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