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|
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