitive market, don’t you want to be represented by the best? CALL MILLYNN NOW to schedule a free consultation (with no obligation). Karen Gwaltney Portland Editor’s Note: Two points. No. 1, Bob Ralph, the creator o f Bigot Busters, says he has not given Radical Women the use o f his organization’s name. No. 2, Radical Women has consistently missed Just Out’$ deadline for announcements. This does not constitute censorship. Millynn James, cri Associate Broker Multi-Million Dollar Producer Your Real Estate Professional (503) 287-9632, x.122 Mobile/Voice Mail 720-4642 TWENTY-THIRD AVENUE m J 0 0 .ROFESSIONi E REALTORS ^ . 1 ; 7 start by listening. n ~ Specializing in classic homes in Portland’s established neighborhoods - See Classified for this m o n th ’s selected listings. 1015 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97210, (503) 224-5097 My pledge for 1994: To donate/invest at least 10% of my commissions back into the lesbian and gay community. Monday-Friday 9 :3 0 - 8 pm □ Saturday 10 am - 8 pm □ Sunday 11 am - 4 pm • • » « • < * I