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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1995)
just out ▼ January 6, 1009 ▼ 7 ^ in LOTTA’S S elect beaded cocktail dresses, vintage fashion, sequined evening wear and fine collectables! professional misdeeds. NGLTF. Those included Virgina Apuzzo, Suzanne The thousand-word press release trumpeting Pharr, Steve Lew, Kate Clinton, Mandy Carter, Paras’ selection was accompanied by a highly Urvashi Vaid, Carmen Vazquez, and Jeff unusual five pages of “testimonials” from selected Richardson. leaders. The package was curious for the number Most prominently among the missing of those of omitted elements normally contained in such a testifying to the worthiness of Paras were the document. There was virtually no mention of per national AIDS organizations: ACT UP, AIDS sonal data, such as where she was bom or her age. Action Council, the National Association of People It omits her long years of membership in the with AIDS, the National Minority AIDS Council, Marxist group Line of March, her sojourn to Cuba and the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention. as part of a Marxist They simply were not The thousand-word press release asked. brigade, and her de portation from the “I’m not surprised trumpeting Paras ’ selection was Philippines for anti- that they didn’t target accompanied by a highly unusual or government activi focus on AIDS or five pages o f “testimonials” from ganizations, because ties. Her principle I’ve never known selected leaders. identification, in the NGLTF to be a player first line of the release, was as a San Francisco on AIDS,” said Alexander Robinson, president of Health Commissioner, a political appointment to NTFAP and Washington lobbyist on gay, lesbian an advisory body that meets once a month and and AIDS issues for the ACLU. carries a modest honorarium. Her highest-paying “I don’t think it is significant that they chose and most professionally responsible previous job, someone who briefly worked in an AIDS organi as deputy director at Shanti Project, wasn’t men zation,” he explained, “I think they will continue in tioned until the final sentence of the document. their same pattern of giving AIDS cursory atten The “testimonials of support” from various tion.” leaders seemed to fall into two categories. The NAPWAexecutivedirector Bill Freeman found most effusive testimonials came from Dr. Mitchell that prospect “real disconcerting, because the health Katz; Elizabeth Birch, the new executive director challenge that our community faces is clearly HIV of the Human Rights Campaign Fund; Torie disease. NGLTF has not made AIDS any kind of a Osborn, former executive director of NGLTF; priority.” Carole Migden, supervisor of the city and county Paras does not seem likely to change that focus of San Francisco; and Kevin Cathart, executive of the task force. An interview she did with The director of the Lambda Legal Defense and Educa Washington Blade states, “Paras cited AIDS as one tion Fund. of about 20 issues ‘of enormous importance’ to the Many of the more prominent names signed on gay movement which she believes NGLTF must to a much blander statement pledging to work with address.” ▼ Quality selection to fit both men and women of all sizes T Attentive service in a safe and comfortable environment B e^uee th at’s Open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11-8 pm Gerry Taylor and Mark Stucker, Proprietors Janice Scroggins at the piano every first Thursday 274-2574 IN NlllMIIWI ' l I'o it'liw il ON 'llI K ColîNKIÎ 01 VUUIN & 2.'5lll) Pl.ACK The incredible shrinking task force KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA , Two more senior employees leave NGLTF while one very controversial one joins the staff T «¡8 «8 by Bob Roehr egislative director Tanya Domi, on admin June layoffs for Marj Plumb, director of the les istrative leave without pay and working in bian health project; Martin Hiraga, director of the Nepal, faxed her letter of resignation to the anti-violence and sodomy reform projects; and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on Nov. 30. senior accountant Robert Rodriquez. Executive director Peri Jude Radecic, who was Late summer saw a resignation by communi supposed to return to the job of director of public cations director David Smith, with board member policy, added her own resignation later that day. Gregory Fisher filling in on a temporary and She is staying on through a brief transition period. unpaid basis. How many people work full time for the task Spokesperson Robin Kane, director of finance force? “I’m not sure, hang on one second,” said Deborah Cox, and director of theCreatingChange spokesman Gregory Fisher on Dec. 6. He turned conference Ivy Young all left in early September. away from the NGLTF adopted a phone and shouted 1994 budget of $4.3 mil the question to oth lion at its board meeting NGLTF adopted a 1994 budget ers. Then he covered in September 1993. It o f $4.3 million at its board the receiv er and soon realized that budget meeting in September 1993. then, after a long, projected an overly opti silent pause, the of mistic increase in rev It soon realized that budget ficial word came enue and operations. It projected an overly optimistic has been reduced by 40 back, ‘Twenty-two full time and one percent— in three incre increase in revenue and part-time consult ments, at board meetings operations. ant.” in January, May and Sep The executive tember—to the current director’s office has been a veritable musical level of $2.6 million. chairs since Urvashi Vaid left in late 1992. Since Yet, by this fall, the board still projected a that time the names Scotch taped to the door have large deficit at the end of the year. This reflected been: Peri Jude Radecic (on a three-month acting a continued decline in revenue from its small- basis), Torie Osborn (who announced her resig donor-income stream of memberships, direct mail nation after less than six months on the job), gifts, and fees for attendance at events such as the Radecic again (who, after nine months, said she Creating Change conference. would only fulfill her one-year contract), and now Only two large individual gifts totaling $300,000 have rescued NGLTF from ending the Melinda Paras. Senior personnel left NGLTF in three waves year in the red. Those two gifts represent more this year. The workplace organizing position has than 10 percent of the organization’s income for been vacant since George Kronenberger retired the year. for-medical reasons. Financial constraints brought L •4 W ish in g g on Peace, P ride a n d P rosperity J o r the h o lid a ys a n d the com in g y ear: 1 s* 8> Thank you, lesbian & gay community! Your generous support of my business has enabled my continued support of community causes and groups such as No on 13, Lesbian Community Project, Right to Privacy, Human Rights Campaign <4 Fund.GLAAD, and many more. s*- <4 John L. Scott Real Estate 4 Broadway Branch 2100 NE Broadway, Ste. 1-B 5 0 3 -2 8 7 -9 6 3 2 , ext 122 mobile 720-4642 fax 5 03-284-1618 JvU iiyn n d a m e s , gri Associate Broker y o u r real estate professional ▼Be s t w ish es f o r a w a rm , w on derfu l ¿y «8 sa fe h o lid a y season! 1 look fo r w a r d to m ovin g you, y o u r f r i e n d s in 1 ,9,96/ ■4 «8 ► ► V S p e c ia lis in g in c la s s ic ¿y restorahie homes in p d x 's e sta b lish e d neighborhoods & 8» 8*