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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1997)
Just out ▼ aprii 18. 1997 T 3 just out s in c e 1 9 8 3 contents PUBLISHER AND EDITOR VOL 14 NO. 12 APRIL 18,1997 Renée LaChance COPY EDITOR FEATURE Kelly M. Bryan REPORTERS Out with Ellen Inga Sorensen Bob Roehr Rex Wockner Tune in April 30 to the largest coming out party in history, when Ellen DeGeneres, as Ellen Morgan, professes her Sapphic persuasion (p. 17) CALENDAR EDITOR Kristine Chatwood PHOTOGRAPHER Linda Kliewer OFFICE MANAGER Will O’Bryan DEPARTMENTS ADVERTISING DIRECTOR World news Meg Grace Beijing has a gay hot line; Poland’s new constitution bans same-sex marriage (P- 4) ADVERTISING REP Marty Davis CREATIVE DIRECTOR E. Ann Hinds GRAPHIC DESIGN National news Rupert Kinnard Clinton appoints Thurman as AIDS czar; Allen Ginsberg, Marx’in Liebman die (pp. 5-9) FORMATTER Christopher D. Cuttone TYPESETTER Christopher D. Cuttone DISTRIBUTION Kathy Bethel Rachel Ebora Integration and Independence Donald Rogers Megan Weber CONTRIBUTORS Christopher D. Cuttone Tim Nasson Jeffrey L. Newman Will O’Bryan Dale Reynolds just out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. Copyright © 1997 by just out No part of just out may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The submission of written and graphic materials is welcomed. Written material should he typed and double-spaced just out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action, ju st out consults the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual on editorial decisions. Letters to the editor should be limited to 500 words. Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday before the first and third Friday for the next issue. 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Our e-mail address is JustOut2@aol.com. guest editorial Yes I am Notes on the tempest from the eye of the storm Y by JoAnn Loulan want to make things clearer than they seem to be according to letters I’ve read in Just Out. First I want to make sure that everyone knows that I sent Renée LaChance the letter that I did as a private missive about my upcoming public statement. In the letter, I let her know that there was going to be an article in The Advocate where I would come out about dating a man. I knew that she would comment in Just Out, and that was fine with me. I must say I am as confused as anyone about what is going on in my life, and if others say things that are not exactly tactful, I can understand it. It’s not me turning the other cheek: It’s that I have been in the same position of judging others, and oops, now I am being judged. Or my behavior is being judged, or my icon status is being judged, or my symbolism, or the definition of lesbianism—hopefully not my clothes. The difficult part for everyone, most of all myself, is that I am seen and see myself as the total lesbian cheerleader. I love lesbians, I know lesbians, I love making love with lesbians. I know I have made my contribution to the lesbian culture by saying lesbians can have wonderful, exciting, loving sex. I’ve written some of the books on lesbian sex. I have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for lesbian causes. I have appeared on television representing lesbians the best I could. I have traveled the highways and airways of this country, Canada and Europe giving inspirational speeches to lesbians. I have been accused of being with men throughout my life as a lesbian. I have always challenged this as something that relates to my looks and my femme identity. I have always contended that no one would accuse a butch of being with men. Now of course I find myself in love with a man, and I have outed myself. An old friend said she guessed it was too hard for me to be a lesbian. Actually, I’m one of the 10 women in the world who had no trouble coming out or embracing this woman culture. Coming out about this guy deal has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The confusing part is that I still identify as a femme lesbian. I know this sounds a little nuts, but I have always contended that lesbian culture is just that, a culture. It is only in lesbian culture that I feel truly at ease and myself. It is women-identified women who make me feel like a welcomed member who has value. My biggest sadness, besides losing some of my friends to a greater and lesser degree, is even the thought that I may not be able to live in, work with and contribute to my true heart community anymore. Some have suggested that I can now work in the bisexual community. I suppose from the outside it looks like my life fits neatly into that package. However, I believe bisexuals have a culture all their own. I honor it and believe bisexuality to be very real. I know my sexual life has included both sexes, but I cannot with all honesty say that I identify as bisexual. I must be true to myself. In this way, I am giving nodifferent message than at any other time in my life: I believe we must show up, tell the truth, love ourselves and love others. My statement has been that if I had denied my feelings for this man (whom I have known for 30 years) because of what the community thought of me, I could have never lived with myself. Karen Shoffner wrote an editorial in Front Page, a lesbian and gay newspaper in North Carolina, in response to my interview in The Advocate. She said it better than I have: “[Loulan] has done the unforgivable. She has shown us that sexuality isn’t static and, therefore, that there are few certainties in life. She has jeopardized many of her friendships and the goodwill of the lesbian community in the process, a stressful state of affairs to be sure. What if she had denied her feelings for this man for the sake of our community? Wouldn’t that be a terrible betrayal, too?’’ As one of my clients said, “If JoAnn Loulan can do this, anyone can do anything!” May that be true in all our lives always. A forum with JoAnn Loulan and Kate Bomstein (author o f Gender Jail), sponsored by the Institute fo r the Advance ment o f Human Behavior and Just Out, will be held in Portland on Aug. 1. Come participate in a discussion on how we might create a culture that includes all visions o f gender, orientation and sex activity. Local news Chuck Carpenter brings the Oregon House to a standstill for two days over ENDA; MHRC faces cuts to its budget and mission (pp. 11-15) CO LU M N S Out there Searching fo r signs o f gay life at "America's Smithsonian ” (p. 33) Sports Team Portland Aquatic Club whets its appetite fo r competition (p. 34) ARTS Music Bernadette Peters delivers the answer to her fans ’ fondest p ravers (P- 29) Cinema Tim Nasson takes the "Out at the Movies" reins; Emma-Kate Croghan talks about Love and Other Catastrophes (pp. 30-31) Entertainment Lea DeLaria is out on disc; OSU throws a weeklong Pride party (P- 32)