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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2001)
rim i out Maybe the Pride celebrations just should be combined. Maybe it’s too much for Vancouver to try to hold its own festival. Is it too close to Portland’s for anybody to want to attend? I don’t know. These were ques tions I asked myself. I did not feel safe at this supposed celebration and didn’t see too many other people looking safe, either. No couples embracing, not too many families out enjoying their Pride, not too many smiles. Mostly wide-eyed looks I remem ber seeing in high school when I would walk down the hallway and hope nobody would call me a fag or attack me. Now I bet some people had a wonderful time, and I hope so. I am not knocking the cel ebration at all. In fact, I hope to help out next year at both Pride celebrations in Portland and Vancouver instead of just attending. It just made me sad to see hardly any people out celebrating and helping show Vancouver that we are out there and that we are huge in numbers. Helping each other feel comfortable and safe. august 3.2001 * J “ 1 “ - s Green bravely challenges us to think about being contributing members of society housed in a central location where visibility declares our unity and our viable force as folks to be rec ognized. I commend Just Out for offering insights and intellectual stimulation for all of us to ponder. Having read the article several times, and praised it among my many friends at JOQs and Silverado, I simply offer that the Portland-area gay and lesbian community can support both the outstanding Pride celebration each June and make a community center a reality. One need not preclude the other. Like many others, I want to see the com munity center exist. If you are interested in joining with me to explore the ramifications of this idea becoming flesh, you may e-mail me at gjsparks@aol.com. G ary J. S parks We are most certainly queer. And some even identify as dykes. And as for people spending “that much time on beds and sex and stuff’? Yes, hon, for some of us, sexuality is a major part of our lives. Rather than judging, maybe you should try to understand. Goodness knows I enjoy a nice potluck; maybe a little whipping would he good for you. And Oriana. Oh, Oriana, I want to scream every time I read something you have written. You said, “Perhaps Ellen missed the memo about dating straight women” [“Hollywood Happenings,” July 20J. Perhaps no one told you this is 2001. Gender and sexuality are more fluid than you realize. I am so tired of biphobic statements like this. How dare you presume to know why they broke up. “Yep, she’s straight” ? How about, “Yep, she’s hi” ? Or, better yet, “Yep, it’s none of my business” ? Portland Mind your own business Portland R en M a tn ey To t h e Portland ^ould Just Out be less inclusive? While giv- ✓ ing a cursory nod to bisexual and trans issues, Oriana Green and Cathryn Cushing then turn around and show how close-minded they truly are. First, Cushing’s review of The Dyke and the Pom Star [“Pom to Be Wild,” July 20]. I won’t even mention her seeming inability to be chal lenged by material that is out of her comfort zone. No, what irks me is the line, “The dyke is played by Jenni Green...looking much less dykey than all the dykes I know.” Cathryn, come hang out with my friends. Many of us have long hair and wear (gasp!) dresses and makeup. Get a life Best off both worlds To t h e E d it o r : O riana Green’s thought-provoking com mentary stimulated the community to consider the challenge she so skillfully penned— first to envision the benefits she delin eated, then to give structure to that vision of a community center [“What If?” July 6J. I thought of the slogan we often hear: We are queer, we are here, we are everywhere. Property ownership cements that motto. C Sinead O ’Connor, Anne Heche and Julie Cypher M ' i rediscover their heterosexuality. W hat’s going on here? Is “ lesbo temping” some trendy phase, a rite of passage for straight women or a publicity stunt? I believe Anne Heche made a jump to the les bian experience out of curiosity and perhaps motivated by some level of affection. There are a lot of bi-curious women these days calling themselves “lesbians.” I do not think Heche “rediscovered” her hetero sexuality. I think she got bored and moved on to what was the latest turn on for her. Now she’s going to marry some guy. Perhaps a A nne H eche (left) and Ellen D eG en eres, in happier times few years down the pike she will jump ship and emotionally charged. It also seems to be the case for a great deal of sucker in some poor unsuspecting lesbian again. lesbians I know to explore/re-explore their het There is no doubt in my mind we live in an era when it is trendy to step across the line into erosexuality. It’s too bad it’s a big deal in either same-sex couplehood. However, to do so with direction. In the end I hope we end up with a lot out commitment is hypocrisy, and to do so out of more dykes! idle curiosity is irresponsible. To t h e Portland Portland • • • I think there’s definitely an element o f publicity here; however, I also believe American main stream culture (especially the liberals) are going through an “explore your queer sexuality” period. I think it’s like young children playing dress- up. It’s a great way to explore things that are N EX T ISSU E: Same-sex public displays of affection: Do they fill your heart with pride, or do you think they’re best left at home? Respond at www.justout.com. (Don’t forget to include your nam e, city and daytime telephone number.) 77S0-B $W Capitol Hwy. In Multnomah Village $03244.1752 OPOI TUESDAY SUMDAY Beyond Oordm. the crtfi martfflnj dmiiM m Hit Fandttt W oety immurimi. Inc. « i member of the Fair Irade Federation BIRKENSTOCK® E d it o r : I was astounded to hear last month about the Bush administration and its talks with the Salvation Army to exchange promotion of the president’s faith-based agenda for hiring discrim ination against gay men and lesbians. Although Just Out did repeat the story that broke in the Washington Post, editor Marty Davis seemed to be unaware of any political implica tions. Instead, we get a commentary about how she’s so broke she’s letting her hair grow, she can’t get a date (because she’s boring), she’s got a nesting instinct because she put a new roof on her house, she’s going to put hows in her dog’s hair, she’s single and looking, she goes to les- hian/doggie Disneyland on weekends (remem ber, she’s looking) and someone (not a lesbian or a dog) is having (horrors!) sex around a parking lot [“Sex and the City,” July 20J. Then she refers us to a play about a lesbian and a pom star to which she’s negotiated a half- price ticket affair. The reviewer describes the play as being about “beds and sex and stuff.” One of the lead actors is said to be “less dykey than all the dykes 1 know” (just how dykey does she need to be?), and the play is called “pre dictable to the point of yawns.” Not really a rec ommendation if I’m reading it right, half-price or not. The image that popped into my mind after reading Davis’ column was Nero fiddling while Rome burned. Dear Just Out, please return, at least occasion ally, to the format of guest columnists for the edi torial page. At least we’d get to read something by someone who felt passionately about something. K im B aller Oak Grove Editor’s note: Cushing’s review went on to say, “But because of the skill and willingness of the cast and crew, this slim vehicle did become the instigator of some interesting conversations and is certainly worth seeing.” J enni S prague H enriette C ecile B eigh fairly Traded Handcraft and Organic (offee Check out the M anya S h o rr E d it o r : Beyond Borden just! I l l —I ----------- l *1, || 1,1 welcomes tetters to the editor - M U Letters must be 'accompanied by a phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters and letters without sufficient contact information will not be published. Available at Signature Shoes Located on the corner of 96th St and Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy Beaverton. OR 97005 Plant Lust sated HOGAN & SANDERSON CISTUS D ESIGN NURSERY 22711 N W Ü I L L I H A N RO AD SALIVI E I SLAND FRIDAY TO SUNDAY 10 5 503.621.2233
