2 ▼ d * c* m b «r 2, 1004 ▼ just out
just out
steppin’ out
since 1983
PUBLISHER A N D EDITOR
Renée LaChance
contents
VOL 12 NO. 3 DECEMBER 2,1994
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Ariel Waterwoman
REPORTER
FEATURE
Inga Sorensen
CALENDAR EDITOR
Babes in dykeland!
Jann Gilbert
A lesbian fam ily finds an
outpouring o f support
following the birth o f triplets
(PP- 17-20)
PHOTOGRAPHER
Linda Kliewer
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Meg Grace
ADVERTISING REPS
DEPARTMENTS
E. Ann Hinds
Jewel Robinson
World news
Ontario gives support to
queer youth hotline
(P- 5)
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
E. Ann Hinds
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rupert Kinnard
National news
COPY EDITOR
Car rental companies adopt
progressive policies
(pp. 6-9)
Kelly M. Bryan
TYPESETTER
Jann Gilbert
DISTRIBUTION
Ambling Bear
Local news
G abby’s earache doesn 7 faze Sam (left) or Risa (right), but it gets her m om s' attention. Fora tale o f three babies ,
turn to page 17.
OFFICE MANAGER
Aaron Bong
How the election
shakes down fo r No on 13,
Right To Privacy, and
Oregon’s queer legislators
(pp. 10-14)
CONTRIBUTORS
guest editorial
Reality bites
Aaron Bong
Howard N. Dana
Jann Gilbert
Prof. IB . Gittendowne
Al Kielwasser
Risa Krivé
Lee Lynch
Rex Wockner
th ird F riday of each m onth. Copyright
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Getting beyond a mistrust o f
straight men
(p. 35)
Amazon trail
V
Sorting through treasured
political buttons
(p. 36)
by A aron Bong
I
Queer thing
...and Generation “Q tries to chart previously traveled territory—possibly alone
”
fust out is published on the first and
COLUMNS
t used to be that I was immune. No one that I knew had
Pedro’s life and death is to state my feelings lightly.
HIV or AIDS. Well, at least they weren’t my age. The
In my world— where AIDS has been a fact of sex since I can
people that got sick were older. The people that died
remember— Pedro is the first person from my generation to
were older. Even the people telling me to practice safer
publicly pass from this life due to AIDS. He gave me and my
sex in ads and commercials were— and are—older.
generation mortality through his death. All of the people, both
Their generations were, and very much still are, removed from
public and private, that I have seen mourned have been from
mine, in our terribly divided and fractured communities.
other generations—though their passing has at times affected
Intellectually I learned how not to become infected. I took
me, too.
a crash course in educating myself emotionally earlier this
Every week I can watch what I now know to be the last
year. But still, my generation was removed. We didn’t need to
months of Pedro’s life agonizingly played out on the screen of
worry. Until MTV chose Pedro Zamora for The Real World.
my television set. Pedro was the show’s first HIV-positive cast
Two years ago MTV producers came up with an idea to put
member. And, as long as the information is needed, I hope not
six twentysomethings in a loft together in New York. MTV’s
the last. Through his personal disclosures to the television
The Real World was bom. The most recent season was filmed
cameras, he turned the light on in the room and showed my
in a house in San Francisco. Pedro was selected out of over
generation what has been quickly spreading and killing us.
30,000 people to be a part of the show.
Pedro said, “For a number of reasons, some legitimate, we
When Pedro was eight his family emigrated from Cuba. At
fail to include young gays in our community; partly because
14 Pedro began having sex with other males. He came out to his
we are afraid. Mention young gays and immediately the
family by the time he was 18. His life story is replicated by
association is with pedophilia and recruitment. But young gays
many young gay men I know. But then it changes. Before he
exist. To open our arms and accept them means accepting the
graduated from high school, while he was still a senior, he
unique responsibility that comes with them. But, if our goal is
tested positive for HIV.
to be a whole community, it has to happen— and it has to
Immediately Pedro began to educate his peers, my genera
happen now.”
tion, about AIDS and HIV. He spoke locally in Miami, then
I am learning to mourn a person who has died from AIDS.
nationally and internationally. He became a resource and an
I am learning how to deal with my own mortality. It’s difficult.
inspiration for many.
I want to learn how from people who have been there before
In the late spring of this year. Pedro’s already low T-cell
me. But our communities have been too fractured, too com
count was obliterated when he contracted pneumocystis pneu
partmentalized. To echo words I recently read; I’m 21. I’m
monia (PCP). He soon overcame the PCP, but by then his body
your son. Please get over your differences so you can teach me,
had progressed into AIDS.
together.
On Friday. Nov. 11. at about 5 am. Pedro Zamora died due
I only hope that my generation learned something through
to complications of AIDS. He was 22. The same age I will be
Pedro’s openness before too many of us fall.
in less than 20 days To say that I have been mildly affected by
ARTS
Interview
Alison Bechdel gets serious
(pp. 27-29)
Music
The Fallen Angel Choir
spills the beans
(P- 31)
Entertainment
Women ’s spirituality on OPB
(p. 32)
Media
Roseanne ’s Halloween
episode draws boos
(p. 33)
Aural gratification
Can just anyone do a
holiday album ?
(p. 34)