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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1998)
ITiTTT! news T he T ruth C an H urt A Corvallis youth is beaten for having the courage to be openly gay in high school aul Miller didn’t see the fist coming. The next thing he knew, blood was spurting from his Jik mouth, one front tooth flopped on the sidewalk, the other dan gled from his gums. “I picked up the tooth, brought it home and put it in a glass of milk. I had remembered that was what you’re sup posed to do if you lose a tooth,” explains the 17-year-old senior at Corvallis High School. Pretty level-headed thinking for someone who had just been taunted— and then physically attacked—by a group of teenage boys who didn’t like the fact Miller was gay and had no qualms saying so. “I knew I would get attacked at some point," Miller told Just Out an hour before heading to the dentist for root canal surgery, “but 1 wasn’t expecting that punch.” iller, organizer of his school’s year- old Gay Straight Alliance, has heard it all before: "queer,” “homo,” “fat faggot ass.” The epithets are neither original nor unfa miliar. After all, being gay—or appearing to be—usually means you’re in for some form of harassment both in and out of school. Such was the case on Feb. 2. Miller says at about 2:30 pm he was walking the four blocks from his high school to his home. Across the street there were some teenage boys “hanging out by a broken-down house.” Miller says one kid asked him if he was gay. “Lots of people ask me that, and I always tell them the truth,” he says. This time was no different. “After 1 said 1 was, the kid ran into the house and said, ‘Hey guys, let’s go fag beating.’ ” Miller continued walking, but then heard some noise behind him. It was three of the boys following him down the street. “I couldn’t outrun them, I didn’t want them to know where I lived, and an adult couple was walking along the street parallel to us,” says Miller, who simply stopped and waited. “I fig ured [the teenagers] would call me some names, see the adults and go away.” It was not to be. by Inga Sorensen aged 15 and 16, have been arrested and charged with intimidation and assault. Two of the teenagers are from Corvallis, but according to Miller do not attend Corvallis High School, or any high school for that matter. The third youth is from Albany. iller’s beating has attracted much attention. He’s been on the front page of the local newspaper twice, and he’s been the focus of several broadcast news reports. At Corvallis High School as many as 500 students, school administrators and community members turned out for a rally in the school auditorium to show support for Miller. “All sorts of groups, gay and straight, are planning events to promote toler ance,” Miller says, adding it’s unfortu nate that it took the beating of a student to get some folks to seriously ponder the problem of homophobia. Julie Williams, a Corvallis High School teacher and the faculty advisor for the Gay Straight Alliance, agrees. Though Miller wasn’t attacked on school grounds, both he and Williams say schools could do more to promote safer environments for queer and queer appearing students and staff. “There is no one who is in a position of power who has taken the lead on this issue,” Williams says. “It’s a kid with his Students, school staff and community members teeth knocked out who’s leading the gather for a rally in support of Miller >» way. For her part, Williams says she plans to away. One of my front teeth fell onto the side- I walk, the other was hanging in my mouth by a approach school officials with a list of sugges tions of how to create safer schools. thread.” Stunned, Miller picked up the tooth and She’d like to see schools “provide students hurried home. He placed it in a glass of milk with positive gay and lesbian role models with in the regular curriculum,” and urges all district and stuck a towel in his mouth. employees to get training in how to appropri “When my grandmother saw me she went into hysterics,” says Miller. “1 gave her the num ately respond to anti-gay incidents. ber of Prudence ~Miles, the City of Corvallis Furthermore, she says there should be a ombudsperson who I’ve been told to call in case district-level, community-based Gay Issues of an attack. Then she called a dentist.” Advisory Council “to continue the dialogue as He continues, “A cable repair man that we well as plan for future training and curriculum implementation.” know came in. He had witnessed the whole incident but said it was ‘against regulations’ to She says, “I am proud of the response exhib interfere. Grandma can’t drive, and the cable ited by Corvallis but wonder if we will continue guy ‘wasn’t allowed’ to take me to the dentist. I to be reactive or use this incident as a spring drove through town with a bloody towel stuffed board to move our school and community lead in my mouth...with Grandma sitting in the ership in front of the next punch aimed at out passenger seat.” gay youth.” Luckily, adds Miller, the teeth were unbro Miller, meanwhile, says he intends to con ken "so the dentist was able to put them back tinue his work with the gay straight alliances at in.” Corvallis High School and nearby Crescent He received a tetanus shot to prevent infec Valley High School. tion, and has undergone two root canals. Miller identified the youths, and three boys, M M Paul Miller “The adults got out of there at the sight of trouble,” he says. “The kids called me some names, and after a short conversation one of them punched me in the mouth and they ran The Community’s Home Loan Resource ► ► ► ► ► New purchase ► Refinance/cash out 100% equity loans ► Pre-approved loans Pre-qualification by phone or fax Residential, commercial & investment property Appointments at your convenience Im available when you are!^ Colleen Weed Office Evenings/Weekends 297-9900 780-1561 MORTGAGE Advocates 9900 S. U7 Wilshire Street • Portland, Oregon 97225