Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2000)
September 1.2000 in defense of Dn. Laura The laws being used to silence her could come back to haunt us P ortland ' s 0NLÏ J noe pendent . N0N(0N«fi(Mt L istener -S ponsored ( ohnühitt R adio S tation 9 0 . 7 fH P o r t l a n d » 9 2 . 7 C o l u m i i a G o m e ■ 1 0 0 .7 W illam ette V allet | have no love for Dr. Laura 5 Schiessinger. | But now I’m finding myself in the peculiar position of hav ing to stand up for her. Before you start writing hate e-mail, let me explain. Recently, stations planning to I I air Dr. Laura’s forthcoming televi sion show in Canada 77 were told they would have to edit out any on several occasions. negative references to W hat made me maddest about these gays and lesbians. For those hop instances of censorship wasn’t that my books ing for a quick end to her pro annoyed certain people. W hat infuriated me gram, this was good news. was that the various school boards, city coun But is it? cils and governments involved effectively were The decision was made by the I I saying readers of their communities weren’t Canadian Broadcast Standards intelligent enough to decide for themselves I I Council, a government agency what they should or shouldn’t read. Instead of responsible for monitoring radio providing freedom of choice, they were making and television programming and choices for people who were perfectly capable making sure the content doesn’t of making them themselves. pose a threat to any particular As I said, I don’t like Dr. Laura. I think she’s group. In the case of Dr. Laura, a misinformed person whose dogmatic rhetoric the watchdogs feared her nega spreads ignorance and makes people ashamed tive comments about queer peo of who they are. But I don’t think you protect ple might lead to violence or educate people by running to the govern against lesbians and gay men. ment and asking it to make her shut up, any This would seem to be a vic more than you protect people from violence by tory. The problem, though, is stopping them from looking at pictures of that in censoring Dr. Laura, the excessive ejaculation and anal sex. council relied on the same guide W hether we like it or not, Dr. Laura has a lines that have been used for right to her opinions, and she has the right to years to censor freedom of spread those opinions if someone wants to give expression for the same people it her the forum to do so. And although it might now is claiming to protect. not seem like it, this is a great thing, because it Canada’s government has a means those of us who disagree with her also long history of censoring art under the guise of have the right to express our opinions. protecting the rights of various groups. The And that is where our power is. In the most infamous example of this is the long-run- United States, we’re winning our battle against ning battle against sexually explicit material. Dr. Laura not by censorship but by letting the Ostensibly enacted to protect women, children sponsors of her show know we won’t support and others from the threat of abuse, these so- their products if they support her views. called “protective” laws frequently have been One by one, advertisers have been pulling used to keep gay-oriented books and magazines out, leaving producers scrambling for replace out of the hands of readers. ments and running out of justifications for air Erotic magazines have been favorite targets ing her views. If enough advertisers turn their of Canadian censors, with guidelines prevent backs on her, you can bet she’ll he out of a job ing the import of any periodicals depicting, in no time flat. among numerous other things, anal intercourse This kind of action is far more powerful or “excessive” ejaculation, both of which are than government sanctions. By standing up in considered degrading and violent sexual prac record numbers and letting advertisers know tices. Fiction is similarly restricted, and numer we watch what they do, we as gay people are ous gay and lesbian books have been seized by using our voices to effect change. customs for allegedly containing material that We aren’t relying on someone else to pro would threaten the well-being of readers. tect us. We’re doing it ourselves. And in the long run, that will make a huge difference. As a result of this, many publishers of queer Maybe you’re happy Dr. Laura has been material have toned down their products. banned in Canada. But don’t be fooled— the Instead of waging costly wars against a govern ment with deep pockets, they’ve decided not to same laws that are being used to protect us from her may be used to protect someone else publish certain kinds of books and magazines. from what you have to say. Ultimately, they have silenced themselves So let Dr. Laura have her say. Because as because fighting back is too difficult. long as we have freedom of expression, we can I know what it’s like to have a book banned have our say right back, and our voices are a because someone thinks it’s dangerous. My b(X)k 100 Questions & Answers About AIDS has lot louder—and a lot clearer—than hers is. been banned in several U.S. cities because it ■ M ichael T homas F ord ’ s latest book, It’s allegedly promotes homosexual sex as healthy Not Mean If It’s True, will be in stores this and normal. month, as will My Queer Life, an audio collection Similarly, my book O utSpoken , a collec o f the most popular pieces from his Lambda Liter tion of interviews with lesbian and gay peo ary Award-winning essay collections. ple, has been removed from school libraries because it will encourage And yes, opponents 1 also have fear been banned in Canada young people to explore the "gay lifestyle.” Proudly Serving The Greater Portland Metro Area o m b o rd 5 0 3 / 2 8 6 -1 3 3 0 SB' 3 ^ l o W e r s Located in Historic St. Johns 8 3 0 2 N. LOMBARD • PORTL AND, OREGON 9 7 2 0 3 “From stru d els to noodles, w ordin g's a dream in m y n e w ly remodeled kitchen... I needed more room to add cooking classes to my catering business but I dreaded the thought of refinancing to do it. Luckily, / Was referred to Christine. She came to our house with all the paperw ork, sm oothed out the bum ps w ith solutions and made the whole refinancing process genuinely friendly. Bon Appetite!" -S a sh a , “A n d She Cooks ” Call today for a free qualification over the phone First Time Buyers ♦ FHA/VA Loans Self-Employed ♦ Complicated Borrowers Bankruptcies & Foredosures ♦ Credit Problems Investment Properties ♦ Pre-approvals 100% Financing Programs Christine Hall Mortgage Broker President's Club 503 495-8339 - 800-345-9190 503-301-1941 Pager tje l.Ìie (PottersHouse Ministries Want to Connect with Others? Improve your connection! At the Potters House Family LIFE Center Our September Topic Creating Intimacy in Our Lives JO IN US SU N D A Y AT 10:45 A.M. W ebsite: www.pottcrshouscm inistrics.org 3 8 3 0 S E 6 2 nd A V E . • P O R T L A N D • 5 0 3 -7 7 5 -5 0 2 4 YOUR HELP lust I is looking for our area’s best employers. In a future issue we’ll feature readers whose companies honor and value their individuality. Please contact Marty@justout.com °u f.37
