iustrm January 2 1 ,2 0 0 0 « COMMENTARY by M arty D 3 a v is The IN publication for the O UT population F o u n d e d 1 9 8 3 • J ay B r o w n Vol. 17 No. and R en ee L a C h a n ce 5 January 21, 2000 FEATURE Sex s e lls ... But there’s a line. Ju st Out's publisher outlines the gray area between sexy and salacious DOLLARS & SENSE: From investing to estate planning to buying a home, Just Out offers a few tips to take to the bank pp 19-25 NEWS NORTHWEST • Kristan Aspen accepts temporary position leading LCP; beleagured Embers Avenue reaches settlement agreement with OLCC; Portland’s new top cop meets queer roundtable; lesbian minister says spirituality doesn’t have to be a drag pp 6-13 NATIONAL • West Hollywood City Council rejects proposal to force all bars and nightclubs to distribute free condoms; presidential hopeful A1 Gore clarifies position on “don’t ask, don’t tell” litmus test for the military’s Joint Chiefs PP 14-15 WORLD • European Court of Human Rights overturns Portuguese ruling that had stripped gay man of parental rights; Thai activists demand local production of anti-HIV drug ddl pp 16-17 ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE DOT ON TIE TOWN- Barb R. Ella loves the night life p 33 TREATER • Claiming Lorraine Hansberry S ex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, dating, love, friends, sex, sex, sex. Walking on the beach, movies, chat lines, chat rooms, sex , sex, sex. Long-term sex, casual sex, relationship sex, sex, sex, sex. Guy sex, lesbian sex, obligatory sex, good sex, bad sex, sex, sex, sex. Fun sex, vanilla sex, raunchy sex, spiritual sex, sex, sex, sex. Herpes, A ID S, HIV, barebacking, safe sex, no sex, some sex, sex, sex, sex. Teasing lead-ins that imply sexual content, sex, sex, sex. As you might have noticed I’ve got a lot o f sex on my mind lately. W hy? W ell, because I’m having some problems with sex...again. Perhaps I should say “issues” are being raised regarding sex. T h e subject of sex and how the heck to handle it seems to be an ongo ing occupational headache for publishers of gay and lesbian newspapers and magazines. W hat do you do with the stuff? W here do you put it? How do you serve both the needs of people who want it and the needs of peo ple who not only don’t want it for themselves but damn well don’t want anyone else to have any either? (Please raise your right hand if you rec ognize yourself in the latter description— your hand should be available, of course.) Just Out accepts chat room ads. We do not accept escort ads. In theo ry, we don’t allow ads that sell sex. W e don’t publish graphic photos or graphic text describing sexual preferences, activities, goals, accomplish ments or achievements. Those who feel the need to proudly herald their personal measure ments have more appropriate venues from which to choose. (Apparently there is this thing called the Internet that exists primarily to serve the libidinous needs of the adult community.) Just Out has one o f the most conservative sexual content polices of any gay and lesbian publication in the nation. W e turn away lots o ’ bucks from advertisers whose copy is deemed offensive to the Just Out reader ship. This places me in the role of mother, censor and arbitrator of good taste for our entire readership. T here is a vast gray area involved in deter mining the appropriateness o f ads, and this definitely is not the easiest or most favorite part of my job. I don’t want to censor, but neither do 1 want to publish raunchy, hard-core, oh-my-gawd-sex ads. It is not a matter of prudishness but simply part of an overall com- monsense-based marketing and business plan. Serving the needs of a few while alienating larger quantities o f readers, advertisers and distributors is ot the way to run a successful community-based publication. I brought the Just Friends voice personal ads to Just Out one year ago. In the course of administering this program, I have had to reject only a handful of potential ads for over-the-line sexual content. T h e personal ads were introduced for several reasons. Right at the top of the list is the not-so-secret fact that they produce income for the paper. O f equal importance, these ads provide a valuable tool for those looking to expand their dating and social circles. They also provide entertainm ent value for those who aren’t looking but like to know who else is. These ads are meant to provide a service to individuals, groups and organizations and are not to be confused with phone sex, adult or chat room lines. These are two separate and different components of the papier. As such, with this issue 1 am moving Just Friends ads to the front of the classified section, allowing more distance between these ads and the “boy” ads on the back pages. This will seem like an insignificant detail to many, but others will have an increased comfort level knowing that their personal ad will not be placed next to the photo of the fella salaciously eyeing the crotch of his buddy. And rest assured, those who do care, eyeing is the most that those two will ever be doing in the pages o f Just Out. A fter all, imagination is a pow erful aphrodisiac. ■ Share your opinion about sex, advertising and the media in a letter to the edi tor. Send 500 words or less to justout@justout.com or P.O. Box 14400, Portland, OR 97293-0400; fax to (503) 236-1257; or submit a letter at www.justout.com . as one of our own 35 FILMS- Reviews of The Talented Mr. Ripley, All About Mx M other and more p 37 DOORS- Reviews of new queer nonfiction ti pp 38-39 MOSIC • Morrissey mania comes to Portland P 40 COLUMNS OITWORD • Dating in the age of ageism p 41 Just out is published on the first and I Friday of each month. Copyright © 1999 by •Ut. No part o f j m t OOt may he reproduced without writ ten permission from the publisher. The submission of w ritten and graphic m aterials is welcomed. Written material should be typed and double-spaced, ju s t Out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. Letters to the editor should he limited to 500 words. Announcements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions, etc.) should he limited to 200 words; photos are wel- come. Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday 15 days before the next publication date. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessarily those of the publisher. The display advertising deadline is the Monday 12 days before the next publication date. Classified ads must be received at the fust out office by 3 p.m. on the Thursday eight days before the next publication date, along with payment. Ads may be placed by telephone or via the Internet with Visa or MastetCard pay ment. Ad policy: Ju ot o u t reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement. Compensation for emirs in, or cancella tion of, advertising will be made with credit toward future advertising. Advertising rates are available upon request. Subscriptions are $17.50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $30 for 12 issues. Contact Juot out at P.O. Box 14400, Portland, O R 97293-0400; (503) 236-1252. advertising 236-1253, fax 236-1257; e-mail justout@justout.com. Visit our Internet site at www.justout.cixn. H U S H AM M M W K m m • Marty Davis MEWS t f t f llt • Inga Sorensen ENIBnUNM EVT OfTM • Oriana Green M PT EM T H • Christopher D. Cuttone C9NT8BVT6U • Kristine Chatwood, Christopher D. Cuttone, Katy Davidson, Barb R. Ella, Rupert Kinnard, T.K. Mantese, Christopher McQuain, Sherri Opiel, Lake Perriguey, Gip Plaster, Mike Turay, Rex Wockner M V B m m M M R B T N • Meg Grace AIVENTISIWI U PR ISEN IA IN ! • Larry Lewis F U N C T IO N IM E C 1 N * Christopher D. Cuttone M R M K C T N * Rupert Kinnard P M N C T M N • Oriana G reen P IM K T M N ASSm W TS • Thomas Christian, Katy Davidson O m K MANAGER • Katy Davidson U S TIM V TN N • Jerilyn Adams, Kathy Bethel, Curtis Henderson, David Higbee, Lark Jarvis, Marie Price, M endith Schwartz, Ruth Traut, David Wardell, Larry Williams