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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1996)
t r V dw*«r . » « n u i f i j o i « j i 12 ▼ jun* 7. 1996 ▼ Just o ut We are everywhere. t national news "M arching O n " bombs See Vue THE LESBIAN COMMUNITY PROJECT L od gin g— where mountain meets the sea 95590 Highway 101 6.2 miles south of Yachats, O regon 97498 (541) 547-3227 U PC O M IN G EVENTS 7 pm, Sunday, June 16th Lesbian Talent Show $5-8 at Darcelle’s - 208 NW 3rd to perform or FFI: 223-0071 t € | « i T PRIDE CELEBRATION WEEKEND o e d T f o s c l ^ ii 9 am - 3 pm, Friday, June 21st Lesbian Health Project will offer Screening Mammograms Air - Sea - Land Arrangements tailored to your needs by appointment only call for location and FFI: 223-0071 121 SW Morrison, Suite 270 Portland, OR 97204 Pride Bingo 7 - 9 pm Country-Western Dance 9 -1 am Saturday, June 22nd “entertainment, dance lessons, raffle” $8 at door, Scandia Hall Clint Schrader Wade Moore Members of PABA and IG TA A membership organization...join today! (503) 223-0071/TDD Fax 242-1967 t P.O. Box 5931 O - Portland, OR 97228 Anti-Violence Project 796-1703/1 -800- 796-1703 (503) 223-1062 • (800) 568-3246 Fax: (503) 224-4920 Home: (503) 452-8924 DON’T YO U J U S T H ATE PAYING RETAIL? Whether they need a fleet of one or one hundred vehicles, more people buy from Damerow than from any other fleet source in the entire Northwest. • No Brokers Fees • Below Market Finance Rates • Largest Ford Inventory in the Northwest I of on lit hi /iliinii ((iii'li'( dll • Prompt, Courteous Service • High Trade-In Allowances • The Northwest’s Lowest Fleet Pricing ■ H Roge iShelby 1 Direct Line: 627-95551 Shelley Shelby Direct Une: 627-9552 J BEAVERTON FORD Fleet Sales 4070 S.W. Hall Blvd. • (503) 643-5555 • (800) 871-3673 National leaders' forum marred by bomb threats and charges o f racism by Bob Roehr W which had sought to participate as a member of elcome to our rumble,” said the panel, but NLGJA organizers had decided Steve Cheney in prophetic open otherwise. NLGJA had also not included repre ing comments to “Marching sentatives of ACT UP, the Lambda Legal Defense On,” the third annual forum of and Education Fund, the ACLU’s Gay Rights national gay and lesbian leaders Project, rights groups or religious presented by the Washington chapter of the transsexual Na tional Lesbian and Gay Journalists organizations. Association. The 7 moderator and three of the eight panelists Cheney is the chapter president. The May event were people of color. was broadcast live on C-SPAN from the National After Chaves’ statement an emotionally tense Press Club. series of comments yielded an offer for LLEGO to The eight panelists began with brief opening join the panel, and a chair was offered to Chaves. statements. But Chaves declined: “You don’t understand what Melinda Paras, executive director of the Na I just said, this is pointless. This is an insult.” tional Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said, “[We And with that the LLEGO group left the room. are] at a juncture where acceptance is reaching an “I didn’t know this was an issue until now,” all-time high,” while at the same time it is under said Baker. “I feel it is a setup not to join.” Other challenge from “the extreme right.” Cornelius Baker, interim executive director panelists echoed those concerns, lamenting the limited communication that organizations have of the National Association of People with AIDS, with each other. characterized the period as one of “hopefulness,” Slowly the conversation began to refocus on largely because of recent introductions of pro other concerns until “Marching On” came to an tease inhibitors and other AIDS-related drugs. abrupt end— about 15 minutes early. Two bomb Carl Schmid, president of the Washington-area threats phoned in to the Log Cabin Club, said he Press Club prompted se believed “the real debate curity to evacuate the on our issues is being fought building, and the session in the Republican Party.” came to a close. Police are He said the community investigating the incident. “should be spending more NLGJA m aintains time educating Republican LLEGO’s exclusion from politicians and families.” the program had nothing to Sandra Gillis, execu do with racism. In a letter to tive director of Parents, LLEGO, Jennifer Jaurez Family and Friends of Les “= Robles, acting NLGJA bians and Gays, said she § president, said the event sees that group’s role as an o was organized with a focus educator “moving nongay & on presidential politics and people from ignorance to knowledge” as “critical to £ family issues “with respect building a tolerant and ï to race, ethnicity, gender even an accepting society.” and political affiliation.... Keith Boykin Jeff Levi spoke as a Our aim is to be mutually member of the White House staff working on supportive and respectful of LLEGO’s goals and AIDS. He blamed both community leaders asso mission so that both our groups have increased ciated with the Clinton campaign and the gay and opportunities to succeed,” Robles said. She also lesbian press for creating “wildly unrealistic ex said NLGJA regretted that it could not invite all pectations about the capacity and the speed with groups interested in sitting on the panel but it had which society and government can change.” tried to compensate by opening up the program for Keith Boykin, executive director of the Na audience members to offer additional perspective. tional Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, Martin Omelas-Quintero would have repre said the community had for too long “disregarded sented LLEGO on the panel if the group had been legitimate concerns” of people of color. He called asked to participate. In an interview with The for building broad coalitions across issues of Windy City Times he said he would have ad social justice. dressed the issue of inclusion. Omelas-Quintero Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Hu said the gay and lesbian community cannot afford man Rights Campaign, claimed that we have faced to narrowly define gay issues. As a gay Latino, he “a very difficult year but because of redoubled said, he is concerned with government efforts to lobbying efforts a lot of harm was diverted.” close borders and declare English the official David Clarenbach, executive director of the language in America. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, said, “Every time “It’s an issue to me,” he said. "Therefore, it is an elected official comes out, it destroys the a gay and lesbian issue. When we begin to try to stereotypes on which homophobia is based.” separate identities, this is where we get into diffi Carmen Chaves of the National Latino/a Les culties. It is not possible to separate identities. bian and Gay Organization (LLEGO) interrupted This is the biggest division within our movement. the forum by stepping from the audience to the Continuously we hear that this or that is not a gay podium to read a prepared statement: “For a third and lesbian issue, when in fact it is an issue.” year in a row Latino/Latina lesbian and gay This view seems to be shared by leaders of the leaders find themselves blatantly excluded,” she country’s largest lesbian and gay organizations: charged. “We find ourselves again fighting racist NGLTF and HRC. In recent years, press state tactics that keep us from our rightful place at the ments and position papers have shown the organi table.... Every time invisibility is rationalized, zations’ increasing interest in expanding agendas every time silence is excused, every time we to include progressive positions on affirmative don’t take notice of who is not at the table, we action, reproductive freedom, universal health shall note that we are all responsible for the care, immigration and welfare reform. creation of a healthier movement.” LLEGO had been one of the organizations Renée LaChance contributed to this story.