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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1996)
jus« out T fe bru ary 10. 1990 T I S Honing a vision Residents o f Southern Oregon seek to build a community where hate can’t grow A Team You Can Depend On. Deborah Betron CRB, GRI Jude Watson, GRI Broker Broker/President by Inga Sorensen hat [kind of place] do we want our region to be?” asks Rabbi Marc Sirinsky of Ashland’s Temple Emek Shalom. With that said, Sirinsky hopes that the overall community can work toward creating a more tolerant environment, rather than simply reacting every time a hate incident occurs. Jim Willeford of Southern Oregon Men’s He isn’t seeking an on-the- Outreach, a social network for gay and bisexual spot answer. Instead, he hopes that residents of men in Southern Oregon, thinks that’s a sensible Southern Oregon will seriously mull that question approach. over during the upcoming weeks. “I know that we didn’t want to rush to judg “Perhaps we will hold an umbrella rally that ment [in the Gold case] because it would have answers that question. Hopefully it will be been perceived as ‘Look at the gays and liberals proactive, rather than a response to a particular from Ashland and Medford coming here and incident,” he says. doing this,’ ” explains Willeford. “It’s important Sirinsky, like many other human rights advo for people in the local community to take the lead. cates, is concerned about a series of disturbing At the same time, we shouldn’t turn our backs on events that have occurred lately in Southern Or a possible hate crime either.” egon, including the highly publicized December He adds, “I think it would be good to take some murders of Roxanne Ellis and Michelle Abdill, a time to build up a broad-based coalition and really Medford lesbian couple, and the alleged harass begin to put an infrastructure in place.” ment in January of the Golds, a Jewish family in Willeford and Sirinsky say Wimer. Federal and local law community gatherings are a “Perhaps we can give enforcement officials are in good way to do that. In fact, the vestigating anti-Semitic van one another the skills night the Rogue River City dalism that occurred at the to deal with anger Council passed its resolution, a Jackson County home of community screening of the and intolerance, ” James and Anne Gold. In one video Not in Our Town was vandalistic act, a crude swas says Sirinsky. held in the Medford-Ashland tika was spray-painted on their “Maybe we can start vicinity. property. The documentary, which to do that now. ” In response to both the recently aired on public televi Abdill-Ellis and Gold cases, sion stations nationwide, tells Medford Mayor Jerry Laus- the story of how residents in Billings, Mont., mann—whom many activists considered to be responded to white supremacists when hate inci highly conservative—offered reward money and dents were escalating in their community three declared his city a hate-free zone. years ago. On Feb. 8, meanwhile, the Rogue River City The Not in Our Town video has been touted as Council and Mayor Dennis Hitch adopted a reso an effective organizing tool to encourage average lution calling for all area residents to “unite” and citizens to get involved in the effort to combat “band together...against hate crimes.” hate crimes and harassment spawned from preju The resolution further stated that no one should dice. rest until the perpetrators of hate crimes are brought “Perhaps we can give one another the skills to to justice. The resolution, say Rogue River offi deal with anger and intolerance,” says Sirinsky. cials, was in response to the Gold incident. “Maybe we can start to do that now.” “I think the response has been very positive— Willeford adds: “Maybe we can come up with from the peace community to the religious com a model, rather than just acting in a knee-jerk munity to government,” says Sirinsky. “Every way.... W e’re still sorting it all out.” one should be concerned about hate crimes.” W RTP issues early endorsements Right to Privacy Political Action Committee has issued early endorsements in three political contests. RTP PAC, Oregon’s largest lesbian, gay and Gail Shibley bisexual rights group, has endorsed state Rep. Gail Shibley (D-Portland), Frank Dixon and Bob Duehmig. Shibley is running for an open, nonpar tisan seat on the Portland City Council. Dixon, a Democrat, is seeking election to the Oregon Sen ate representing District 6. A retired major in the U.S. Army Reserves, Dixon is a consumer attor ney and has been highly involved in Portland’s neighborhood association network for more than a decade. Duehmig, also a Democrat, is running for the state House District 12 seat being vacated by Shibley. He is a legislative specialist with the Oregon Fed of RTP PAC, Oregon’s T eration eachers, largest lesbian, gay E d u c a t i o n and Health and bisexual rights P ro fessio n als, and was group, has endorsed the group’s chieflobbyist state Rep. Gail during the Shibley (D-Port 1993 and land), Frank Dixon 1995 legisla tive sessions. and Bob Duehmig. All are openly gay; Shibley be came Oregon’s first openly gay or lesbian law maker in 1991. Each faces a May 21 primary. Inga Sorensen Jim Bean Scott Bottaro, GRI Jay Pevney Chris Bonner. GRI Associate Broker Craig Eventt D onald Falk, GRI R obin Grimm Gerry Federico, GRI Judy Carnahan Certified New Homes Specialist Bill Galvin Associate Broker Cathy Martine Jan Martin J o h n Terrill, GRI Gary Sadleir Val Thorpe-Galvin, GRI Anita Trudeau Greg W ashington Associate Broker Kathy Tysinger Robert Am bes K athleen Ira MLS Sandy Mort P hilip B eausoleil Linda Welch Karen BiLsing Bridgetown 3 I For Those Who Appreciate Superior Service Red Lion Lloyd Center 1000 N.E. Multnomah Portland, Oregon 97232 Bolton Plaza 21570 Willamette Drive West Linn, Oregon 97068 503/ 287-9370 503/655 8015