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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 5, 2000)
s may S. 20M • out Lippert as I did. I hope they can open up their hearts to feel the emotion that we feel, to relate to the love expressed by our parents in PFLAG, and to pull their heads out! (Oops, a little too emotional there.) To help them—and ourselves—along, we must learn to “pull a Lippert,” to speak honestly in ways that touch our common bonds rather than whack at our differences. Otherwise, I fear we will have no voice, no humanity and no future, and I will have no lover. Lee Lynch done for you lately? Oh yeah, provid ed interesting, fun, reliable information for les bians all over the world for many years. Though your treatment of this outstanding Oregon writer and activist makes me angry, I must end by saying that 1 hope no one ever does to you what you are doing to her. M arion G arbo S eltzer Columbus, Ohio Let’s ‘pull a Lippert* B ob W ildin To the E ditor : Portland Can you remember the last time you heard a politician speak of loving or of being loved? I can’t. Sex, yes. Scandal, you bet. Marriage and children—till the cows come home! But love? No. Well, in case you were sleeping, it happened recently when Bill Lippert, Vermont’s only openly gay state legislator, addressed his col leagues who were about to vote on a bill that would sanction same-sex unions in the eyes of his state. The speech was itself remarkable because the subject—love—was so alien to the usual “busi ness” of lawmaking. The effect it had on the audience of fellow legislators was even more extraordinary. They passed the bill! Same-sex relationships are viewed by the straight public as having to do with sex, not with relationship. Sometimes even queers see it that way, or so I’ve heard. What Mr. Lippert did was to remind everyone that gay people are capable of love, the most human of emotions. Speaking openly of his own deep love for his partner, and not of his sexual orientation, he came across as honest and heartfelt. It was some thing the straight members of the chamber could relate to. It was something they couldn’t deny. And they passed the bill. Can you remember the last time you spoke to your parents about the love you felt for your, well, your lover? I can’t. How about your straight sister or brother? Your neighbor? Your city coun cil? Your local newscaster? Nope, not a word. What is it about love that makes it taboo to speak its name? Funny, I can’t think of anything. Have you ever really thought what your fam ily would do if you bared your loving emotions? Or how, indeed, your lover would respond? Personally, it used to scare the daylights out of me to even imagine it. It seemed weak, it seemed to flaunt my vulnerability, it seemed (egad!) emotional. But what Bill Lippert proved to me was that speaking of love is one of the most honest, human and powerful actions one can take. And since it is your emotion and not anyone else’s, it is utterly irrefutable. So now 1 hear that some in the U.S. Senate want to prevent “desecration” of the American flag by passing a constitutional amendment. Since the same players regularly act to deny gays and lesbians basic equality under the law, I must wonder. Do they really love an inanimate piece of cloth, venerable as it may be, more than they do humans who happen to be queer? I don’t think so. I think they feel as I felt—afraid. 1 hope that they can learn as much from Bill A smart financial plan begins with just 7 numbers. 238-6036 A little off this and that To the E ditor : Just wanted to let you know that we truly enjoyed the “Getting Down and Dirty” story in your March 17 issue. We would also like to thank Melodee Smith for her activism and for allowing Galloway, Luckett & Maureen Kelly to play for the recep tion for Betty DeGeneres. Those who missed the talk by Betty DeGeneres missed a lovely evening with a real ly nice person. Betty has become a great advo cate for the gay and lesbian community and a spark of light for those of us whose families took a while to “warm” to our “out" lives. Also, we wanted to say that we regret the decision not to have Lee Lynch’s column in the paper. It was a great venue for those of us in Portland to hear from the more rural areas and get different perspectives on alternative life styles. I would encourage whoever made the decision not to have Lee’s articles in Just Out to reconsider. It is important that we keep in touch with all aspects of the community even if they are not in Portland. Thanks for being there. WADDELL Sr REED © The people with a plan for you. A Weekend Course With The Padded Attacker 2314999 Eric Brown District Manager 500 NE Multnomah Portland, OR 97232 503/238-6036 One With Heart Martial Arts Institute SE 43rd & Hawthorne Blvd. www.onewithheart.com D onna L uckett B arb G alloway Portland Keep up the good work To the E ditor : I am very pleased with Just Out. You are doing a fabulous job! As a five-year transplant to Portland from Dallas, Texas, I heard a number of negative stories about Just Out from my thirty something gay male friends. You have van quished all of the demons! I think the paper looks fresh and is very pertinent to gay life in Portland. Keep up the good work. Also, thanks immensely for the positive cov erage of the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. As one of the oldest and largest gay organizations in Portland, we are constantly striving to share our mission of harmony through music with a larger audience, with more men participating. I firmly believe that the chorus can change lives—it certainly changed mine! getawa S cott O sburne President, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus See just ours election endorsement! on Pagel7.w| Provincetown, Pensacola, Palm Springs? Apply for a G & L internet Bank credit card to get out of town this summer. For qualified borrowers we offer a Platinum VISA or Platinum MasterCard with a 9.9% APR and NO ANNUAL FEE. Visit our web site at www.gRMnk.com or call 888-226-5429 to see if you’re eligible to receive this terrific cred it card rate that will last longer than your vacation or your tan! G & L Internet Bank ... We re not only gay friendly, we re your first and ONLY gay bank! G & L Internet Bank is committed to investing and reinvesting its deposits in the gay community. What other bank can commit to that? MwnbwFDtC • E^ m I M n iwlw« Lender © 2000 G & L Internet Bar* ©Mt. 15
