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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1996)
just out ▼ fobruary 2, 1096 ▼ 15 Em ily S im on 620 SW Fifth Ave., Ste. 1204 Portland, Oregon 97204 (5 0 3 ) 2 4 1 -1 5 5 3 (503) 241-2587 FAX O pening a dialogue E m phasizing rep resentation of the accused in all m isdem eanor, felony, traffic and DUII actions in state, federal, ju ve n ile courts and ad m in istrative actions Transsexual activists and the Right to Privacy board will sit down together to seek common ground by Inga Sorensen ranssexual rights advocates are sched about a name-change. “But the whole board will uled to meet on Feb. 10 with the full at least get to talk directly with members of the board of Right to Privacy PAC, transsexual community about this on Feb. 10. Oregon’s largest gay, lesbian and That’s important.” bisexual rights organization. That Additionally, Pack says RTP has made no plan stems from a Jan. 2 meeting—the first of its about altering its mission statement to decision kind—between some RTP representatives and include transsexuals. He says RTP’s mission state members of the transsexual community, who say ment currently—and explicitly— covers gay men, they have been seeking an audience with RTP for lesbians and bisexuals. several months. Another issue in question concerns statewide “The meeting was a success in that we were anti-discrimination legislation. RTP PAC has been able to start the dialogue with RTP. That is very lobbying legislators for more than a decade to encouraging to us,” says Candice Hellen Brown, pass an anti-discrimination law. Transsexual ac a local transsexual activist. tivists have urged the group to push legislation Brown was among a group of seven trans that protects not only gay men, lesbians and sexual activists— five of whom are from Seattle— bisexuals from discrimination, but transsexuals who met with RTP’s executive director, Barry as well. Pack, and two board members for a three-hour Activists have criticized RTP’s decision last meeting in which transsexual activists shared legislative session to push a bill that excluded their concerns about the name of the RTP political language they believed could have covered mem action comm ittee’s flagship fund-raiser, the bers of the transsexual and transgendered com Lucille Hart Dinner. munities. The annual event is more than a decade old and “That’s a bigger issue,” says Pack. “There’s attracts powerful political figures including the no doubt our board supports full civil rights pro governor and members of Congress. The dinner tections for the transsexual and transgendered was named for Alberta communities, but whether Lucille Hart, an accom our organization is the one plished physician and au to do that— or whether we thor who lived in Oregon should support others’ from 1890 to 1962. Bom a i efforts to do that— re É woman, Hart lived an adult mains up in the air. That is life as male—dressing as a 1 a decision that requires a man, using a male pronoun 1 lot of input and cannot be and marrying a woman. made hastily.” Some believe Hart was In related news, Port actually a lesbian who lived land transsexual activist outwardly as a man as a M argaret D eirdre way to better deal with O’Hartigan has asked the so ciety ’s hom ophobia. Portland City Council to extend civil rights protec Brown and others, how tions to transsexuals and ever, maintain that Hart transvestites. was actually transsexual— O ’H artigan, who someone whose essence made that request Jan. 10, was male, both internally reportedly wants those and externally. Margaret Deirdre O 'Hartigan references included in the Last spring, activists existing sexual orientation definition contained in formed the Ad Hoc Committee of Transsexuals to a civil rights ordinance barring discrimination Recognize Alan Hart, and began demanding that based on race, religion, color, sex, marital status, RTP PAC change the name of its dinner. In familial status, national origin, age, mental or October, a joint action by members of the Lesbian physical disability, sexual orientation or source of Avengers and the Ad Hoc Committee was con income. ducted at the fund-raiser, and hundreds of flyers According to the ordinance, sexual orienta highlighting the matter were distributed to attend tion is defined as “actual or supposed male or ees. female homosexuality, heterosexuality or bisexu “This is a part of our transsexual history that ality.” There is no mention of either transsexuals has been stolen from us,” Brown told Just Out in or transvestites. the Dec. 1 issue. ‘T o put Alan Hart out as a lesbian C iting her personal experiences with dressed as a man is inaccurate. We want the name transphobic discrimination, O’ Hartigan also asked of the dinner changed to the Alan Hart Dinner the council to direct the Metropolitan Human because that’s who this person really was.” Rights Commission to take testimony from trans Following the Jan. 2 meeting. Brown said: sexuals and transvestites as evidence for chang “We went in there prepared to fight over this ing the civil rights ordinance. point, but we didn’t have to at all. RTP told us In response, Mayor Vera Katz reportedly says their main concern about changing the name had she will direct a Metropolitan Human Rights to do with [the dinner’s] name recognition. We Commission hearing through Commissioner were pleased that was their only concern.” Gretchen Kafoury. RTP held a retreat a few days later, and the RTP, meanwhile, says it did not offer its decision was made to allow transsexual activists official support of O’ Hartigan’s request “because to address the organization’s entire board of di we received news of her plans too late,” says rectors in February. Pack. “I think it [the Jan. 2 meeting] was a terrific “We just didn’t have enough time to look at the meeting,” says Pack. “It was enlightening. It’s language,” he adds. “We didn’t even know it was one thing to simply hear stories about discrimina happening until we received a letter [from tion. It’s another thing to talk face to face with O’ Hartigan] the day before the council meeting." people about those experiences.” Pack says no decision has been made by RTP T Do you live or work in Washington County? We’re here for you!! 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