s X Tm* out
4 just mit - may 5. 2000
LOOKING FOR
A NEW STYLE
Qpive with Ppi(5e
But not ready to give up
your old one? You can have
both! Let us show you how
with one great looking pic
ture frame and the will to
loosen up a little.
Schedule your appointment
today with:
Christina Sigwart
503-256-3700
REY REECE DEALERSHIPS
BRIAN MARKI
Fine Art & Framing
OLDS-ISUZU-VOLKSWAGEN-USED
2236 NE Broadway
10-6 Mon.-Sat.
249-5659
clsigwart@hotmail.com
122nd & East Burnside
www.vwci
503.296.3875
©I properties
EMAIL: ELISE@REALTOR.COM
INTERNET: ELISECAMPBELL.REALTOR.COM
II
The flowers
Second
are out
and so are we... HOME 6> GARDEN
please come to our
Natine
CENTER
Just say no
To the E ditor :
I am writing this letter to bring to light an
upcoming threat to the queer community. As
some of you know, the Oregon Citizens Alliance
is up to its old tricks again. Yes, the OCA is
back. And this time, the group is targeting
someone I have a deeply personal and vested
interest in—me.
The OCA is currently collecting signatures
to place on the November ballot an initiative it
calls the Student Protection Act. I beg to differ.
Basic Rights Oregon has taken to calling it the
“Student Discrimination Act," a moniker with
which I wholeheartedly agree.
This initiative, which would prohibit public
school instruction from “encouraging, promot
ing, sanctioning homosexual, bisexual behav
iors,” is a direct affront to gay rights in general
and my rights in particular. As a lesbian high
school student, let me hasten to reaffirm what is
undoubtedly already running through your
minds—this initiative is a very bad thing.
Due to its ambiguous wording, this initiative
could be interpreted in a number of different
ways.
At worst, good teachers could be fired just
because they are gay or lesbian; counseling and
support programs for gay youth would be
banned; books and curriculums written by
famous gay people would be banned; and
AIDS/H1V information, as well as other impor
tant topics, could be pulled from health classes.
At the very, very best, queer youth would
have to walk around with one more message
telling us how wrong and unacceptable we are.
With the suicide rates being what they are, we
really don’t need that.
This initiative is blatantly unfair; not a word
is mentioned about the negative portrayal of
homosexuality. It is essentially giving the OK to
gay bashing. If any other minority was being
attacked like this, the initiative would be killed
without a second thought. As members of the
queer minority, however, we have to worry for
the next six or eight months over whether or
not we’re going to be safe in our schools next
year.
I’m the president of Wilson High School’s
Gay-Straight Alliance, and I’m proud of the fact
that we exist, and that sexual orientation is
mentioned in the anti-harassment section of the
school rules. This initiative would destroy an
awful lot of hard work from the past several
years, as well as the self-esteem of a lot of gay
teens.
Please, don’t sign any petitions that would
allow this initiative to get on the ballot, and if it
does, don’t vote for it.
But more importantly, spread the word to
everyone you know to do the same thing. Basic
Rights Oregon is one of the organizations work
ing to combat this initiative, and I’m sure BRO
would welcome any kind of support it can get,
be it a donation of money or time, or just a
promise to vote against this so-called Student
Protection Act.
E mma R ood
Portland
Kids, coverage, kudos
To the E ditor :
I want to take a minute to thank Jonathan
Kipp for his article [“Bundles of Joy,” April 21].
I want you to know just how much your writing
impacted me. 1 am a single gay father of two
girls, 11 and 8, and have been raising them for
six years now.
I have found it very difficult at times to be in
this position, but I would also do nothing to
change what I have. So what if it means that I
have to spend Friday nights at home instead of
at the bar? Nothing much there anyway...
The girls are a very important part of my life.
I have found that just being a single parent is for
more difficult then being a gay dad.
What you wrote really hit home with a ring
of truth. Thank you for bringing this informa
tion to those of us who really need it.
Jonathan, I wish you luck in your quest for a
child.
M ike S mith
Portland
Hope it doesn’t
happen to you
To the E ditor :
I don’t understand why Lee Lynch’s "The
Amazon Trail” is disappearing from Just Out. 1
read the column every month and find it very
enjoyable, as do a number of my friends.
When Lee’s Naiad novels were bestsellers,
I’m sure Just Out was honored to have her pres
ence. But now that nothing sells to the lesbian
market but romances and mysteries, what has
This issue, Just Out asks readers:
“Who are your heroes and why?”
GRA®
May 13th
9am - 7pm
■ Complimentary wine, hors doeuvres & other goodies
• Mothers Day Drawing $100 merchandise gift certificate
J ody B oyer
TD unn
Portland
Fort Lauderdale
Human being
Fuckin' faggot
"My heroes are my
dad, for beating can
cer, and Oscar the
Grouch, for living by
his own agenda.”
“My kitty Spyke is
my hero, because shes
always been there for
S taci A vison
V ance Y oakum
******* We feature: *******
• European Baskets
• Keepsake Gifts
• Garden Accessories
• Shrubs & Trees
• Hanging Baskets
• Cut Flowers
• Annuals
• Pottery
• Vases and Lamps
• Statuary
• Perennials
• Free Gift Wrap
8601 SW Terwilliger Blvd, (next to the Chevron station)
503.977.6545
‘ Sign up and drawing May 13th. Need not be present to win No purchase necessary
Seattle area
Administrative
coordinator,
Equity Foundation
Sappho, because
she was a voice for
women when women
,. . .
,
didn’t have voices,
and Marie Curie, because she was a woman
scientist before there were any other women
scientists.
Portland
Looking for work
“My heroes are
people who promote
social and economic
justice. The Rev.
Martin Luther King
Jr. is one I’ve admired
over the years.