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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2001)
January 19.2001 * J u s t i F T O lo u t Injured? toward the LGBT community by not speaking out on what bigoted Rob Blanck has said. In the end, I am sure the chief will speak out against what he has said and hold him responsible in any way he can. R oger S teffani Beaverton Wonderful women To the E ditor : PGE know the community supports their actions. At the YWCA of Greater Portland, we have learned the importance of making choices in the face of controversy. During our 100 years of serv ice and advocacy, women developed more polit ical and economic access and power; we learned to lead and to take more responsibility for our society. In the beginning of the 20th century, it was controversial to suggest women should have the right to vote in national and local elections. During the last half of the 20th century, in the midst of controversy, the civil and women’s rights movements resulted in slow changes toward guaranteeing equal rights and opportuni ties for all people. We just celebrated the birth of the Rev. Mar tin Luther King Jr., who died in the fight for civil rights. Many people already are working on the 2001 gay pride celebration. Although we have not yet achieved the goal of “equality for all” in our society, we are closer to it because individuals, businesses and reli gious groups, in spite of controversy, took a stand to work to eliminate discrimination and bigotry. To act wisely and consistently in support of this mission is challenging and sometimes forces difficult decisions for the YWCA. Like PGE and Wells Fargo, our stands are not against any other people or organization. They are for equality and justice; they are acts encouraging sensitivity and tolerance in all areas of our society. PGE and Wells Fargo need to hear from peo ple who support this decision on their part. Because those who oppose equal rights for gay people are so vocal, it is important that those who support equal rights for all are equally vocal. PGE and Wells Fargo also remind us that our gift dollars are as important as our votes and voices in changing our society. Charitable non profit organizations grow out of the democratic tradition of promoting the common good. Different organizations work toward that objective in unique ways, creating a patchwork quilt of amazing variety and strength and tack ling societal needs efficiently and creatively. When we support a nonprofit organization, we change society as well as individual lives. Are our contributions helping create the society we want in the future? We each must determine the values we want to strengthen in our society. We in the nonprofit community understand that our organizations will be judged worthy of support based on our impact for the common good. As we recently have experienced, our votes do count. And so do our philanthropic decisions. I went to a New Year’s Eve hall last month. It was the first time I had gone out for this occa sion in years. I am glad I went. A friend talked me into it, saying it was for a good cause, a fund-raiser for families. It was fabulous. Everyone was decked out in tuxedos, evening gowns and festive wear. I could not help but notice that something was different tonight. It struck me that the cou ples all were very attentive to each other. So often, I see couples who appear bored with each other, make no conversation, don’t look at each other and simply stare about the room waiting to he able to leave. The couples in this room all seemed so relaxed, so comfortable with each other. An older woman on the dance floor, perhaps in her 60s, looked so happy. Her dance partner looked quite a bit younger than her, but it was so obvious from the looks they gave each other, the way they moved together and touched, that they belonged together. It made me feel good to see barriers crossed so magnificently. The master of ceremonies commented on how many beautiful women were in the room. I looked around and realized the women were indeed beautiful tonight.* Several couples had brought children with them, which sur prised me, but they seemed to be having so much fun and were dancing even more than the adults. I sat at a table with my friend and a number of people I never had met before. They all made me feel quite at home, an intelligent and viva cious table of people. I soon learned they were a mixture of accom plished professionals, including mortgage bro kers, real estate agents, financial advisers and a nurse manager. What a wonderful evening to see so many enchanting and enchanted couples. I wish more of the world were like this, full of love, caring» and generosity. Oh, did I mention this was a lesbian affair? Yes, all of the wonderful couples in this room were women. “Love makes a family” was the theme for the evening. Absolutely smashing idea, don’t you J ean D e M aster YWCA of Greater Portland Director think? M A G inter Vancouver, Wash. Courageous stand To the E ditor : The YWCA of Greater Portland board of directors joins me in commending Portland General Electric and Wells Fargo Bank for decid ing to focus their charitable support on nonprof it organizations that provide equal access to serv ices [“Large Companies Say No to Scouts,” Dec. 15]. This is a courageous stand for accessi bility regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, age or socioeconomic status. The YWCA encourages others to follow the lead of PGE and Wells Fargo by examining their philanthropic choices and using them to support the common good and the values they think are important to our society. We also encourage . individuals and groups to let Wells Fargo and ...C a ll me ^ Hala Gores, P.C. Attorney at Law uiteV roVe* Va t w e ^ vete: * 6e a t • Auto & Motorcyle Accidents . 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If you want solid financial advice you can trust, here’s where you should get it. SWADDELL ¡« SrR EED correction In the Jan. 5 brief “Community Foot Patrol Seeks Volunteers and Input,” the name of Rain bow Community Foot Patrol co-chair Dana Rosenlund was misspelled and the volunteer training date was incorrect. The workshop will start 9:15 a.m. Jan. 20 in the main meeting room at Multnomah County’s Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave. Just Out regrets the errors. 5 a L L ^ Proudly serving our community since 1989 in personal injury claims including: Financial Services' In v e s t in g . W ith a plan? For a personal financial plan, call: •* 2 « 0 » President's Council Member" FLOREID WALKER Senior Financial Advisor 503.238.6036 ext 109 justrrrnMB W elcom e! letters to fee etfftor Letters must be accompanied bv a phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters and letters without sufficient contact information will not be published. 500 N .E. 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