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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1997)
38 ▼ november 7, 1997 ▼ ju s t o u t G rand Opening AMAZON TRAIL Needle-free HIV testing for gay & bi men o u e o o> Safe at last? , Poking her head up out of the trenches one seasoned veteran of the queer struggle prepares to call an ‘all-clear for now9 ▼ by Lee Lynch can’t believe it’s over. Is it over? No, it’ll never be over. But it feels, for the moment, as if the organized attacks on gay men and lesbians have at least receded with the waning strength of the right. Not that I’m putting my guard down. I may not be marching on Washington, or sounding off like Paul Revere in my columns, but I never did and never will belong to that nonchalant crowd that seems to think we’re home free. Gays are a despised minority. Always have been, maybe always will be. There have been eras like the 1920s when we were more accepted by parts of heterosexual society. Then there are eras, like the early and mid-1990s, when we’re viewed as evil incarnate. Of course, we don’t change. Some of us are sick, some of us well-adjusted, all of us caught up in the same daily struggles and joys of life as non gays. It’s public opinion that changes. Salem witch hunts, Spanish Inquisitions, communist purges, 1 Monday, Nov« 17 W ■ ■ R 7 -9 PM m W u n— — - spun to ram television. And Lea DeLaria, whom many dykes find offensive, is the out darling of Broadway. Though it’s a battle, we have our own books, shops, political organizations, businesses—you name it. Even Minnie Mouse doesn’t back down when attacked for her gay support. Anything goes. I read in the paper that Candace Gingrich’s brother has lost control of his troops. I read that the Christian Coalition had a conference where the speakers repeated over and over that they’re still a strong entity, bearing false witness even as their followers dwindle. Diana, Princess of Wales, is mourned by the publicly gay figures she befriended. Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche act like it’s natural to be affectionate with one’s beloved at a presiden tial do. The police and media launch an enormous manhunt for a gay murderer of gay men, just like we deserve to live. OK, maybe it’s just a lull. I’m not going to start wearing a tie to the post office, but my car is wearing her positive “YEP” sticker and rainbow Community Action Bldg. 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"> 4 Machines in 1 Available Exclusively At EXERCISE EQUIPMENT 659 4055 11211 SE 82nd Ave 1-800-659-0421 644 0615 11865 SW Beaverton-Hilsdaie Hwy “ averton Town f U.S. Puritanism. When these waves sweep over a society, we bear the brunt of them and survive— most of us. For the moment I feel as if I’ve survived. At the monthly lesbian potluck I felt like I was at a celebration. There was no political talk, there were no recent horror stories. Someone announced a breast cancer walk, but otherwise we were there simply to enjoy one another. I had fun, a rare pleasure. Food, music, danc ing with mostly coupled, mature women who live quiet lives working, gardening, caring for ani mals, doing upkeep on their trailers or acreage— our main common denominator was being gay. It felt like the siege was over. Every lesbian and gay man is an activist, of course. At 14 and 15, before Suzy and I ever heard of civil resistance, we were holding hands on the street and defying anyone to stop us. I was wear ing men’s clothes at the risk of arrest and beatings. Everyone I knew had fake I.D. so we could be with our own kind in the bars. That’s just the way it was. Today, there are scads of gay characters on strip. When we donated to the library rummage sale, they displayed our obviously gay books without raising an eyebrow. Our deflector shields are down today. It’s a good time to enjoy the relative absence of oppres sion. To relax after years of battle. And to nurture the infrastructure that was forced on us. Those monthly community potlucks, film nights, archives, newsletters, annual picnics, Internet groups and pride celebrations are our gay National Guard. The Victory Fund, the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and all the rest are our national energy departments and treasuries. Some activists are educating and coalitioning by gently integrating their senior centers, adopting sections of public highway and hosting multi cultural festivals. Never again will a couple of baby dykes be alone in their defiance. Maybe they’re not safe. Maybe it’ll never be completely over. But for sure we Ye stronger and safer and freer than we’ve ever been before.
