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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1997)
just out T S e p te m b e r 5, 1907 T 3 letters struggle in the dark. Alone. And unrecognized before their demise. So if I drop dead tomorrow, I w on’t go feeling unloved and forgotten. Thanks. Is it just for the moment we live? To the Editor: After viewing the July 21 broadcast o f N B C ’s newsmagazine Dateline, I felt com pelled to write to you. The explicit subject of the program was Andrew Cunanan. It was obvious that this alleged killer was a desperate and dangerous man who was deeply disturbed. W hat was surprising was the show ’s implicit subject: W hat drove this charm ing gigolo to murder? As reported on television, Cunanan turned from simple lying gigolo to serial killer only after being rejected by his older male keeper. It would seem that 27 is too old to be “kept” in the gay community. The reporters and interview subjects implied that Cunanan was “over the hill” ! The interviewers used words like aging, faded, highly com petitive and the A list. Portrayed was a world so caught up in being youthful, rich and ideal that anything less must be a social death sentence. All of this together showed the viewing audi ence the shallowest and basest side o f gay life. It showed the hedonistic, youth-obsessive side of our world— the side that is exclusive, discrim i nating and superficial. All too often we show only one or two sides of our nature. We may haul out our defenses when w e’re attacked, and we may march out our pride in June. But what are we defending? We rarely show our “sam eness” with the world. We have an apparent need to be anything but average. Are we just the fun-loving, frolicking hedonists we ap pear to be? Is the bar scene all w e’re about? Is it a curse to be less than handsome, charming, witty and wealthy? W hat about intellect, talent, kind ness and generosity? Do we really honor these things? W hat would our world be like if the AIDS crisis had not com e along? W ould there be any solemnity in our “disco w orld” ? W ould we be more than Dream Girls, drag queens, Calvin Klein fashions and cocktails? Is it any w onder that Cunanan went off the deep end? As he fell, was there much to grab on to? His actions seem to be those o f a demonic Peter Pan fighting anything that suggested that he was not the best o f the best and forever young. Like Andrew Cunanan, how many o f us are out there doing w hatever it takes to stay young, em powered and in the spotlight? Jim Crino Portland Muchas gracias To the Editor: I want to thank Just Out very much for the profile on such a weird character as myself, hang ing around the Portland gay and literary scene. It was very thorough, fun to do, and Chris is a good writer. Portland does have a gay generational history, and I hope I was able to fill in some o f the gaps. Just Out ought to continue to profile active creative folks in the community. So often, the same old celebrity types from outside the region get hyped in journalistic endeavors, and there is a need for the com m unity to know, network with and celebrate its own. Break the mold; give us some fresh faces and vibrant Oregon and Portland personalities. Artists, writers and poets so much W alt Curtis Oregon City Let’s hear the success stories To the Editor: After reading the article “Diving for dollars” [Just Out, Aug. 1,1997] one may wonder exactly what I am marketing through Nationwide Auto Club. I wanted to clear up the confusion. I am selling “purchasing pow er,” similar to the pur chasing ability usually reserved for large corpora tions and Fortune 500 associates. Middle America knows that the corporate elite does not usually pay full price for things like cars, long distance, travel, car rentals, etc., and N ationw ide’s benefits package offers consum ers the chance of a similar discount. As you may suspect, women, marginalized communities and the elderly pay substantially higher prices for a car from a dealer than a white male purchasing the exact same car. Likewise, corporations like IBM, Hertz and AT&T pay $2,000 to $7,000 less for a new car than an individual will. With Nationwide, you can pur chase cars at fleet prices with a phone call— no haggling. A $695 benefits package can save an average $3,000 to $4,000 on your next car. Nationwide is one o f the fastest growing com panies in the United States. It markets a practical product that makes sense for anybody, and it has the most generous compensation plan of any network marketing company I have researched. There are two other points I would like to clear up: Although non-profits can join Nationwide at no cost and then begin saving and earning money, the Portland Lesbian C hoir is not fundraising in this way and is not affiliated with Nationwide, as the article seems to imply. Also, the associate who introduced me to this opportunity was innacurately reported as being involved in the First Tuesday Coffeehouse. In fact, I met her through work at a previous job. The article may have fueled skeptics and left a lot of people wary of network marketing. I would love for the community to hear from people who have had successful and positive experi ences with it. (I have o f course met many success ful people in Nationwide, but Just Out did not interview them.) Are any o f you out there? To P lan Y our F inancial F uture J ust C runch T hese N umbers : ( 503 ) 238-6036 For most people, the hardest part of financial planning is making the phone call But once you do, you'll be very surprised to realize how easy it all can be As an experienced account representative, Floreid is committed to helping individuals, domestic partners, couples and families understand their financial options Whether the goal is bud geting, retirement planning, life insurance or saving for college, Floreid’s expertise will help you to make the right choices. Why put it off? Dial your future in today T ransformational H ypnotherapy WALKER 238-6036 (503) 291-7713 /www.waddell.com L exi P arrott , CHT Waddell fr Reed P ast L ife R egression I nner C hild C ore I ssues C learing R elationship R esolution F I N W IA l SM V K FA We A ppreciate O u r Just O ut Supporters! 500 Nh Multnomah, Suite 278 Portland. OR 97212 503 . 287.4286 Lexi Parrott, CHT ou cuor A /ja r c l to y e t to t/ie to p so t/ou ca n e n jo y c o a s tin a (to(t>n t / / e t/tc r Cindy Zrinyi Portland TRANSITIONS A new man Reid (formerly Nancy) Vanderburgh is pleased to announce a new birthday. On June 20, 1997, Vanderburgh began hormone therapy as a female- to-male transsexual. He now has “a Virgo sun, Gemini sunnier!” To honor this transition as fully as possible, Vanderburgh requests that only male pronouns be used to refer to him in the future. Turn to page 41 for Sponsor the Nightspots Map for only $70. Call jU S t O U t at 236-1253 and talk to Meg or Marty. re information j about our spas and the exceptional each one. Life has rewards. W e've qot one of thôw w * Locations