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.
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« i member of the Fair Irade Federation
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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!
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