Just out., August 07, 1998, Page 8, Image 8

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F rom
anger to action
Lesbian couple works toward greater good
by In ga S o re n se n
lien Osoinach was savoring the gor­
geous March morning.
“The sun was shining. The sky was
clear, it was just beautiful,” recounts
the 27-year-old Northeast Portland
“They were very diligent,” she explains. “We
were asked to describe any activities we may
have been doing that may have prompted this
man to think we were lesbians.”
A Portland police bias-crime detective,
meanwhile, called the couple “practically on a
weekly basis” to update them on the investiga­
tion. The suspect was subsequently tracked
down and interviewed by police.
“He apparently has a lengthy multistate
arrest record, which includes violent crimes,”
says Osoinach, who admits she feared the perpe­
trator may learn her and Spark’s names— and
residence— if they pushed for prosecution.
After a heart-wrenching process which had
Sparks opting to pursue the matter and
Osoinach saying nay, the two have decided not
to seek prosecution.
Ironically, she represents H R C at the
monthly meetings of the nearly year-old
Coalition Against Hate Crimes, a group of
Portland-area people from an array of human
rights groups, businesses and religious institu­
tions. The coalition in part acts as an advocate
and voice for victims of hate crimes, promotes
coalition-building and education, and “acts as
an agent of change and healing.”
Says Osoinach: “If this could happen to
me— someone who is involved in these issues—
I wonder what people who aren’t activists feel
when they are confronted by hate crimes.”
Though Osoinach selected not to pursue the
case legally, she is taking action in other realms.
Following the incident, she was left hurt by
the response, i.e. the lack of help, she received
from the local restaurant, which she declined to
name.
“We want to work with that business and
other businesses to find ways they can be
responsive and responsible,” says Osoinach, who
has started attending Concordia Neighborhood
Association meetings.
She says the group’s previously-defunct safe­
ty committee has since been jump-started, with
resident.
Adding to her jubilance was the fact
Osoinach had nabbed one of those rare mid­
week moments alone with her partner of three
years, Sally Sparks, 29.
The two, who were enjoying a little time off
from work, decided to walk to a nearby bicycle
store in their Concordia neighborhood.
“I was just so happy to be with her. It was
such a treat,” says Osoinach. The duo spotted a
bike they liked, and left to go home to get the
checkbook.
The couple stood on the curb, hand in hand
like so many couples in love,
waiting to cross the street. Then,
says Osoinach, a man in a car
“came screeching to the curb.”
She says, “He came really
close to hitting my girlfriend— I
had to yank her back.”
Osoinach says the man, “who
looked like he lives at G old’s
Gym,” got out of the automo­
bile, at which point she said,
“Hey, you almost hit us.”
Next thing she knew, the
man was “coming at us aggres­
sively,” put his finger in her face,
and began screaming obsceni­
ties.
She says he then shoved her.
“I flew back about 4 feet and fell
into some brambles. I was
stunned. I had never been
assaulted before.”
The man lunged toward
O soinach again, prompting
Sparks to jump in the way, and
he shoved her.
By then, O soinach had
regained her balance and ran
across the street to a local Ellen Osoinach (left) and Sally Sparks revisit the site where they were allegedly assaulted
restaurant— an establishment
she and her partner had frequented on a number
“She wanted to prosecute and 1 didn’t,”
a few local queer folk joining.
of occasions— to phone police. Sparks was on
Osoinach says. “Maybe it wasn’t rational. What
“These are people who said, ‘I thought I lived
her heels, as was the man, who followed them
were the odds he would come after us? Still, I
in a gay-friendly neighborhood,’ but heard about
into the eatery.
was afraid that would happen given the violent
what happened to us and decided to get
“He was saying, ‘G o ahead and call the
history.”
involved,” she says, adding, “We’re looking to
police.’ He called us ‘fucking dykes.’ He said
She also says if the man had been convicted
make Concordia a hate-free neighborhood.”
something like, ‘My day was fine until you fuck­ on the bias-related intimidation charge, he
Osoinach is also currently spearheading an
ing dykes came along,’” Osoinach explains.
would have seen little, if any, time behind bars.
effort to create a support group— via the Lesbian
She then asked restaurant employees
Community Project— for queer people
if she could use the phone to call police.
*
ore people who said, thought I lived who have been the victims of hate crimes
“I’m standing there bleeding and
and homophobic discrimination.
in
a
gay-friendly
neighborhood
but
heard
practically pleading,” she says. “They
Steve Freedman is the interim program
told us they didn’t have a phone. ... 1
manager
for the Metropolitan Human
about what happened to us and decided to
know they do because I call and order
Rights Center, a city of Portland and
get involved. "
— Ellen Osoinach Multnomah County entity which provides
from them.”
Shocked, but undeterred, Osoinach
education, and community networking
and Sparks exited to find a pay phone on the
“We would not teach this guy a lesson,” she con­ and problem-solving.
street. Again, the man followed them, but this
cludes.
Freedman knows Osoinach through their
time he got into his car. However, upon seeing
The decision was an “extremely difficult”
work together on the Coalition Against Hate
the women calling for help, he jumped back out
one, adds Osoinach, not only because she and
Crimes.
and grabbed the phone from them.
Sparks diverged on the matter, but also because
“She called me soon after the attack and was
“Luckily there was another phone next to
of the responsibility she feels toward the queer
very distraught,” he says, adding they talked
community.
•* -»*
it,” Osoinach says.
about her options.
The call was placed. The man tore off in his
Osoinach’s commitment to the community
“She is sheroic. She has refused to be a pas­
car, but not before Sparks got the license plate
manifests itself in part through her work as a
sive victim,” he says. “She has chosen to be
number.
congressional district coordinator fo r 't h e
active and has taken a negative experience,
Human Rights Campaign, a national gay and
Portland police arrived, and says Osoinach,
turned it around, and made it into something
lesbian political organization.
handled the situation very well.
positive.”
7
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