Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1996)
2 ▼ O c to b e r 4. 1090 ▼ just out just out s in c e 1 9 8 3 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Renée LaChance steppin’ out contents VOL 13 NO. 23 OCTOBER 4,1996 ASSISTANT PUBUSHER Ten Ventura FEATURE COPY EDITOR Kelly M. Bryan When mirrors lie REPORTERS Inga Sorensen Bob Roehr Rex Wockner Dealt a difficult hand by nature, excluded by mainstream society and many queer activists, transsexuals reflect their own truths CALENDAR EDITOR Kristine Chatwood PHOTOGRAPHER Linda Kliewer (P- 19) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meg Grace DEPARTMENTS ADVERTISING REPS C. Jay Wilson Jr. Marty Davis World news Gay men and lesbians o f the Caribbean gather in Jamaica (P- 4) CREATIVE DIRECTOR E. Ann Hinds National news GRAPHIC DESIGN Rupert Kinnard Hawaii same-sex marriage case awaits decision; Clinton signs DOMA; AIDS Quilt to blanket Capitol Mall FORMATTER Christopher D. Cuttone T Y P ESP IER Christopher D. Cuttone M ore than 3,000 walkers participated in the 10th annual A IDS Walk Oregon on Sunday, Sept. 22. Andre Pruitt led volunteers in warm-up exercises before the kick-off. The event raised $130,000 to support the services o f C ascade AIDS Project. (pp. 5-12) Local news DISTRIBUTION Kathy Bethel Rachel Ebora Daria Moyer-Sims Donald Rogers Megan Weber MHRC form s sexual minority youth taskforce; RTP takes a new name CONTRIBUTORS Christopher D. Cuttone Rachel Ebora Lee Lynch Andy Mangels Will O ’Bryan Dale Reynolds Richard Shumate Teri Ventura C. Jay Wilson Jr. COLUMNS Just out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. C opyright © 1996 hy Just out No part o f Just su t may he reproduced without written permission from the publisher. T he subm ission o f w ritten and graphic materials is welcomed. W ntlcn material should he typed and double-spaced Just sut reserves the right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length. W c will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. Just S U t consults the Associated Press Style book and Libel M anual on editorial decisions. Letters to the editor should he limited to 500 words Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday flfiore the first and third Friday for the next issue. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessarily those of the publisher. The display ad vertisin g dead lin e is the Monday after the first and third Friday for the next issue. Classified ads must he received at the Just out office by 3 pm the Monday after the first and third Friday for the next issue, along w ith paym ent. A ds will not he taken o v er the telephone Ad policy. No sexually exploitative advertising will he accepted Compensation for errors in, or cancellation of. advertising will he made with credit toward future advertising. Subscriptions to Just out are available for $17.50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $30 for 12 issues. A copy of Just out is available for $2. Advertising rales are available on request The mailing address and telephone numbers for Just out arc PO Box 14400. Portland. OR 97293-0400: (503) 236-1252 The phone number for the advertising department is 236-1253 Our fax number is 236-1257. O ur e-mail address is JustOut2 <0 aol com. (PP- 13-17) Stonewall baby Clinton s actions as president have represented a firm about-face from his prin cipled campaign rhetoric: Should we come along again ? T by B ob R o e h r hen I was a lad growing up my father said he those words to us in small groups. He spoke to us of principle, would tolerate just about anything but a liar told us we were full and equal citizens under the law. or a cheat. He placed great stock in honor These were not the mundane campaign promises of a tax and the value of a man’s word. Little else clause here or a pork barrel project there, those staples of was possible without that foundation of political rhetoric where wi th a wi nk and a nod the di fference can trust between people. He granted trust as fact proven be until split in the compromise of politics. No, these were funda otherwise, but once lost it was difficult to regain. mental principles of justice and equality, of what it means to be He also had a favorite aphorism he would repeat now and an “American.” again: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on And we believed him. me.” It reflected upon his first point but also acknowledged our The record of the sitting president has been a perverse responsibility to learn from experience. mirror image of the principled rhetoric of the candidate. As I grew older we would talk politics around the dinner Strong words promising to end the ban on gay men and table. Some of it was surely partisan comings and goings of the lesbians in the military became but a feeble attempt to do so. day, but more often it was a deeper grappling with the substance What was once regulation became the first federal law that of issues within the context of duties and responsibilities as a discriminates against us in employment. Clinton signed it. U.S. citizen. He died a dozen years ago, and I miss those His military continues its inquisition against gay men and discussions. 1 can’t help but think of him as I contemplate the lesbians in the services while his lawyers vigorously defend coming elections. that sordid policy before the courts. Politics in general and the campaign trail in particular are The federal government had never before enacted legisla seldom bastions of integrity, of profiles in courage, where a tion dealing with marriage. But when the fundamentalist right principled stand is chosen over the expedient one. For lesbians moved to attack gay men and lesbians, Clinton rushed to join and gay men this has been a particularly disheartening season. them. He mumbled excuses, but he signed the Defense of The vile congressional bashing over marriage strikes at the very Marriage Act that treats our relationships as less than his. core of our equality as citizens, it slanders the most precious of Now, many of the same constellation of gay “leaders” who our relationships. four years ago urged us to vote for Bill Clinton are saying we And yet we knew it all along. Sure, some of the rhetoric the should do so again. past few years had been kinder and gentler bashing. We thought As I head to the voting booth this November, I will remem we had made progress. And we have. But at the core of most ber the words of my father: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool public officials there remains an emotional and a political me twice, shame on me.” willingness to treat us as less than equal citizens. That brings us to William Jefferson Clinton. Our hopes as The opinions expressed in guest editorials do not a community were raised by the man from Hope, who felt our necessarily reflect those o f the publisher. pain, and included us in his vision for the United States. He said W Is it a sitcom come to life, or a visit from Mom? (p. 37) Amazon trail Queer crooners bring life to a roadside eatery (P- 38) ARTS Entertainment Drew Pisarra says adieu (pp. 28-29) Books Keith Boykin writes on race and sexual orientation; David Mixner pens a political memoir (pp. 30-31) Theater Flesh and the man: Seattle’s Intiman does McNally; Susann Fletcher is smitten with How to Succeed in Business (pp. 32-33) Music Country singer Kathy Mattea is a true maverick; a vote fo r techno-punk Republica-style (pp. 34-35)
