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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1997)
0 ▼ november 21, 1907 T Just out #1 TCCAEMILL Treadmills are the most effective calorie burning exercise machine PRECOR Low Impact Treadmills Precor is rated the #1 treadm ill supplier by Sporting Goods Dealer m agazine. according to a recent report in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The Surgeon General has determined that lack of physical activity is detrimental to your health. PRECOR' T R EA D M IL L S The Standard by which all others are judged . EXERCISE EQUIPMENT 659-4055 11211 S E 82nd 1 mile N. of Clackam as T .C . 1 800 659-0421 - - 644-0615 11866 S W Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. Beaverton Town Square When an ordinary Realtor sim ply won't do... national news The whole truth and nothing but Contradictory prevention messages may have led gay and bisexual men to overestimate the risk of HI V transmission during oral sex, according to a study published in the September issue of the quarterly Journal o f the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. The study, “Oral Sex Anxiety, Oral Sex Be havior, and HIV Risk Perceptions Among Gay and Bisexual Men,” found that many men have heightened anxiety about oral sex despite the low number of documented cases of HIV transmis sion which are attributable to oral sex. Researchers found that nearly one-third of 348 gay and bisexual men who completed an anonymous survey at a gay pride festival in At lanta were “oral-sex anxious,” and that signifi cantly more “oral-sex anxious” men use condoms during oral sex than do men deemed “non-anx- ious.” According to the report, the men’s attitudes about oral sex did not correlate with their self- identified orientation, relationship status, HIV status or how often they get tested for HIV. In other areas of sexuality, all of the men reported similar choices. Fifty percent of the “non-anxious” men said they had engaged in unprotected anal sex within the previous six months, while 49 percent of the “anxious” men also reported engaging in anal sex without a condom during the same time period. To address the apparent confusion surrounding oral sex and to improve the overall sexual health of gay men, the Gay and Lesbian Medi cal Association in 1996began advocat ing the creation of HI V - p r e v e n t i o n messages that clas sify oral sex as a low- risk behavior that is significantly safer than anal sex. “This study lends Ben Schatz credence to the hope that if we can help gay men understand the rela tive risk levels of different sexual activities they will make choices that are more likely to keep them healthy,” GLMA Executive Director Ben Schatz said in a news release. “Informing gay men that oral sex is low-risk allows them to enhance their sexual intimacy, and it may encour age them to take fewer risks with other sexual behaviors, such as anal sex.” No sense in being counted on census? Alternative: Straying from what is considered normal: different; the choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities. To say, "I am alternative," is to say, "I am leading a different lifestyle from mainstream society: honoring diversity, building community and creating a lifestyle that promotes the health and well-being of our planet." Portland's Alternative Realtors represent an appealing alternative for those individuals who prefer not to work with a conventional salesperson. We support our local community, organic agriculture, all recycling efforts, and networking to create a healthier environment. It is our mission to bring integrity and trust into the real estate profession while creating tremendously satisfying and fulfilling lifelong relationships with the people in o u r community. U U M t P o ^XL a +J.1 4 Ru tx*44. Gay and lesbian rights activists are not going to push for recognition of sexual orientation in the U.S. Census Bureau’s count in 2000, the Wash ington Blade reports. Activists fear the numbers would be inaccu rate since privacy concerns and the lack of dis crimination protections would likely inhibit sexual minorities from honestly answering census ques tions about their orientation. Winnie Stachelberg, political director of the Human Rights Campaign, told the Blade, “The numbers would be far lower than they actually are [because] the number of gay people who would answer such a question honestly on a government form would be lower. And our enemies would use [the low count] against us.” Sylvia Peregrino, spokeswoman for the Na tional Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, pointed out that anti-gay groups could use inaccu rate census data to suggest that sexual minorities only exist in certain urban communities. “People in places like Kansas and Texas would be ignored,” she said. Keith Boykin, executive director of the Na tional Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum said, “Most people who are gay or lesbian prob ably don’t live the types of open lives that many activists do. I don’t believe most would want to say they’re gay to anybody.” Despite that, HRC and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force are encouraging gay and lesbian couples to answer honestly if questioned about the number of unmarried partners living in the same household (both the Census 2000 form and the one used in 1990 contain such a question). “It’s terribly important that gays and lesbians answer the question openly and honestly,” Stachelberg said. “Until we can be married part ners, we will have to continue answering ques tions this way.” Ken Sherrill, chair of the political science department at Hunter College, however, con tends the people most likely to answer such a question will have high incomes and education levels. Sherrill, who is gay, warns, “The question will produce biased data that will be used by those people who oppose protecting our rights to dem onstrate that we are wealthy and well-educated and don’t need any protection.” Democratic brass will support lesbian candidates At an Oct. 29 meeting between House Minor ity Leader Dick Gephardt and representatives of several national sexual minority advocacy groups, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Executive Direc tor Brian Bond urged the congressman to ensure that qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates are given equal consideration by Democratic Party leaders. According to a Victory Fund news release, Gephardt arranged the meeting in order to en hance the relationship between the gay and les bian community, the Democratic Party and seated politicians. He told those gathered he was encour aged by the number of sexual minority candidates running for the House this cycle, and gave his assurance that gay and lesbian candidates would be treated fairly. The Victory Fund is currently working with three openly lesbian congressional candidates: Wisconsin state Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who is already a front-runner in the Democratic primary for that state’s open 2nd District seat; San Diego City Councilmember Chris Kehoe, who will be challenging two-term incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray in California's 49th District; and retired Army Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, who is researching a run against Republican Jack