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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2001)
10 J m t M at ' february 16. 2001 ■ ■ M B B H H P H M B h ' m i t c i ' i ' i v n n e u / s T een S pirit Group launches a new variety of queer activism • New purchase • 100% equity loans • Pre-qualification by phone or fax • Refinance/cash out • Pre-approved loans • Residential, commercial & investment property • Appointments at your convenience Office 503 . 297.9900 Evenings / Weekends 503 . 780.1561 * I'm Toll Free 1 . 877 . 826.9900 when you are!" J Email colleen w<®mtgadvocates.com www.mtgadvocates.com . > available Colleen Weed JJA m o rtg a g e M fW A A d v o c a t e s 9900 S.W . Wilshire Street • Portland, Oregon 97225 LC P P T ct»otr Greenpe»ee M a tu re C o n se rv a « eY W hen you buy or sell a home with me, you'll know your dollars are helpii^ support a greater cause. I contribute at least 10% of my earnings to community and environmental organizations. M illynn James , ABR: Accredited Buyer’s Representative © P J -v 7 RfrMA( equity group R&'MAt 5 0 3 . 3 3 0 . H O M E ( 4 6 6 3 ) 1 . 8 0 0 . 825 .9 9 4 8 ’ w w w .realtor.com/poi1l. in d /rnil|yr-i”- by Jon ath an Kipp e’re here, we’re queer, get used to it!" That might have been the mantra heard from the last generation of radical activists, but today’s queer leftists have much loftier goals: They actually want society to change. And their mission doesn’t just include the plight of queers. All oppression is related, they say. They want everyone— people of color, the old, the young, the poor, the underprivileged, the working class, sex workers, the gender chang ing, the gender neutral and anyone else remotely disenfranchised from the mainstream— to be able to join the proverbial party that serves up fairness, justice and opportunity to everyone. Fighting for queer rights isn’t as simple as it used to be. T he queer movement can’t be defined by just eliminating homophobic jokes any longer, one activist says. Riot Queers started organizing in Rj0t Queers consider themselves “a radical group for January and already have at least 25 queers, dykes, trannies, bis, fags and sex freaks” people attending their regular meet ings at downtown Portland’s Libera All of the anti-gay ballot measures have been tion Collective. They are hesitant to talk about defeated during the past eight years, but Tyler the group’s demographics because of societal wonders why the percentage spread is always stereotyping about radical activists but say their similar, speculating the same people are voting membership includes teens, adults in their 40s and for the anti-gay measures. We might be winning racial, gender and sexual orientation diversity. those political fights, Tyler says, but is anything Many of the pebple turning up at the meet really changing? ings know each other from other nonqueer rad The group is critical of campaign tactics that ical organizations in the area. Some sensed avoid broader issues of homophobia and focus undercurrents of homophobia in those groups; on making the queer community palatable— forming Riot Queers was a way to start chal messages of “W e’re just like you”— for the lenging that. “We wanted a way for these two straight world. “W hat about actually changing groups to overlap in an organized way,” says minds?” Tyler asks. Ryen, a member of Riot Queers. Assimilation strategies work when the goal is But Riot Queers want to do much more than assimilation, Ryen says, but the queer move that. Certainly, mainstream communities will be ment never will have the freedom of the ruling hearing from them. But the queer community itself is on their agenda, if not at the top of their classes until it includes everyone. “W hite gay list, as well. “The queer community isn’t very yuppies are fooling themselves if they think they inclusive of the queer community,” Tyler says. are ever going to have equality,” Michelle says. The group’s members say Portland’s queer Political movements don’t work when they fail to include every person, Tyler adds, pointing movement is exclusionary, rooted in class privi lege and dominated by “white gay yuppies.” Riot to the feminist movement excluding lesbians Queers think it doesn’t represent all queer peo and the early gay and lesbian movement leaving ple, and they want to confront the issue. out the bi and trans communities as examples. Portland needs to take a broader and a more “It’s proven not to work.” direct approach to combat anti-queer bias, The activists offer “the Kroeker affair” as a Michelle says. Riot Queers’ plans include recent example of the extreme disconnect in the demonstrations, a poster campaign to confront queer community. Portland Police C hief Mark homophobia, an anti-transphobia safe-sex Kroeker found himself in the midst of contro workshop and zines dealing with homophobia versy late last year when old tape recordings for high school students, among other projects. were discovered that contained his disparaging Some might accuse Riot Queers’ agenda of remarks about gays. The incident resulted in a being soft and not true, old-fashioned radical whirlwind of media attention, but the queer ism. Tyler says that is because the media focus community publicly objected in relatively small on only certain aspects of radicalism, usually numbers. more sensational demonstrations, protests and W hat bothers the group as much as Kroeker’s riots, leading to a misunderstanding of what true statements and his refusal to apologize is the radicalism is. That is only a part of radicalism, queer community’s failure to confront blatant Tyler says. Riot Queers do plan to go directly to homophobia. Queer politics as usual, they say. the people they disagree with and "get in their Riot Queers hope to change that. j n face,” but the group sees all forms of opposing mainstream thinking as radicalism. To contact R iot Q ueers call 503-525-4975. Fighting anti-gay legislation and ballot mea sures is vital, but Riot Queers say more needs to J onathan K ipp is a Just Out staff reporter be done to make a real difference. who can be reached at jonathan@justout.com. 9
