Just out., June 21, 1996, Page 5, Image 5

ju st o u t ▼ ju n s 2 1 . 1 9 0 0 ▼ 5
true of those like Podlodowski, who disagree with
the direction that the Democratic Party has taken.
As Nader’s support grows among many of the
Democrats’ traditional constituents, Clinton may
have to reconsider some of the positions he has
taken to woo Dole voters. Nader’s presence as a
candidate has already been acknowledged by the
White House as a factor in Clinton’s veto of the
“tort reform” bill.
Nader is expected to be on the Washington state
ballot as an independent. His presence should be
supported by everyone who wants to rebuild our
democratic institutions.
Steven Dubnoff
Seattle
A gesture of peace
To the Editor:
It has been a little more than three weeks since
the final votes were counted following the May 21
primary election, and I have finally recovered from
36 weeks of campaigning. I wanted my first offi­
cial post-electoral act to be an overdue thank-you
to Just Out fo r its endorsement of my campaign.
We came so close—roughly 200 votes shy of
first place—and we did so without exceeding the
voluntary spending limit of $20,000. Though I did
not emerge as the Democratic victor in District 12,
I believe the experience produced winners of whom
to be proud: This was a victory for coalition poli­
tics (witness the breadth and depth of support for
this candidate— 19 organizational endorsements
strong), it was a victory for positive campaigning
(I refused to “go negative,” and for the most part,
my opponents held to the same promise), and it
was a victory for issues-based campaigns (all four
contenders did their homework and advanced
thoughtful ideas). To all of you who experienced
disappointment at the outcome, I reiterate, “we
were all winners.”
While I was saddened that some folks chose to
find fault with my logo design—and to turn it into
a negative campaign issue— I was encouraged to
see that the ferment was minimal and that most
people kept their focus on the question of each
candidate’s worthiness for office. I am proud that
your publication considered me the best choice for
House District 12, and prouder still that so many of
your readers agreed.
To those who felt it necessary to be ugly I
would extend a gesture of peace: my willingness to
forgive them their bitterness. It would be my hope
that we could stay focused on what is truly impor­
tant—achieving the civil rights all people so richly
deserve. We must avoid beating up on each other
when the real enemies are so numerous and so
powerful.
Laurie Wimmer
Portland
Wholesome? Get real!
To the Editor:
While reading your cover story about The City
Nightclub [“ATale ofT w o‘Citys,’” 7w5i Out, June
7, 1996] it struck me as odd how blind social
service organizations and churches in the gay and
lesbian community are when it comes to the youth
they say they want to serve. They are whining that
they haven’t come up with the right formula to
attract these teens to a place that they would con­
sider safe and wholesome, as if they ever will.
Right from the get go, they don’t respect how
bright these young people are, and how observant.
The young people at The City know damn well that
the world they live in is not wholesome. Their
schools are not wholesome; their television sets
are not wholesome. The YMCA isn’t even whole­
some. The only place these kids will ever go that’s
wholesome is maybe their local grocery store or a
Disney movie. I’ve seen Greenhouse, Outside In
and Harry’s Mother. None of those places said
“wholesome” to me. They’re a little scary, to be
honest. The only place that these kids are likely to
be exposed to what looks wholesome to me would
be CAP (interestingly, the only service organiza­
tion of those mentioned in your article that goes to
The City to do outreach to these youth).
These young men and women have nowhere to
go other than The City Nightclub where they can
really be themselves, dress how they want, talk like
they want, and do what they want, without societal
judgments. They know that every one of these
organizations including City Hall has a hidden
agenda when it comes to youth— especially gay
and lesbian youth. If the City of Portland, Metro­
politan Community Church, Harry’s Mother, Out­
side In, Greenhouse or Phoenix Rising were to
open some sort of “wholesome” imitation of The
City Nightclub, these kids would still not come.
The reason would be that these kids know that all
of those people, well intentioned as they may be,
have a hidden agenda. They know that sooner or
later they’re going to be hit with it, too.
Everywhere they go in society they have people
telling them that they are not competent to make
decisions. People teaching them lessons. People
telling them that they have to dress a certain way,
talk a certain way and behave a certain way to be
acceptable. They know that any alternative to The
City Nightclub will have some combination of
those restrictions. They know that anything these
other organizations come up with will include
manipulating them into some cheap imitation of
Barbie and Ken, and they know that Barbie and
Ken are toys—they’re not real. You give these kids
something real and it will make your head spin how
fast they will pick up on it.
Closing The City Nightclub is going to be a
major disaster for those who are truly concerned
about the welfare of these youth. Understand that
if The City closes, those things that we now fanta­
size are going on at the club really will be going
on—out on the street in front of our businesses.
The reason will be that we’ve shut down all of their
safe alternatives.
Gregory Franklyn
Portland
investing
IsLifg gardening.
Just Tiant tfieSeed
andWatcfilt (Jrou).
m
•
•
•
•
•
m
m
If you want a g<xxl banest in your later years,
the time to start planning for your financial
future is now. Floreid Walker, an experienced
Waddell & Reed account representative, can
help uncover the true potential of your invest­
ments. She'll help analyze your financial
resources, imderstand your goals,
then design and implement a
personal program specifical­
ly for you. Give Floreid
Walker a call and see why
her results are just as
impressive as Ed Hume 's.
m
Frien d ly Sales
Fle e t Prices
Huge Inventory
Exc e lle n t Service
Good Ad vice
FLOREID WALKER
(503) 238-6036
487-6626
email:
j 291-7713
Tv.waddell.com
“¿/our {¡rie*din tie auto i/tcútftrp “
Waddell
& Reed
New & Used Cars & Trucks
FINANCIA! SERVICES
■JM_| l«mnn 0 ,
Mimi
We appreciate our Just Out supporters'.
500 NE M ultnomah , S uite
P ortland , OR 9 723 2
■■■■■■
P ortland G ay M en ' s C ihorc S^
Retired charge card
To the Editor:
Several issues ago, there was an article on an
ex-employee of the Nordstrom retail chain who
felt she had been denied deserved promotions
because she is gay [“A Suit with Appeal,” Just Out,
April 19, 1996], [Statements in the article indi­
cated] there were one or more people in [Nordstrom]
management who openly stated that they did not
like and would not promote homosexuals.
I wrote to a salesperson in Encore at the down­
town Portland store from whom I purchase a lot
and said that even though the Nordstrom chain had
won in court, that the whole tenor of the article did
not bode well for me or anyone who is gay, bi­
sexual, transgendered or pre- or post-op trans­
sexual and that I expected someone higher up to
read my letter and send a comment to my inquiry.
The result was a stunning silence. Zip. Noth­
ing. Nada. So, I did as I promised in my letter I
would do if no one cared about the worth of a
transgendered person or any other person in my
world—I went in and paid off my $2,500 bill in its
entirety and will never use my card again. I will on
occasion shop at Nordstrom, but 95 percent of my
purchases were done with my card.
I find it curious, particularly in Portland, that
this gay-world person and perhaps all the gay
world can be written off, but businesses are entitled
to make their decisions, and I and all the other card-
holding gay and bisexual people are entitled to
express their displeasure in a way that will eventu­
ally get the attention of Nordstrom: hitting them in
the bottom line. Life goes on, but not my Nordstrom
charge card; it has been retired forever.
John Boynton
Portland
8
PRESENTS
TH
A
W ONLY!
e 29, 8:00 P.M.
»I n t e r m e d i a t e T h e a t e r , P C P A
S o u t h w e s t B r o a d w a y & M ain
A d v a n c e t i c k e t s : $16, $13, $9