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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2001)
3 GUEST COMMENTARY publication for the OUT population F ounded 1983 • J ay B rown and R enée L a C hance Vol. 18 No. 9 March 2, 2001 FEATURE CDUriNC KWH M EUTI: Gardens as places of healing, magic and spiritual inspiration P 22 NEWS NORTHWEST • Tree hugger starts life anew PP «15 NATIONAL • Mad about Madison; rich white guys schmooze with the attorney general Pp17-1D WORLD • Same-sex marriages, eh? Mi 20-21 ENTERTAINMENT DANCE • No Thumper in this Bambi p 33 MT • Lesbian artists commiserate P 34 BOOKS • Love and hate P 37 THEATER • Revenge can be so sweet p 30 TELEVISION • Oh, Danny boy! P 30 CULTURE • Transition transmission P 41 DIVERSIONS • Film, fire and fun P 42 COLUMNS MS. BEHAVIOR. Corneas you are P 31 SPECIAL EATING OUT • Let someone else cook tonight Mi 32-33 NIGHTSPOTS • Gay -friendly hangouts p 40 JUST FRIENDS • Free voice personal ads p 43 just out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. Copyright © 2001 by Just Out. No part of Just Out may be reproduced without written per mission from the publisher. The submission of written and graphic materials is welcomed. Written material shtxild be typed and double-spaced. Just Out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. Letters to the editor should he limited to 500 words. Anmxjncements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions, etc.) should be limited to 200 words; photos are wel come Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday 15 days before the next publication date. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessarily those of the publisher. The display advertising deadline is the Monday 12 days before the next publication date. Classified ads must be received at the Just Out office by 4 p.m. on the Thursday eight days before the next publi cation date, along with payment. Ads may be placed by tele phone or via the Internet with Visa or MasterCard payment. Ad policy: Just Out reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement. Compensation for errors in, or cancella tion of, advertising will be made with credit toward future advertising. Advertising rates are available upon request. Subscriptions are $17.50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $30 for 12 issues. Contact Just Out at P.O. Box 14400, Portland, OR 97293-0400; 503-236-1252, advertising 503-236-1253, fax 503-236-1257; e-mail justoutfijustout.com. Visit our Internet site at www.justout.citm. Moment of truth • • Is it possible for a hateful person to grow and learn? n my capacity as Portland Mayor Vera Katz’s volunteer liaison to some personal thoughts. Implicit in the question of whether the chief is the sexual minorities community, many of you have expressed making an honest effort to rebuild trust with the sexual minorities com your concerns regarding Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker’s munity and uphold policy and law relevant to us is the question of homophobic remarks. You also have asked if he is making an hon whether a person can grow and leam. est effort to repair the betrayal of trust created by his remarks or if Consider U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, who voted yes on Measure 9 in is he a slick communicator in public who behind doors only upholds 1992. During the past eight years he has grown beyond religion and pol diversity policies with “a wink and a nod.” itics to respect for all life and human dignity. To answer your collective question, I am only able to speak for myself. Through the Human Rights Campaign, our community has given I would like to share with you the process I have gone through so far. Smith a much-deserved award, and he has committed himself to lobby When we all became aware of the tapes, the mayor asked for my ing congressional colleagues and President Bush to include sexual inclusion and my opinion during her initial meetings with advisers, crit minorities under federal hate crimes law. This is enormous growth, and ics, religious leaders, ethicists, sexual minorities, etc. Her process had I admire him for it. integrity, and I supported her difficult decision to give Kroeker a chance I am not sure I would understand how a Gordon Smith and a Mark to rebuild trust. Kroeker could grow beyond personal beliefs that I do not share and Also, for about 2 1/2 months, I met with a cross section of about 100 sometimes frighten me if I had not recently seen it in my own family. nonconstituent-based sexual minorities who I respect and who usually In the mid-1980s, I went home for Thanksgiving with the intention of do not agree with me. After listening to their concerns in confidence, I coming out to my sister, who I was quite close to. At the dinner table, out found a common thread appeared. of nowhere, homophobic and hateful remarks were Consistently, they made two points: First, made about gays and lesbians. (Bisexual and trans Kroeker is a member of our community, and gendered people weren’t on their radar screens yet!) because hate only creates more hate, they did not I was heartsick. I sat stunned and speechless wish to match his hateful speech with more hate from the ugliness and hate coming out of my sis ful speech targeting fundamentalists. Secondly, ter’s and cousins’ mouths. they were confused by his record in Los Angeles, At the table was a young naval cadet who even which I verified with a member of the Anti tually would become my brother-in-law, a Top Defamation League, of working to help pass legis Gun pilot and a commander in the U.S. Navy. lation to protect sexual minorities and the enor This cadet, who I never had met, spoke up. mous disconnect and aggression of the tapes. He focused his eyes on my sister and said, “You From these thoughts the common question I sure have a lot of issues about gay and lesbians— was asked was: “Is he making an honest effort? what’s your problem?” As they mounted their Can we expect him to change?” defenses, he calmly held his ground, educating Most of the people I met with said they wished them on diversity—and I got a lesson in prejudg to express how Kroeker’s remarks affected them, listen to his response ing someone in a traditional package. and then watch what he does—and get back to the real work of attain I lost many relationships in my family at that time. Last year at a large ing our full civil rights. family event while my lesbian cousin was on the dance floor with her girl I met with him Jan. 26. As with the other meetings involving sexu friend, her dad came up to me and said in a heartfelt gesture: “You know, al minorities, mine was also given priority and arranged quickly. we’ve all grown in the past 10 years. Your being gay is not an issue any We discussed the type of personnel issues the chief is encountering more. You are a part of this family, and we are so glad you are here.” without reference to specific individuals and how he is handling them. Again, I was stunned and speechless—this time happily so. I found him to be direct in his responses and receptive to criticism. If it had not been for my traditional brother-in-law’s interventions on We talked in depth for almost two hours. I left our meeting with a my behalf through the years, I am not sure I would have had any con sense that the chief is upholding the intent of diversity policies with tact with my immediate family. He has played an important role in my commitment, not just because he has to. I also was impressed with a cre life. I am grateful for their growth and mine. JH ative idea he is working on to deal with bias issues. I wanted to share with you my perceptions in an effort to answer the K im R oth is Portland Mayor Vera Katz’s volunteer liaison to the sexual collective question you have asked me; however, I also wanted to share minorities community. I Implicit in the question of whether the chief is making an honest effort to rebuild trust with the sexual minorities community and uphold policy and law relevant to us is the question of whether a person can grow and learn. REFLECTIONS 15 years ago m a T~~~ • The courage and understanding of a Portland family was covered in Newsweek. The story of Paul and Joan Chronister's acceptance of their son Kelly made the cover of the magazine Jan. 13. • In December 1985, Multnomah County Commissioner Gordon Shadbume wrote a letter to “Christian Leaders" on government stationery char acterizing the Portland gay and lesbian community as a "stronghold of Satan.” However, the Feb. 13 issue of Willamette Week accused him of being a member of that same stronghold. In a strongly worded editor ial, Mark Zusman condemned Shadbume’s hypocrisy and pointed out that his wife alleged that i he had affairs with other men. • Queersville. KBOO-FM’s frisky gay and lesbian show, aired at 10 p.m. every Sunday starting March 2. • Storefront Theatre presented The Normal Heart PUBLISHER AND MANAGING EDITOR • Marty Davis ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Oriana Green COPY EDITOR • Jim Radosta SWF REPORI ER • Jonathan Kipp CONTRIBUTORS • Meryl Cohn, Mubarak Dahir, Heron, Michael Wayne Keck, Kim Roth, Andy Simon, Tom Stevenson, Lynn Thomas, V ol . 3 No. 5, M arch 1986 ^■■MMMHH^MMMBHNHHHHHHMHHHÌ ..... HIT by Larry Kramer. Robert Nielsen directed this story of anger, courage and the AIDS health crisis. • Feminist gay men had the chance to meet similar men and discuss Issues relating to the gay male experience from a feminist perspective during a potluck every third Friday. • Ample Opportunity, committed to the health, happiness and self-acceptance of fat women, sponsored physical activ ities for fat women only, from belly dancing to volleyball. • Phoenix Rising Foundation announced plans to open a thrift store to benefit the gay and lesbian community. All profits would subsidize service agencies, AIDS projects and other gay organizations. • President Ronald Reagan requested Feb. 5 the sur geon general prepare a "major" report to U.S. citizens on AIDS. On the same day, he went on to propose citing the federal budget for AIDS research and care programs. Glenn Williams, Rex Wockner ADVERTISING DIRECTOR • Meg Grace ADVERTISING REPRESENWIVES • Markie Acevedo, Larry Lewis NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE • Rivendell Marketing Company Inc., 212-242-6863 ART DIRECTOR • Rupert Kinnard PRODUCTION DIRECTOR • Kevin Moore PRODUCTION ASSISTANT • Melissa Sayler OFFICE T I 1. I I M 31 • Melissa Sayler DISTRIBUTION • Jerilyn Adams, Kathy Bethel, Katy Davidson, Ian Drake, Bonita Martinson, K.D. Parman, Plum, Merid Schwartz, Hadley Scott, Ruth Traut
