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