September 1 5 .2QÛÛ
Public enemy
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After reading Chuck Engel’s letter (“Get Off
My Back”) in the Aug. 18 issue, I felt moved to
ask the question, “What is it about the male
libido that makes men engage in sexual activity
in public placesT
This behavior isn’t particular to sexual orien
tation. On the contrary, Engel’s letter makes it
quite clear that “adult bookstores” (what a
funny euphemism!) are not the private sleazy
kingdoms of heterosexuals alone.
No, indeed! Gay men also haunt the dark
and dingy aisles and hack rooms of these places,
jerking off to fine literature and film.
Seriously, though, 1 never have understood
why men need to have sex in parks, book
stores, movie theaters and bars. When Engel
says that “the problem isn’t simply public sex.
It is that the male libido is not easily out
lawed,” I wonder what he’s referring to. Is pub
lic sex a problem, or is the attempt to outlaw
public sex a problem?
When he says that “given the male anatomy,
some sort of outlet is warranted,” I’m curious
about what that means. Does he mean that
because a man has a penis, it needs to be stuck
into something?
Or does he mean that men are ruled by their
libido, driving them to uncontrollable urges that
come upon them without warning, and there
fore they need to duck into bookstores or movie
arcades to satisfy these sudden attacks of sexual
desire? Either way, it seems to me that Engel per
petuates some tired old stereotypes that don’t
give men much respect or credit.
I just can’t believe that, these days anyway,
it’s so difficult to meet other gay men in safer cir
cumstances, in the light of day. And I refuse to
accept that most gay men need a public place to
engage in sexual activities.
In fact, I hope we have evolved beyond back
alleys, dark and dingy bookstores, public sex in
parks and other historically shameful places.
Otherwise, it sort of puts the lie to “gay pride.”
I mean, how proud can you feel, jerking off
alone in a dirty booth of a movie arcade or
behind the books in an adults-only store? Or
having to meet a strange guy down under a
bridge by the river in order to have sex?
Ah, I guess I’m just an old feminist dyke with
naive, old-fashioned attitudes left over from the
70s. But it still bothers me that gay men might
fall back on dangerous, unnecessary behaviors
that only give the Baptists, the Oregon Citizens
Alliance and other straight folks of that ilk
ammunition against us.
It’s the 21st century. Do you guys really need
to have sex in public places in order to find
companionship or as an outlet for your sexual
satisfaction?
R hiannon A she
Corvallis
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1 3 1 3 NE FR EM O N T
P O R T L A N D
503.493.8037
Fight back
To the E ditor :
During last year’s queer film festival, I was
astonished at the line of gay men stretching
around the corner— hundreds at least. But
only four or five of Jesus’ psychotic henchmen
were yelling disgusting slurs and inviting us to
curl up in hell with Satan and Saddam for
eternity.
Why was it I still felt like the minority? Why
is it the rest of you didn’t fight back, too?
Yell back! Intimidate right hack at them—as
would any other minority in this country today
if faced with the equivalent of that kind of big
oted attack.
Hold a kiss-in! Sing "Kum Ba Yah”!
What happened to A C T UP? When
attacked, do something!
To defend oneself, especially when numbers
are in our favor, is not stooping to their level; it is
elevating our own level to that of equals who say.
“Hell no, we aren’t gonna take it anymore! Hell
no, we are not buying into your shit anymore.
Everyone just stood there and ignored them.
How mature!
No minority group ever was handed its civil
rights on a silver platter. It had to fight for them,
demand them and take them.
Mic H olden
Portland
have somebody in your immediate or extend
ed family who has struggled or now is strug
gling with growing up other than heterosexu
al. Would you really want to put them
through the kind of hell the O C A is attempt
ing to create?
As a rural Oregonian, I’ve seen how the
O CA has played the divide-and-conquer game
in small towns and rural counties in the past.
Don’t let them do it again. Fair-minded, inde
pendent, intelligent Oregonians can see beyond
this nonsense and simply will vote no on 9 once
again this fall.
S cott T hiemann
Unite and conquer
G old Beach
To the E ditor :
A poem for Dr. Laura
It looks like the Oregon Citizens Alliance is
at it again. Instead of offering up a ballot mea
sure lumping homosexuality together with
pedophilia and bestiality, this time they’re aim
ing to "protect” students from positive “instruc
tion of behaviors relating to homosexuality and
bisexuality.” Besides mistakenly equating one’s
sexual orientation with sex acts, what the heck
could they be after?
Oregonians should not have to vote on
another Ballot Measure 9, this one titled the
Student Protection Act. Protecting young peo
ple is the last thing such an initiative would do.
Youths who come to the realization that they
are gay, lesbian or bisexual do so at great lengths
and pains to themselves. The last thing they
need is another mean-spirited ballot measure to
make them feel more isolated from and rejected
by the general population than they already do.
The reason I can say this is because I know.
While a teen-ager, coming to the realization I
was not heterosexual was extremely difficult.
Even as student body president in a school
of 2,000 young people, I felt like I was the
only one attracted to the same gender. Had I
been able to talk to my counselor, I might well
not have suffered in such severe isolation and
self-hatred.
Had I had support, I wouldn’t have needed to
put myself through endless prayer and spiritual
self-abuse to be right with God. Perhaps I would
not have hidden so deeply in the local library
reading the few books I could find on the subject.
Fortunately, I came out to myself when the
American Psychiatric and Psychological Associ
ations were declaring homosexuality neither a
mental disorder nor an illness. Fortunately, I
chose to focus my energy on school and work
instead of on suicidal thoughts and drugs to
numb what I was feeling.
Fortunately, I had a strong, caring family at
home, although I didn’t come out to my parents
until I was 30. And, most positively, I’ve been
able to create a fine life with a great guy, my
partner of 10 years and my best friend.
Chances are pretty good that many of you
To the E ditor :
Hey, Doc Laura— it speaks for itself.
“Your Intolerance”
With religious freedom guaranteed
We split the church and state
Yet failed to serve diversity
On our educational plate
I, too, believe in God
As do many of my Brothers
A message of love is what I read
Not one of hate towards others
But Brother against Brother
Is the Bible’s listed fate
Parents teaching their children
Not tolerance— but, hate
So why should you be alarmed?
Or even show surprise?
You’ve set your children on a course
That’s sure to be your demise
The future is looking grim
With every passing day
This cancer of intolerance
Is eating peace away
And it doesn’t seem to matter
If religious you chose to be
just walk a difference path—
Condemnation you’re sure to see
You point a blaming finger
At others and loudly mention
How wrong they are in what they do
While you somehow avoid attention
In the way you’ve raised your kids
To point out others’ flaws
Forgetting to keep in mind
That someday they will write the laws
How unfortunate for us all
You practice what you preach
And somehow leave the truth
Out of what you teach
n o ta b le s
Stephen J . ‘Flossie’ Boden, 1953-2000
S
tephen J. “Flossie” Boden, the namesake of
Flossie’s Tavern, died of liver failure
Sept. 7 in Dayton. He was 47.
He was bom April 25, 1953, in Camden,
N.J. He moved to Portland in 1972.
In 1982, Boden opened the tavern, which
had its name changed to Silverado in April
1987. He retired as part owner and operator in
June for health reasons.
He was a gourmet cook and enjoyed col
lecting things. Tavern co-owner Tommy
Breazeale said Boden will be remembered for
his originality, generosity and unique look.
He was a hippie when being a hippie
wasn’t cool,” he said. “He was himself, and
he didn’t let other things influence who he
wanted to be.”
Boden is survived by his sister, Pattie Che-
nea of Dayton; brothers, Mike of Newport and
Bob of Escondido, Calif.; mother, Alyce of
Dayton; and father, Henry of Dayton.
Memorial services will be held from
1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17 at Silverado,
1217 S.W. Stark St., and 4 p.m. Sept. 16 at
Chapel of Macy and Son, 135 N. Evans in
McMinnville. Final disposition will be b\
cremation.