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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1997)
ju s t o u t ▼ a u g u s t 1 5 . 1 9 9 7 f 3 just out since 1 983 steppin’ out PUBLISHER A N D EDITOR Renée LaChance contents va. ASSISTANT EDITOR Kelly M. Bryan 14 NO. 20 AUGUST 15, 1997 FEATURES NEW S EDITOR Inga Sorensen To be or not to be ‘me’ REPORTERS Bob Roehr Rex Wockner CALENDAR EDITOR Kristine Chatwood Some queers chafe at being asked to tone down their dress and behavior on the job PHOTOGRAPHER Linda Kliewer Reclaiming the word OFFICE M ANAGER Will O’Bryan A gay theologian uncovers the origins o f the age-old 'sodomy' bugaboo (p- 19) (p- 17) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meg Grace ADVERTISING REP Marty Davis DEPARTMENTS World news CREATIVE DIRECTOR E. Ann Hinds GRAPHIC DESIGN Rupert Kinnard FORMATTER/TYPESETTER Christopher D. Cuttone DISTRIBUTION Trina Altman Kathy Bethel Lynette Boatman Jim Galluzzo Graphic Oasis Argentine teachers union grants benefits to the partner o f its only out gay member (P 4) Portlander Mary Larsen atop the Marquam Bridge fo r the Providence Bridge Pedal, held Sunday, Aug. 10. The cycle tour o f the city’s causeways, which came with a six- or nine-bridge option, drew 10,000participants, many o f them queer. Event proceeds went in part to the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Willamette Light Brigade. fi»»,. CONTRIBUTORS Bonnie Ruth Beebe Christopher D. Cuttone Mark King Rupert Kinnard Jeffrey L. Newman Will O’Bryan Gip Plaster Dale Reynolds J u t out is published on th e first and th ir d F rid a y o f each m o n th . Copyright © 1997 by Just out No part of Just out may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher T he subm ission of w ritten an d g rap h ic m a te ria ls is w elcom ed. W ritten m aterial should be typed and double-spaced £ist out reserves the right to edit for gramm ar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. L etters to the ed ito r should be limited to 500 words. Deadline fo r subm issions to the editorial department and for the C alen d ar is the Thursday before the first and third Friday for the next issue Views expressed in letters to the editor, colum ns and features are not necessarily those of the publisher The d isplay a d v e rtisin g deadline is the Monday after the first and third Friday for the next issue. must be received at the Just out office by 3 pm the Monday after the first and third Friday for the next issue, along with payment Ads may be accepted by telephone with VISA or MasterCard payment Ad policy No sexually exploitative advertising will he accepted Compensation for errors in, or cancellation of, advertising will be 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 rates are available on request T he m a ilin g a d d re ss an d te lep h o n e num bers for Just out are PO Box 14400, Portland. OR 97293-0400; (503) 236-1252. The phone num ber for the advertising department is 236-1253 Our fax number is 236-1257. O ur e-m ail address is JustOut2@aol com ('lassified ads editorial Visibility bites Cunanan has bumped Ellen as the public's queer flavor of the day ; but the rest of us are in for the long haul I National news Log Cabin calls on the GOP to adopt a neutral stance on abortion rights; AIDS officials and activists debate morning-after treatments (pp 5*9) Local news Journalist Sandy Nelson asks U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case; Oregon sexual minority community ponders a proactive antidiscrimination measure (pp. 10-15) COLUMNS T Enough about me by K e r r y Lobel An insulated KFC tote bag can 7 keep you warm when your idealism is gone fly a lot. And although I hate to admit it, my airplane Of course, the story is true. And of course, it doesn’t have reading is usually found on the racks of airport book such a tidy ending. stores. For example, right now I’m readingTom Clancy’s When organizers of San Diego’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and Executive Orders, a story about the devastation of our transgendered Pride celebration chose the slogan “Share the government as we know it. Last week 1 read Sandra Vision—Equality Through Visibility,” little did they know just Brown’s Exclusive, the story of a first lady and a president how much their visibility would be put to the test. As a whose child has mysteriously died. As my mind wanders community, we’ve been put to the test as well. through these stories’ twists and turns, I imagine that I could We’ve moved in a few short months from Ellen Morgan to come up with a better plot line. Andrew Cunanan. Many of us expected that a backlash would Here’s my latest premise: The main character is the follow Ellen’s coming out, yet few of us could have imagined the executive director of San Diego Pride. She’s planning for one degree to which the media would create a new character: the of the nation’s largest pride HIV-crazed homosexual pros events, including an afternoon Ellen was the girl next door. Andrew titute on a murderous rampage. parade, an evening rally and Ellen was the girl next was America \s most wanted criminal two full days of festivals. door. Andrew was America’s She’s under siege by media most wanted criminal suspect. suspect. Ellen was proof that if from throughout the world. A . . A , . , Ellen was proof that if f b i agents and other law en- America knew us, America would love America knew us, America forcement officials swarm us. Andrew represented the country's would love us. Andrew repre around her. She’s wondering sented the country’s and our if an alleged murderer will own worst fears. and our own worst fears. turn up back home for the The truth is that our vis event. She’s building community. And she’s trying to keep ibility comes in many shapes and with many stories. And for perspective while shielding herself from the glare of the some of these stories, the spin will be beyond our control. We country’s spotlight. will continue to work to build the vision and shape the message As the story develops, the alleged murderer takes his own about our own communities. Our road to equality will be filled life just days before Pride. Over 100,000 participants attend with episodes that nurture, attack and challenge us. Pride—a record number. Thanks to hundreds of volunteers, the But there’s no turning back, and we’re in for a wild ride. Pride event ranks as one of the best ever. The executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is there as keynote Kerry Lobel is executive director o f speaker to mark the momentous event. the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. (P - 34) ARTS Music The Indigo Girls would be closer to fine with some respect from the mainstream media (P- 29) Entertainment Art quake is dead: long live Art in the Pearl (P- 30) Pretty in print Breezy book briefs to keep you cool (P 31) Cinema The Watermelon Woman takes a refreshing bite into sex, race and cultural history; Kiss Me, Guido is a goofy, carefree romp (pp. 32-33)