2 ▼ d •ca m b er 2 0 . 1 9 9 6 ▼ just ou t
just out
since 1 9 8 3
PUBLISHER AND EDITOR
Renée LaChance
COPY EDITOR
steppin’ out
contents
VOL 14 NO. 4 DECEMBER 20,1996
FEATURES
Kelly M. Bryan
REPORTERS
Off the screen and
back to the closet?
Inga Sorensen
Bob Roehr
Rex Wockner
Kristine Chatwood
This year’s queer-themed cinema
pales in comparison to the
visibility explosion of 1995
PHOTOGRAPHER
(P- 19)
CALENDAR EDITOR
Linda Kliewer
Working together
OFFICE MANAGER
Cory Murphy
U.S. groups contribute medical
supplies to Mexican AIDS service
providers strapped for resources
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
(P- 17)
Meg Grace
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING REPS
C. Jay Wilson Jr.
Marty Davis
World news
Brazil appears ready to legalize
same-sex partnerships
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
E. Ann Hinds
(P- 5)
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Rupert Kinnard
National news
FORMATTER
Community leaders huddle in
Washington, D.C., to work up a
game plan fo r ’97
Christopher D. Cuttone
TYPESETTER
(PP- 6-10)
Christopher D. Cuttone
Local news
DISTRIBUTION
A local chapter of the
transsexual-rights group It’s
Time, America! debuts to discord
(P■ 15)
Kathy Bethel
Rachel Ebora
Daria Moyer-Sims
Donald Rogers
Megan Weber
COLUMNS
CONTRIBUTORS
Eye hard right
The Boston AIDS Writers Group
Christopher D. Cuttone
Rachel Ebora
Michael Thomas Ford
Richard Shumate
Daniel Vaillancourt
Keep a watch on those pesky
right-wingers in this new column
(p . 1 1 )
A reason to g ive
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Local queer service organizations , struggling under the burdens of increased
need and decreased funding, need our help
▼
by Renée LaChance
ast July, when it was determined that Oregon would
through the legislative process.
not have to Fight a third discriminatory ballot mea
One of our oldest lesbian and gay service organizations,
sure sponsored by the Oregon Citizens Alliance, a
Phoenix Rising, announced this month that it will be facing a
tight place in my chest let go. Having long worried
significant budgetary shortfall next year that may force it to
about the financial health of our local service orga
limit the resources it provides. One of the many services
nizations and the effect on them of massive community
funds Rising provides is counseling on a sliding-fee scale to
Phoenix
being siphoned off to fight ballot measures 9 and 13,1 naively
individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford these
thought my worries were over upon hearing this announcement.
services. Many of the clients Phoenix Rising serves pay at the
Since 1992, local service organizations for sexual minority
low end of the scale while the cost of such services are higher.
communities have experienced annual financial shortfalls.
In addition, Phoenix Rising facilitates groups for children and
Actually, such is the nature of nonprofit organizations, which
adults on topics representing a multitude of social and mental
continually have to search for creative funding solutions through
health issues. Phoenix Rising depends on client fees, grants and
government and foundation grants, membership fees and fees
donations from the community for its support.
for client services rather than rely on the community for
There are many other organizations that serve our commu
support.
nity which continually must be pulled up by the financial
It was my idealistic vision that now that lesbians and gay
bootstraps to continue their important work. It is appalling that
men had become accustomed to allocating dollars to their
hundreds of thousands of dollars had to come from our commu
community they would continue to do so by sending those same
nity to fight measures 9 and 13 while our service organizations
dollars to our local service organizations, enabling groups to
drowned in red ink.
get on a stable financial track and, eventually, thrive. Unfortu
This is the season of giving. Why not make a deposit into
nately this does not seem to be the case.
your cosmic karma bank and secure another 1996 tax write-off
Government funding is continually shrinking. Money is
by sending a check to your favorite lesbian and gay service
being denied to organizations in the wake of Measure 47, which
organization. Just think about how much money ballot mea
voters passed in November. National and regional foundation
sures 9 and 13 cost you, and send that amount or a portion of it.
grants are being prioritized elsewhere, since our organizations
And please, make a point of donating yearly. The health of
are no longer dealing with a community in turmoil over attacks
our community is at stake.
L
Reasons for hope
A look at the debate on the
“hit hard" model o f HIV therapy
(P-13)
My queer life
Different cultures have different
holidays, but dysfunction
reigns supreme
(p. 34)
ARTS
Books
Dr. Betty Berzon wants your
relationship to last
(P- 29)
Theater
Open wide, i t ’s
Little Shop of Horrors (gulp!)
(p. 31)
Entertainment
News for Deadheads, bowlers
and culture mavens
(p. 32)
Tongue in groove
Theresa Demarest and
The Third Sex sing out proud
(p. 33)