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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1994)
O ▼ • • p l s m b f l r 1 6 , 1 9 9 4 ▼ ju » t o u t £ a r n  a /u L 3* HaA^e/ià; LOCATED IN HISTORIC ST. JOHNS PROUDLY SERVING THE GREATER PORTLAND AREA 8302 N. Lombard • 286-1330 TWENTY-THIRD AVENUE BOOKS 1015 NW 2 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97210, (503) 224-5097 Monday-Friday 9 :3 0 - 8 pm □ Saturday 10 am - 8 pm □ Sunday 11 am - 4 pm Visit Rejuvenation this season and enjoy the quiet company of our lions, gargoyles, gods, goddesses and a wonderful assortm ent of exceptional cast cement statuary can w ith stan d the elem en ts Equally at home indoors or out Rejuvenation... we sell the past MON SAT 0 6 SUN 1 2 -5 • T E L E P H O N E 2 3 8 1 9 0 0 I IOO S .E . O R A N O AVENUE. P O R T L A N D . O R 9 7 2 14 world news Zapatistas support lesbians and gay men The Zapatista guerrillas who fought the Mexi can government in January in southern Chiapas state incorporated a list of gay and lesbian civil rights demands into the official document that emerged from their National Democratic Conven tion held in August in the Chiapas jungle. And perhaps even more remarkable: The 7,000 del egates to the gathering accepted the queer planks w ithout any controversy. Seventy leaders of Mexican gay and lesbian groups met in Mexico City before the con vention and prepared de mands that in cluded a na tional anti-dis- c r i mi n a t i o n law, improved education on sexuality in schools, appointment of gay men and lesbians to government positions, a government campaign against homophobia, and unbiased AIDS educa tion. A contingent of 16 of the leaders then trav eled to Chiapas and presented the demands to the convention. “Some convention delegates were surprised, but there were no arguments against us during the assembly,” said Tijuana gay leader Alejandro Garcia. “It was a climate of equality and brother hood. In a situation like that, when someone is homophobic, no one will support him.” “The most important result,” Garcia said, “is that our ideas were disseminated. Many people with very little knowledge of the gay movement now have heard a lot more about it.” The convention’s overall aims included pro posing a new Mexican constitution, preparing demands for Mexico’s new president, Ernesto Zedillo, and furthering the rebels’ campaigns for improved basic services, human rights reforms, and a democratic political system. Confest ejects male- to-female transsexuals Some 80 separatists repeatedly disrupted the annual National Lesbian Confest in July in Brisbane, Australia, until they succeeded in forcing organiz ers to eject male-to-female transsexuals. Queensland Pride, a local queer newspaper, reported the confest “was marred by radical-sepa ratist action which included death threats against members of the Brisbane confest collective. Dam age to personal property was also threatened, if lesbian transgenderists were not banned from at tending the event.” “The disturbance began during the formation of the opening circle. [Separatist leader] Lavender called out, ‘Join this second group if you don’t want to hold hands with men.’ The separatists then formed their own circle. With confusion mount ing, a third circle was formed. This was made up of women from other countries who wanted to dem onstrate their inclusiveness,” the newspaper re ported. The organizing collective gave in to the de mands after 80 separatists surrounded collective members and, according to the members, threat ened their safety. “I was aware of some of the backlash we would get, having worked around women who identified very solidly with separatist beliefs, [but] the feroc ity of it was really unexpected,” collective member Gai Lemon told another local queer newspaper, Brother Sister. First queer parade in Japan draws 1,500 Tokyo saw its first pride parade Aug. 28, when 1,500 lesbians and gay men marched from the queer bar area of Shinjuku to the Shibuya district, three miles away. Lesbians marching in the parade outnumbered gay men by a substantial margin. Some passersby looked surprised, some waved and snapped photos, according to several reports. No negative incidents were reported. “Japan is not an easy place to live for lesbians, so, for me, organizing this was a way of reducing stress,” said Akiyo Ohya. Queers march in India Day Parade The South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association marched in New York’s 14th annual India Day Parade on Aug. 20, even though it was banned by parade organizers. The group marched with Sakhi, a South Asian women’s group that disagreed with the organizers’ stand. Parade-watchers were mostly supportive, ac cording to the New York press. The president of the Federation of India Asso ciations, Ramesh Patel, said his organization banned the group because it “does not respect the parade ... We allowed this group to march two years ago, and they didn’t behave—they used it for what they wanted.” “You would think that with what has happened with other groups like us in other parades, the organizers would support the way we act,” marcher Kevin Conare told The New York Post. "We’re out there not to be angry and militant but to be visible.” “They haven ’ t given us any real reason why we can’t march, so it’s only fair that we’re here,” said SALGA spokeswoman Priyamvada Sinha. Media coverage of the parade focused almost exclusively on SALGA. In a statement posted on the Internet computer network, the group said, “We plan to rigorously pursue our right to march in future India Day parades using media, litigation and pressure from local politicians.” “Up until now, it was hard to come out and say you’re gay,” parade Chairman Teishiro Minami told the Associated Press. “But changes in our society have made it easier to be open about it.” Minami said he has waited 20 years to organize a gay and lesbian march. “This is a landmark day for us,” said a marcher named Mizuko. “We were able to prove that we’re alive and that we exist in this society.” “People look at us and think we’re strange,” said another marcher. “Perhaps their way of think ing won’t change immediately, but I hope ordi nary people will gradually start to accept us.” Marchers carried signs with such slogans as "Mother, your son is gay,” and “Stop homophobia.” Japanese society is generally tolerant of same- sex orientation, but under a rather strict “don’t ask, don’t tell” norm. The Shinjuku district has about 400 queer bars, most of them very small. Compiled by Rex Wockner