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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1996)
ju s t o u t T July 5 . I B M ▼ 11 f local n ew s Undaunted few years back, Kathleen Saadat found herself perched on a rock—at 10,000 feet—in Leadville, Colo. It was a remarkable circumstance given her fear of heights. “For the first half-hour I just sat there and cried, I was so scared,” says Saadat, co-chair of Portland’s Rainbow Coalition and a National Gay and Lesbian Task Force board member. The longtime human rights activist and former state director of affirmative action was there as part of a Pacific Crest Outward Bound excursion, which utilized the outdoors to challenge and de velop the leadership and group skills of partici pants. “I was there to climb that rock, and that’s what I did—even through my tears,” reflects Saadat. “I embraced that challenge.... I grew from that experience. It changed me.” Personal change, says Saadat, is also a critical component in the struggle against society’s pre vailing “isms”— racism, sexism, classism, to name a few. One may think racism and homophobia are terrible, but it’s a whole different thing to step out of the cerebral into the active to begin to do something about it. She says: “During measures 9 and 13, gays and lesbians said ‘Help us, Help us.’ But it’s one thing for us to say: ‘You are me.’ Now we have to say, “I am you.’ ” A The work goes on as communities rally together to stand against violence and hate ▼ by Inga Sorensen I told them that we were geared toward [sexual minorities], but it wasn’t an issue at all. They came down and we had a wonderful time.” ollowing the cross burning in Gresham, the East Metro Human Rights Coalition and the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission of Portland/M ultnom ah County hosted communitywide interdenominational service called a ‘Tim e for Prayer and Peace.” An esti mated 200 people attended the service. “Prejudice is prejudice is prejudice,” says the Rev. Ann Duffy, the openly lesbian pastor of the Zion United Church of Christ in Gresham. “You can’t talk about racism without talking about homophobia or sexism or classism,” says Duffy, who also serves on the steering committee of the East Metro Human Rights Coalition, one of first local human dignity groups established in the face of the anti-gay Ballot Measure 9. She says, "We are talking about an underlying hatred or fear of someone who is viewed as different.” Duffy says during the past few years the coa lition has brought the Anne Frank Exhibit to local high schools, sponsored a showing of Not in My Town last fall that drew 125 people, presented a photo exhibit featuring sexual minorities, and most recently, organized the interfaith service. In the upcoming months, Duffy says the group will have a booth at a citywide fair; sponsor a showing of The Color o f Fear, which focuses on racial matters; and be involved with The Wheel, a drama production put on by local students which explores the discriminatory experiences faced by youth. Duffy is also working to bring to Gresham a compelling exhibit highlighting the problem of domestic violence. The Metropolitan Human Rights Commis sion, meanwhile, is sponsoring anti-racism work shops that are open to the public. “Racism is sometimes hard to counteract because it can be more subtle,” says MHRC’s Helen Cheek. "The anti-gay and lesbian initiatives were so bla tantly homophobic, which perhaps made it easier to rally against them. But just because we may not see overt racist actions on a regular basis doesn’t mean racism isn’t a huge problem.... Our workshops hope fully can get some dialogue going.” Gordly adds, “We can also support groups that have been doing tremendous work over the years, including the NAACP and the Urban League. We have the power.... If you don’t believe you can’t achieve.” F Portland Crime Stoppers, in cooperation with the Project, which has helped launch 60 local human Oregon Council Against Arson, was offering a dignity groups statewide, says: “Church burnings combined reward of up to $2,000 for information have historically been geographically specific to leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) involved. the South, so it was a little surprising when it happened here. But let’s face it, Portland is one of Bill Wassmuth is executive director of the Seattle-based Northwest Coalition Against Mali the whitest cities in America, and some people cious Harassment, a coalition that addresses the actually come here so they can be ‘minimally problems of discrimination and harassment burdened’ by people of color.” throughout several western states. Human rights activist and author Suzanne Pharr, who hails from the South but currently “I think most residents in the region have pretty positive ex lives in Portland, periences living adds: “The Chris tian Coalition is here. But day-to- day racism exists saying this is an at tack on Christian everywhere, and ity. But this is about we have to stand racial hatred. The together to fight church is the heart it,” he says, add of the black com ing that religious munity, and it is be and civic leaders in Seattle orga ing attacked. nized a vigil in the “W hy?” she wake of the arsons. continues. “C er hat sentiment is echoed by many, particu “Members of tainly it has to do larly in light of last month’s cross burning at different houses of the home of Gresham resident Billy Ballard, with the inflamed worship went to and the arson at Immanuel Christian Fellowship, and heightened each other’s house a predominantly black church nestled in North rhetoric we are ofworshiptoshow Portland. hearing nationally. so lid a rity ,” he Over the past several months, dozens of Every social prob says. The Seattle lem is being churches— primarily those attended by African vigil was orga Americans— have been set ablaze. Until recently, blamed on people nized by the of color: affirma most of those fires have occurred in the South. Washington Asso Last month, however, two African American- tive action, immi ciatio n of oriented establishments in the Pacific Northwest gration, crime, wel Churches. fell victim to suspected arson. fare, public ser “ I ’ve heard vices. You ju st In Seattle, federal and local officials are inves that 11 am on Sun tigating a fire that caused an estimated $20,000 in name an issue, and day is the most it’s been linked to damage to the Eritrean Community Center, a part segregated time of GRAPHIC DESIGN BY JANE BIEHL AND MARY WALLACE race.” of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, which serves the week. Why Seattle’s black community. Arson is suspected, Michael Pullen, does it have to be that way?” says Gordly. “We marketing director for the Urban League of Port but center spokespeople reportedly say they are should go to other houses of worship. It’s an land, expresses a similar thought. unsure the June 16 fire was racially motivated. enormous opportunity.” “National politics have gotten so draconian— Four days later in Portland, an arsonist struck The Sunday following the Immanuel church the demonization of welfare recipients, the cuts in Immanuel Christian Fellowship. At press time, funding to urban areas—it certainly has to be the fire, a special service was held at Jefferson High authorities had not charged anyone in that arson, eople in the sexual minorities community S chool’s football field. A m ultiracial, factor,” he says. and thus far federal authorities say they have multireligious, diverse crowd of hundreds turned should know firsthand the importance of one- found no national conspiracy in the rash of church out for the event, which has repeatedly been de on-one conversation and collective response. ordly, a self-described optimist, says she burnings. scribed as empowering and joyous. “We would not have defeated measures 9 or 13 has chosen to view the recent cross burning The Rev. Mark Strong of Immanuel Christian “The rainbow of faces— and the jubilant and church arson in a positive light. without people outside the gay and lesbian com Fellowship has warned against assuming race smiles— showed just how powerful that coming “Of course it’s a terrible thing, but I see lots of munity getting involved,” says Pharr. “Now we was the motive for the arson. Nonetheless, he and together is,” says Gordly. “It’s the same thing constructive opportunities. Maybe it will help us others say the wave of church fires underscores a have to stand with the poor, women, and minori with Lesbian and Gay Pride. I marched in the begin to talk to one another about race on a one- continuing racial divide that needs to be ad ties because they are us." on-one basis,” she says. “People need to share parade and it is such a moving experience because dressed openly and honestly. “I don’t think it’s a far stretch to realize that the of the great diversity and the happiness around their stories. There are people who work side by “Cross burnings and church fires are nothing same person who may bum a cross on someone’s side every day and talk about everything but race. that collective experience.” new,” says state Rep. Avel Gordly, a Democrat yard is the same person who would walk over to Even with O.J. and all of that, they just couldn’t do The Rev. Roy Cole is pastor of Portland’s who represents Northeast Portland. “We’ve seen Stark Street and bash a gay person,” says Julie Metropolitan Community Church, which serves it. If we can finally take that step and begin this over the generations, not just in the South, but Davis of Basic Rights Oregon, the successor group members of the sexual minorities faith commu sharing our experiences, it can make a differ here in Oregon as well. This state has its own to the No on 13 campaign. ence.” nity. Cole says he contacted Strong’s wife follow history of intolerance and racism. Exclusion laws “At the same time, people in the lesbian and ing the fire. “A letter of support to the pastor makes a are just one example.” gay community can get stuck in stereotypes as “I offered her any help that we could give. I difference. Attendance at a religious gathering Steve Gardner is the research director for the much as anyone else. We have to work past that makes a difference. Help rebuild the church,” said if they needed a space they could certainly fear,” she says. Coalition for Human Dignity, which tracks white use ours,” he says. supremacist and neo-Nazi activities nationwide. says Pullen. “Standing in that burned out church The Rev. Cecil Prescod, pastor of Highland Cole says he empathizes with Immanuel will resonate with me for a long, long, long time.” “We have no idea who may have set the church United Church of Christ, says, “I don’t want to congregants and has often viewed MCC as a In response to the church arson, Portland Mayor fire. There is no strong Klan presence, relatively sound like a Red Cross commercial, but this really possible target of violence. “Being a predomi is about talking neighbor to neighbor.” Vera Katz issued a letter to the leaders of more speaking, in the Pacific Northwest, but it is a nantly gay establishment you have to think about than 700 local houses of worship urging them to region inhabited by organized neo-Nazis and white Prescod, an MHRC member, has been in increase security measures at their respective it,” says Cole, adding that he has taken some supremacists,” he says. volved in many community groups, including precautionary steps to secure MCC, though he did “You never want to predict that this is going to facilities. People of Faith Against Bigotry, Coalition of not want those steps made public. “Concerned citizens and church parishioners happen, but in recent years there have been cross Black Men and Brother to Brother. should contact their house of worship and volun burnings, as well as the [1988 beating death by Cole further says a 50-voice choir from the "The [sexual minorities] community always Skinheads] of Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian man, teer as block watchers to prevent a reoccurrence First Baptist Church of Seattle recently performed talks about the importance of coalition-building and the Lloyd Center beatings,” says Gardner. of this type of incident,” wrote Katz. at MCC. “They actually called us,” he says. “At and standing together,” he says. “Well, this is an In her letter, the mayor also indicated that Marcy Westerling of the Rural Organizing first I thought maybe they got the wrong church. opportunity for us to walk the talk." NOTIN T OUR TOWN! G P a