Just out., July 21, 2000, Page 8, Image 8

S Ju s t M at • July 21.2000
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G uajardo, who made her best attempt to
Gary Colem an said he has attended 10 board
keep
the m eeting under control, blocked such
meetings and has been asked to leave seven
attempts by audience members to take over and
times. “ I’d like open board meetings," he said.
vent their grievances.
Vice chair Carmella Ettinger said she tries
“All organizations have problems,” she said.
very hard to adhere to the bylaws but that she
W
hat
is important, G uajardo added, is the strat­
doesn’t think all meetings should be accessible to
egy and the spirit in which the problems are
the general public. In fact, she admitted she has
taken on.
asked Coleman to leave the meetings several
But many who attended grew weary of the
times.
constant constraints put on the meeting’s for­
Ettinger said everyone should not know
mat. In response, Pride Northw est’s secretary,
some information— particularly about finances
Michael Kennedy, said there might have been a
and people. She said most meetings are open
misunderstanding— Ju st O ut didn’t report what
and that the public can know about most dis­
the board intended the m eeting to cover, he
cussions.
said. O ther board members also were surprised
It was Ettinger who called to close the June
about the audience’s expectation o f an open
29 meeting and asked non-board members and
forum.
Just Out staff to leave because of pending board
But at Pride N orthw est’s June meeting, board
elections.
members announced that concerns about the
MacAuslan subsequently was voted off the
board
and this year’s event could be raised at an
board. She later claimed that she was removed
illegally and that she didn’t
receive due process. Swan
similarly was voted off the
board earlier in June,
before the Pride 2000
event. Both women and
many of their supporters
who attended the commu­
nity m eeting think the
board didn’t follow bylaws.
“The board doesn’t fol­
low 501 (c)3 guidelines,”
Swan alleged at the meet­
ing. She also insisted “fi­
nancial guidelines and pro­
cedures were not followed
this year.”
Participants at the comm unity m eeting gathered in sm all work
Ettinger said she would groups to discuss changes to future pride events
be happy to speak privately
to anyone who has con­
cerns or problems with the
In the end, some participants were met with applause
board. She didn’t see the
when they demanded the board agree to reconvene
community meeting as a
place to resolve these
with the public to hear concerns and to answer questions.
issues.
Some wanted to meet with the Pride Northwest
But that statem ent
made Carla M cFarland
board within two weeks.
nervous. She said she’s
worked with nonprofit boards for 30 years and
upcoming community m eeting before closing
doesn’t think this is the way to handle dissent.
that meeting to the public. Later, Just Out
“ I’m concerned with board members willing
received confirm ation from Pride Northwest
to speak to individual community members, pri­
about a July 13 comm unity meeting.
vately,” McFarland said. She thinks communi­
In the end, som e participants were met with
cation needs to be out in the open at this point.
applause when they dem anded the board agree
An open letter was sent to Pride Northwest’s
to reconvene with the public to hear concerns
board after M acAuslan’s ousting, outlining a
and to answer questions. Som e wanted to meet
litany of complaints and demands. The 42
with the Pride Northwest board within two
authors of the letter offered the board an Aug.
weeks.
15 deadline to enact necessary changes “to place
However, board members said they couldn’t
themselves back in compliance” with Pride
respond to the com m unity’s dem and for an addi­
N orthw est’s bylaws and values statem ent,
tional meeting without convening at a later date
501 (c)3 nonprofit code and Internal Revenue
to consider the request.
Service code. The group promises it will forward
But Jack N elson, Pride Northwest’s chair,
its grievances to the secretary of state for an
agreed the board would consider the request and
investigation if the board fails to act.
send a letter to Ju st O ut by Aug. 4.
But Sardo is against turning to the govern­
M acAuslan was disappointed she isn’t back
ment to resolve the issue and thinks doing so “ is
on the board. However, she vowed to return in
futile and destructive to the gay rights move­
three weeks to continue her fight.
ment.” Community organizing is the solution,
Phil Marsh had concerns, too. But at the
she says.
night’s end, he participated in a request to men­
The letters circulation was accompanied by
tion som ething positive about Pride 2000. He
an aggressive e-mail campaign to draw commu­
said he thought the parade was fabulous.
nity members to the meeting. Apparently, the
Earlier, G uajardo asked what people had
campaign worked. Almost 70 people showed up
heard others saying about Pride 2000.
to participate.
"O ne big family,” someone exclaimed.
Siime expressed a desire to hear from board
members and to hear “some vested resolution,”
■ J o n a t h a n K ipp is a Just O ut staff reporter
as one speaker said.
who can he reached at jldpp@teleport.com.
P H O T O BY M A R TY D A V IS
Continued from Page 1