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Steve Buchert,
To
the
E ditor :
It has been awhile since I’ve paid money to
hear a white man spout racial and ethnic slurs
and call it “humor.” I was stunned, hurt, out­
raged. For much of its 15 years, Just Out has been
a strong anti-oppression voice. Don’t change
now!
Thanks for bringing us Dos Fallopia as a
reminder that we can celebrate and laugh inclu­
sively, and be gentle with each other. N o more
of that other drivel— I can find all too much of
the put-down, hate stuff just flipping channels.
Realtor
Office: 228-9801 • Mobile: 970-3801
e-mail: bucherts@hasson.com
D eb Z ang
Portland
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the
E ditor :
This year, United Way is moving toward
increasing its number of donors and raising more
than the roughly $20 million collected last year.
With a little help from companies, donors and
volunteers, I know we can achieve this goal. Just
Out has made it possible for us to get our message
out into the community and I thank you.
You’ve helped your readers make informed
decisions on where best to donate their hard-
earned dollars. Thank you again for your con­
tinued support and for all that you do to help
change people’s lives.
D ick R eiten
U nited W ay campaign chairman
P resident and CEO , NW N atural
Portland
Mind your p’s and c’s
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Your
the
ing. I write this in that same spirit, towards cre­
ating more awareness and greater community.
E ditor :
In Just Out's Oct. 16 issue, there is a news
article entitled “Able Allies,” which reports on
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s
Honoring Our Allies awards. The first three
awards went to African American people— two
members of Congress and a minister. Partial text
of two of the speeches is included, and is very
moving.
In the same issue there is a book review
about the Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hick-
ock relationship [“White House Correspon­
dent,” Just Out, Oct. 16]. The piece cites a letter
from Hickock in which she mentions a “funny
little colored maid.” This includes no “sic,” no
caveat, no “whoops, sony about this.”
The statement is gratuitous, not relevant to
the point of the article.
Didn’t anyone notice that it is insulting as
well as demeaning and stereotyping to a person
of color?
These two articles are actually on the same
piece of newsprint. The other pages had fallen
out, and so the articles sat side by side staring at
me.
As I looked at them 1 became angry, sad,
embarrassed.
I fear that this is not an isolated incident, but
symptomatic of the unconsciousness that white
privilege gives many of us. It is a lack of aware­
ness that is especially embarrassing when the
article just before it shows a strong awareness
and openness from people of color towards the
gay community.
I appreciate the presence of this paper and
the work you all do towards community build­
R hea
Portland
Will O ’Bryan, entertainment editor and the book
review’s author, responds:
The excerpt I used highlighted the nuance of sex­
uality between two women in the early 1940s. It
also includes a phrase that many find offensive. I
admit I was hesitant about using that example
because of the questionable text. On the other hand,
I thought deleting the racist wording would have
made me guilty of trying to polish history.
You suggest there should’ve been some notation
to twtm readers about the content. I’d hoped the date
at the top— 1942 — ims warning enough, but I was
obviously wrong m this case.
Please consider that I grant your observations
about white privilege and strive to be aware of my
own, as well as the various degrees of enculturated
racism that reside within us all.
I’m no monster
To
the
E ditor :
I am often annoyed by the smug and classist
portrayal of lesbian parenting found in Beren
DeMotier’s column, I Kid You Not. Her charac­
terization of “some monster mother stalking her
noncustodial child” [“Black Badge of Courage,”
Just Out, Nov. 6] went beyond annoying into
the realm of cruel and offensive.
I am a noncustodial parent, and I also volun­
teer in my children’s classrooms. In addition to
the “spontaneous hugs” received from kids, I
also get to explain, again and again, whose
mother I am. I get to repeatedly ask that notices
my kids bring home also get mailed to me. I get
to miss parent-teacher conferences because the
kids’ dad “forgot” to tell me, and the teacher,
who I had previously informed of this possibili­
ty, “forgot” to call me.
Teachers have been reluctant to give me
access to my kids’ school records, although I am
allowed them by law. I am challenged point-
blank. And I have to explain, again, that
although someone else identifies as my chil­
dren’s mother, I actually gave birth to them and
cared for them up until three years ago. And I
am trying as hard as I can to be involved in their
lives.
N oncustodial are invisible in general, and
noncustodial moms are suspect, perceived to be
monstrous and unnatural. W hat mother
wouldn’t be with her kids? My kids don’t live
with me because I am a dyke and I am poor.
Although I am certain that DeMotier didn’t
intend to vilify noncustodial mothers, she needs
to be aware of the messages she sends in her col­
umn.
N ot all parents live with their children. Not
all mothers have unlimited access to their chil­
dren. To refer to a noncustodial mother as a
“monster” is unconscionable, especially in a
queer-oriented paper. Lesbian mothers still lose
custody, regularly and heartbreakingly.
Perhaps DeMotier should peek her head out
into reality once in awhile, because only luck
and money keep her from standing in my shoes.
And portraying noncustodial mothers as she has
does not lead to “planting the seeds of accep­
tance” in kids or adults.
J es N elson
Portland
Fitness
Portland Delta Park
Beaverton Town Square
Clackamas Ross Center
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