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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2000)
b h w w b m m m m m ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I i'nuu'Ah'i S in e w s _ I n an attempt to be more accessible to more people, the Sexual Minorities Roundtable will host a special community forum Sat urday, June 3, at the downtown public library. Planned with the timing of Portland’s annu al pride celebration in mind, the meeting is being held to accommodate community mem bers who can’t attend the regular roundtable ses sions during the workweek, students in school, and those who are uncomfortable visiting a police facility. The roundtable, a monthly gathering of sex ual minorities and members of the Portland Police Bureau, gives the police department an opportunity to listen, Assistant C hief Mark Paresi says. “It’s lively. It’s healthy. It’s good,” he adds. The forum will provide an opportunity for members of sexual minority communities to give input about their interaction with police. Organizers hope the special meeting will pro mote greater participation. In addition, a new survey concerning bias, violence and discrimination related to perceived sexual orientation and gender identity will be discussed and distributed. The roundtable and the bureau will use the data compiled from the survey to answer impor tant questions about safety unique to the sexual minorities community. G ather ’R ound Sexual Minorities Roundtable looks for community input at a specially planned weekend meeting by Jo n ath an Kipp Paresi says the police, among other things, want to know if crimes are being reported and if sexual minorities trust the police— and if not, why not. A new safety card and brochure, revised by the roundtable, will be passed out at the meet ing as well. The literature, usually available in bars and nightclubs, lists safety tips and provides telephone numbers for reporting crimes and get ting assistance from police. T he roundtable is also organizing a new citi zens foot patrol that will soon appear on South west Stark Street— and other areas frequented by sexual minorities— to serve as the “eyes and ears” of the police, Paresi says. If the community utilizes the volunteer ser vice as the program is designed, the patrol will have an amazing impact, Paresi explains. The foot patrol will provide information to citizens and will help prevent problems, in addition to reporting crimes to police. W hile Paresi acknowledges that crimes against sexual minorities are not unusual, he says Portland is generally a very safe place. He gives credit to the larger community and to the police for doing their job, but Paresi says it is the gay community that has taken a stand and stepped forward and said, “It’s not going to hap pen here!” Paresi thinks Portland is safer for sexual minorities than many cities because people here are “intolerant of intolerance.” ■ The S exua l M inorities R oundtable special community forum is open to all. The meeting will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Multnomah Coun- ty Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave. in Port land. The roundtable regularly meets at noon on the second Tuesday o f each month. For more informa tion, contact Assistant C hief Mark Paresi at (503) 823-0546. Got news? Contact news reporter JONATHAN KlPP at jkipp@telepon.com. SUBURBAN $ SUZUKI. H * * ■vJ'^ E m . i n iik h ! T o F i i Y< u C7ti\ k .-\ m r ir i* To F i i Y o i k k L ii i ! BuiM .fr! G ra n d V ita ra B lo w o u t Sale! ALL Are On Sale! Not Just 1 or 2! 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Portland Police Bureau representatives said they would prefer to work with the community to solve the problem before making arrests or conducting raids. Portland police have worked with communi ty members and the media in the past to solve the problem of public sex acts at Lents Park, Pier Point Park and Laurelhurst Park, according to Assistant C hief Mark Paresi. While the queer community is being asked to assist police in this matter, Paresi acknowl edges that some men involved aren’t gay. “This crosses all lines of sexual preferences,” he says. The assistant chief admits that some of the people who need to be informed about the inap propriateness and the danger likely identify as heterosexual and don’t read Just Out. W hen sexual activity is allowed in public places, the assistant chief says, drug use and traf ficking often follow. He is concerned about nee dles and other drug paraphernalia associated with the trade. Paresi says drug activity creates an unsafe environment for those who are going to the park for sex, because drug users often can be aggressive and violent. "*** 19 . 2000 » j u * * ou t.7 r ----------------------- ------------ $19,995 2000 ESTEEM WAGON Drive-up service at East Delta Park on a recent weekday afternoon Sexual activity in parks is inappropriate and offensive behavior, according to Paresi, but it isn’t always considered criminal. If the sex act doesn’t involve an exchange of money, it may not be illegal, he says. As such, the bureau likes to work with com munity leaders and help them inform others that the sexual conduct is placing unsuspecting people in grave danger. Paresi says that once word gets out that men are having sex in East Delta Park, the area will attract people looking to victimize others. “It’s inviting predators,” he says, “and they will come.” East Delta Park is listed on the Internet as a place to pick up men, which particularly con cerns Paresi. He fears that everyone on the Internet is not well-intentioned. Mark Warrenton, head of security for Port land Parks and Recreation, says that when these problems arise in the parks, he looks to the com munity to help resolve the situation. Warrenton says parks officials try to speak with whomever is affected by the problem. “Broad-based problem solving is our policy," he says. Paresi hopes reaching out to the community will solve the problem but says future arrests are not out of the question. “If it does not heal itself, Portland police will take an enforcement approach to this,” Paresi says. SK # SC0041, SC0050, SC0056. SC0057 MSRP........................$13,849 Suburban $ Discount.. 2,854 r $10,995 16 in 4 in Stock . 2000 ESTI SI A L L $3354 O F F M SR P! SK • SC0049, SC0051, SC0053 M SRP...................... $13,349 Suburban Discount... 9 in Stock 3 at This Price $3,354 $9,995 Don’t Pay More! 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