ju st o u t ▼ fsb ru a ry 2 1 , 1 9 0 7 ▼ 5
pretending to be something I w asn’t, choosing
one part o f m yself or the other, and never feeling
whole. It meant being in a closet. Rem ember how
that feels?
I hope that Just Out , which has been pleasantly
accepting o f bisexual and transgender people in
the past few years, isn’t going to close those closet
doors again. Bisexuality is the queerest thing
around, girl. In the bisexual heart, anything goes.
And I hope Renée is permanently vaccinated
against being surprised by love, because believe
me, it can happen.
Sallie Tisdale
Portland
Why waste energy?
To the Editor:
With all the real issues in the world and the gay
and lesbian community, why waste energy on
whether JoAnn Loulan is a lesbian or not? It
seems to me with all the real attacks on us, eating
our own is really stupid. If the gay and lesbian
community wants tolerance and acceptance from
others, we also need to extend it.
I was appalled by your wish that her relation
ship not last. I was appalled that acceptance of her
decision appears to be such an afterthought o f your
editorial. You are clearly unwilling to accept Loulan
as a person who needs to decide what is right for
herself. I am glad that you are not my friend.
But then I expect no better from your newspa
per, which rarely reports on anything important to
the Portland gay and lesbian community.
Mary Anne Joyce
Portland
Offended by anti-male
remarks
To the Editor:
I was amazed at your [Feb. 7] editorial; I
thought maybe I was reading a “stereotypical”
heterosexual response to the discovery that a loved
one is gay. You actually felt “shock, sadness and
disbelief’to discover that JoAnn Loulan had fallen
in love with a man. You then go on to say that you
hope “her new relationship w on’t last forever and
that she’ll again fall in love with a woman.”
As a man I am offended by your anti-male
remarks. One can clearly sense your belief that to
love a woman is a far more beautiful, tasteful
experience, and that to love a man is neither. How
sad that a high-profile mem ber o f our community
can blatantly display such heterophobic and sex
ist attitudes— and at the same time pretend to be
a champion o f tolerance and justice. I think that
before you begin to give advice to anyone on
whom they should love, perhaps you should ex
amine your own shortcomings and biases.
I do compliment you and your paper on the
fine job you have done throughout the years.
However, we must all be reminded from time to
time when we have succumbed to our own intol
erance and bigotry. I would ask that you remem
ber that many o f your readers are male (and also
perhaps heterosexual).
I understand it was not your intention to de
grade or offend a large percentage o f your read
ers. I only ask that in the future you consider the
points o f view o f all your readers, including-your
male readers.
Shawn Perkins
Vancouver
Surprising times
To the Editor:
Thank you for printing in the same issue that
you hope that [JoAnn Loulan’s] new relationship
[with a man] w on’t last forever, that Eartha Kitt
wishes that gay men "would switch,” and that
Eartha’s interviewer, Daniel Vaillancourt (who
identifies him self as gay), suggests "m aybe some
o f them wish they could switch too!”
I have no answers for everybody as to who is
really what and what it all means, but I have
enjoyed finding out my own answers. I gained a
lot in my search from the support o f others— so I
am glad to see you encouraging your readers to do
the same.
T here ’ s N o T ime
L ike the P resent
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Support Oregon ENDA
To the Editor:
It is unconscionable for a transsexual, who has
legal protection under Oregon law from em ploy
ment discrimination, to oppose a bill that would
give the same legal protection to gay men, lesbi
ans and bisexuals. I would encourage all trans
sexuals, gay men, lesbians and bisexuals to come
together to support the 1997 ENDA bill that has
been introduced in the Oregon Legislature.
O ur collective communities are too small for
factionalized fighting. If we are to achieve equal
rights in Oregon, we must all support one another.
In unity there is strength. As an action item, please
come to the next meeting o f the M etropolitan
Human Rights Commission and ask them to sup
port the ENDA bill.
JoAnna E. McNamara
Lake Oswego
Keep your laws
off my body
To the Editor:
It took decades for government to recognize
medical opinion that transsexual women such as
m yself were bom with a correctable birth defect.
Even the State o f Georgia— that bastion of liberal
politics— issued me a new birth certificate ac
knowledging that after my surgery I was indeed
female.
Now Rep. George Eighmey has drafted legis
lation that would “grant” me civil rights protec
tion so long as I proclaim m yself to be a male.
Well, thanks but no thanks, George. I am a woman,
and I am not about to have you force a sex change
on me to comply with your notions o f political
correctness.
Lon Mabon wants the State o f Oregon to
refuse to recognize changes o f sex. George has
written the bill.
Wadddl
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