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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1998)
iiflust 2 K I SERIAL MONOTONY O PB audience member), I have let off steam and told nearby employees how upset I was with the caller. Staff members have always been extremely sympathetic, sincerety concerned about me, and supportive. (1 have always been open at O PB about being gay.) We “diverse” folks are not the only ones to complain about the inconvenient hour of a pro gram that we want offered in prime time. I appreciate that O P B offers these gay-relat ed programs, regardless of the hour. Most of us now possess VCRs. Videotaping makes it possi ble to view a program at one’s convenience. Obviously, the size o f audience helps deter mine what is offered in the best time slots. A program on the Holocaust (to use Begley’s example) is apt to draw a larger audience than the programs of interest to “diverse folks.” As for “diverse people like us” contributing to the arts, we sure do, and if the “gay commu nity” wants to be better treated by O PB, we need to become members and let O PB know that we support it because of programs such as The Castro and In the Life. We must call or write to say thanks when these programs air, too. O PB hears often and loudly from the anti gay crowd. Let me and my colleagues at O PB audience services hear from our side— with your support and gratitude, as well as any legitimate complaints. L yle M. T ucker Lake Oswego Just Out deserves some too To t h e E d it o r : Just a line to let you know how much I appreciate your work. 1 came to Portland as a result of coming out. I dumped my dresser drawers into the back seat of my old Volvo and drove 3,000 miles west because I heard that Portland was a good place to be queer. W hen I arrived, 1 found lots of beau tiful new family. Through the years, 1 used Just Out as a guide. 1 found supportive groups and inspiring courage from gay leaders to get me through the hate measures 9 and 13. 1 wonder if you realize how much it means to your readers to count on your guidance, your insights, and entertainment in each publication. Recently, I read about the squabble involv ing Carol Steinel and Howie Baggadonutz (“Pride and Prejudice T Just Out, June 19]. It occurred to me that our community lead ers may feel burned out and unappreciated from time to time. Thus, I am taking a moment to let them and you know that you are loved and admired. A big lavender kiss to you all. H eron Portland t r a n s itio n t is with great pleasure that Mrs. Judith Weiner of W hite Plains, N.Y., announces the holy union of her son, Marc, to Mr. Stephane Poirier of St. Germain-en-Laye, France. Many members of the Weiner family will be arriving in Portland for the joyous event, to be held Aug. 23 at the Metropolitan Community Church of Portland, 2400 N.E. Broadway. Friends are encouraged to attend the 11 a.m. church services at M C C Portland, immediately after which festivities will commence. I Letters m u st be a c c o m p a n ie d b y a p h o n e n u m b er for verification purposes. Anonymous letters and letters without sufficient co n tact information will not be published. O n Saturday, Aug. 15, Ju st Out took part in the Mid-Willamette P ride celebration in Salem . Visitors to our table w ere asked to share their thoughts on the follow ing question : “W hat do you think w ill be the greatest challenge facin g the sexual m inorities community in the new centuryV* JJ gqsü asOiamg C andance G ingrich L ee S wantek and D on H utchinson Washington, D.C. Political Activist McMinnville Life partners for 40 years “Coming to terms with the marriage issue. There’s a need to try new terminology, i.e., ‘union’ or ‘domes tic partner’— terms which might be more acceptable and less threatening to others.” “To remain if we are, to become if we are not, politically active. T he number of Americans, in general, who partici pate in the political process is pathetic. As a group of people who are still fighting for the most basic of rights, it is imperative that we all vote!” L isa W estlund C arol A lice Salem Waldport Coalition to End Bigotry Chairperson PFLAG memeber “1 think that what I’d like to see is for more gays and lesbians to have the courage to come out, so that people can’t ignore you any longer. O nce you’re out you can never be shoved back in that closet again.” “Learning to live with one another. Accepting the differences in each other and understanding the diversity within our own community.” G ot a question that keeps you up at night? W e’ll get the answers you need! C ontact via fax at via at justout@ justout.com ; or via the USPS at PO 14400, Portland, OR Just Out (503) 236-1252; Box e-mail 97293-0400. Contem porary life offers endless opportunities to obtain good things. O u r cul ture teaches us we are enti tled to “have it all” and we intrinsically believe we should be happier when we get what we want. Yet each of us has met people who are miser able pursuing pleasure while many have known at least one person who was happy in spite of suffering. By and large, the majority of us are neither particularly miserable nor particularly happy. O u r lives tend to be a tedious succession of doing and getting which never quite adds up to fulfillment, always leaving us with a pervasive sense that “I would be happy if only....” There are endless possibilities to fill in the blank, but if we face our predica ment honestly we must ulti mately acknowledge that we are engaged in a meaningless pursuit to create “the good life” out of our strivings. Jesus taught that to truly live we must first die to our selves. This is a hard concept which we are tempted to dis miss outright. Common sense argues against the pain of putting our egos to death, but until we are emptied of the incessant demands of self- interest we will remain mired in vanity. Once freed from the compulsion to will the world as we want it however, G od’s indwelling spirit can trans form our minds and hearts and liberate us into a life which transcends the petty monotony of ordinary human existence. As gay men we are as much in need of God s love as any one. It is never too soon to step back and ask, “Am I real ly on a path which is leading me into full and meaningful life?” A message from the Anawim Community. North Portland Veterinary Hospital Like any family member our pets need good healthcare. A t North Portland Veterinary Hospital, we provide the very best medical care along with big doses of tenderness and compassion. 285-0462 2009 N.Killingsworth 5
