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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1996)
10 ▼ a u gu st 16, 1 99 6 ▼ ju s t o ut ifelirm s group HOME TEST FOR HIV 1 & 2 ANTIBODIES / Ire you 18 to 2 5 y e a r s old? Com e check it out! Wednesdays at Phoenix Rising Foundation 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 223-8299 • Fast and Accurate (results in less than 5 minutes) national news Gay, by the way • Simple to interpret Results. • Done in the Privacy o f Your Home. Republican U.S. representative from Arizona comes out after being outed and defends his pro-DOMA vote One HIV Test Kit $20.00 or 3 for $50.00 ▼ by Bob Roehr action and look[s] forward to continuing to work ongressm an Jim Kolbe (R-A riz.) ac with him on issues o f mutual concern.” HRC know ledged that he is gay in a state rated K olbe’s votes as a 43 in 1993 and a 60 in ment issued Aug. 1. That action was 1994, the most recent years for which it rated prom pted in part by a “Call to C on legislators. science” ad in the July 26 Washington ‘T h o e f most effective way to educate R epubli Blade that was directed at closeted m em bers can members o f Congress is to have effective, Congress regarding their votes on the D efense o f intelligent and respected colleagues who are M arriage Act and a July 27 “outing” o f Kolbe by openly gay,” said David Greer, spokesm an for Kurt W olfe on W BA I radio in New York. Log Cabin Republicans. “W e are sure that by his In the statem ent Kolbe defended his vote for very presence on the Hill, Jim Kolbe will continue DOMA: “ If the citizens o f Hawaii believe it to be to dispel myths and stereotypes.” in their public interest to perm it sam e-sex m ar Log Cabin rated him at 92 for the 1995 session of riage, they should be perm itted to do so. By the Congress. It cited his co-sponsorship o f the Employ sam e token, other states— as A rizona has done— ment Non-Discrimination Act, the Ryan White CARE should be allow ed to define m arriage differently Act, and his support of AIDS funding. and not be required to accept the definition adopted David Blais, adm inistrative director o f the by others.” Arizona Human A rizona recently Rights Fund, was “re passed a law promoted ally pleased that Kolbe by C hristian conser has taken this step in vatives that defines the com ing out pro m arriage as between cess.” He realizes that o n e m an an d o n e “some people are go woman. ing to give Kolbe a lot K olbe c ritic iz e d o f flak if he doesn’t those “who have d e vote 100 percent on our cided that their dis issues.” Blais said he agreem ent with this didn’t think that com particular vote w ar ing out would signifi ra n ts th e ir m ak in g cantly affect K olbe’s p u b lic in fo rm a tio n re-election. a b o u t m y p riv a te The queen o f po life— information litical outing, M ichael they may have heard Petrelis, was stunned, second- or thirdhand saying, “Oh my god. I about my sexual o ri think this is great.” He entation. wasted no time offer “That I am a gay ing a suggestion: “ I person has never af think it is tim e to form fected the way that I a C ongressional gay legislate. The fact that and lesbian caucus.” I am gay has never, But he asked, “Just nor will it ever, change a few weeks ago he my co m m itm en t to K°lbe was voting the wrong way [on DOMA]. W hat’s represent all o f the people o f A rizona’s 5th D is trict.” the process now, do we forgive him ? Because Kolbe becomes an instant gay leader.” K olbe’s statem ent asserting his privacy and decrying pressure from activists reflects both Kolbe, 54, graduated from N orthw estern U ni personal beliefs and sound politics. It helps versity and holds an M BA from Stanford. He was dow nplay the perceptions o f being seen as a “gay first elected to the Arizona state senate in 1976. activist” by voters. But in fact the outing seem s to He lost his first race in 1982 for the U.S. House of have provided the opportunity he was looking for. Representatives district that encom passes most For the past three or four months he had discussed o f Tucson and southern Arizona. But he came with openly gay Rep. Steve G underson (R-W isc.) back to win in 1984 by 6,204 votes and has won and G underson’s life partner R ob M orris how to re-election five times, often by m argins o f 2-to-l publicly break that news. or more. “Jim wanted to com e out,” says M orris. “ He He is one o f the more senior m embers o f the just couldn’t possibly fathom what would be the appropriations and budget com m ittees and has right way to do it. For anybody doing this on such made free trade and local environm ental issues a public scale it is alw ays a difficult leap.” the focus o f his work. His record is that o f a A rizona R epublicans rallied behind Kolbe. Republican moderate who embraces the “big tent” Sen. John M cCain, w ho had been a possible vice concept of the party. presidential running m ate with Bob Dole, issued Despite strong popularity among his colleagues a strong personal statem ent o f support. He called and voters, Kolbe passed up opportunities to run the representative’s legislative record “genuinely for open seats for governor in 1990 and for sena exceptional” and said that the people o f the 5th tor in 1994. He also lost a 1994 bid for a House District “could have no more able and decent leadership position, the Republican Conference, advocate than Jim K olbe.” to a more conservati ve member. Some have specu “Jim, although he is a public servant, retains lated that his being gay and closeted were factors the right to some privacy in his personal life,” said in those decisions. M cCain. “Jim deserves, and I hope he will receive The rumor mill continues to chum about an from all o f us, the sam e courtesy and decency with other Republican congressm an com ing out back which he has alw ays treated us.” in his home district during the August recess. If Human Rights C am paign political director that happens it will raise the gay caucus to five— Daniel Zingale said the group “applaud[s] his tw o Democrats and three Republicans. C NEGATIVE POSITIVE (ONE REO DOT) (TWO RED DOTS) The Trans Group is for Transsexual, Transgender, and Transvestite youth. A social group at Phoenix Rising Foundation, 620 SW Fifth, Suite 710, downtown, VISA™ and Mastercard™ accepted Brought to you by Life Care Products Ltd. O rder Toll Free 1 888 443-4483 where we talk and listen and make ourselves a community - - Due to traumatic effect of positive test results, it is recommended that this test be performed in the presence of a trusted friend, relative or partner. T ranssexu al Transvestite Transgender Cross-Dresser WHEN SHE PRESSED HER UNSHEATHED A D JE C T IV E AGAINST MY THROAT. I KNEW I W AS G O ING D O W N 1996 NATIONAL POETRY. slam ! AUGUST FLAZM Just out Presented by WUametteWeek Come to the !■«* out Gay & Lesbian Voices reading Thursday, August 22, 4pm at the Main Street Playhouse. Schedules available in Willamette Week August 21, in Plazm and everywhere you go to buy caffeine and sugar. Tickets at all FASTIXX locations call 503-224-TIXX SlamLine 503-727-2622 ry L I T E R A R Y ART S ion. http://www teleport com /-bigm outh