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“I don’t believe in the existence of monsters,”
wrote George Konrad in the story “The High
Priest of Frivolity,” (The New Yorker, March 19,
1992) “there are only imbeciles, and private im­
beciles can easily become public imbeciles. They
harles Dickens might have been de­
ape every stupidity they hear. They are malleable,
scribing the 1990s in this country.
When the radical right began its at­ like wax. Their heads are full of advertising slo­
tacks on sexual minority people I gans, propaganda, lies. They are drugged with
pills of hate; they are addicted and feel lost if there
thought my world had come to an end.
is
nothing to hate.” Konrad’s character was talk­
Now that I understand that this is a fight for liberty
ing about Europe 60 years ago.
and democracy, one skirmish in an age-old battle—
Rush Limbaugh, just a month ago, seemed
a battle that my parents’ generation fought in
inevitable. I would ask, “Can’t someone stop
World War II, that the French fought in 1789, that
him?” and then remind myself of the guarantee of
begat the United States—now that I see the big
free speech. Now Anna Quindlen writes in The
picture, I see that these are indeed the very best of
New York Times: “And with the quiet acquies­
times.
cence of such as Mr. Dole, Jack Kemp, Phil
Yes, Colorado’s Measure 2 is headed toward
Gramm and other Republican leaders, Christian
the highest court, and Cincinnati is embroiled in
Coalition members... could move the party sharply
its own battle. Here in the Pacific Northwest,
to the right.” She quotes Pat Buchanan at a Chris­
Oregon is up against it again. Conservative Ne­
tian Coalition Conference last year: “Our culture
vada chased the evil empire out of its voting
is superior because our religion is Christianity,
booths, and the sun, for the moment, shines on
and that is the truth that makes men free.” Europe
Florida’s gay men and lesbians, thanks to the
60 years ago was frighteningly like the United
courts down there.
States today.
What I once saw as charges on a thousand
fronts I now see as instruments which shaped a
Now the media is listening to lesbians and gay
rainbow revolution
men who have been
I could not have
crying, “Danger!”
imagined 25 years
Now the politicians,
ago.
when they are in
This past month
jeopardy of being
President Clinton,
unseated, are doing
Surgeon General
the warning them­
Joycelyn Elders,
selves. Now the
and D em ocratic
larger society sees
C o n g re s s io n a l
that the radical right
Campaign Com ­
believes oppression
m ittee chairm an
is democratic and
Vic Fazio— not to
freedom is the right
m ention Texas
to hate.
Gov. Ann Rich­
The
rig h t’s
ards— all spoke out
pow er com es in
against the “hate-
hate p ills. O ur
m ongers,”
the
pow er has been
“ fire -b re a th in g ” 0
slow in coming, but
radicals, the un-
this is the time to
Christian religious
grasp it. If even half
warriors. I got a let-\ ,
the queers in the
ter from Sen. Bob 1 *
United States sent
Packwood today, i
$10 a month to, for
saying that he is an .1
example, the Les­
original co-sponsor V
bian and Gay Vic­
of the Employment '
tory Fund; if even
N on-D iscrim ina­
half the women in
tion Act of 1994, a bill to prohibit job discrimina­
the U.S. sent $10 a month to the National Wo­
tion based on sexual orientation. We’ve come a
men’s Political Caucus; if even half the registered
long way from the first attacks in California and
Democrats sent $10 a month to Democratic can­
Oregon in the ’80s, when many of us were either
didates and half the socially conscious Republi­
afraid to put anti-right bumper stickers on our cars
cans sent the same to support moderate Republi­
or weren’t paying attention. It’s not that we’re not
cans— if every one of us voted this year— there is
in Kansas anymore, Toto, but that the whole
no way the right could steal away democracy.
world knows we are in Kansas.
The United States is in transition. It is on the
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting recently
verge of shutting out the “Other,” whether that
ran an advertisement. The headline: “It’s time we
Other be the Haitian running for her life; the
took Rush Limbaugh seriously.” FAIR lists sev­ lesbian, gay man or bisexual losing the right to
eral of the lies told by this man on 625 radio and
rent a home; or a poor person losing a chance at
220 television stations and advises, “Let station
quality health care. This country was not created
managers know that you take Rush Limbaughjust
with closed doors. The radical right is pushing
as seriously as do his misled fans.” Broadcasting
them closed, and we are on the front lines strain­
truth is a condition of a station’s license to oper­
ing to keep them open.
ate.
In the worst of times a Rush Limbaugh is
July 4, the National Education Association
elevated to celebrity, while in the best of times
voted to boycott Florida orange juice if the state
coalitions of teachers and queers, presidents and
citrus board renews its million-dollar advertising
the poor, rise up in a rainbow revolution whose
contract with Limbaugh.
roar is the truth that makes all of us free.
It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times.
2454 E BURNSIDE • PORTLAND, OR 97214
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As the radical right relentlessly pushes at the civil rights
of sexual minorities, others are joining in to
help us push them back
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by Lee Lynch
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Rainbow revolution