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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2001)
5.2001 24 ! S ee t ie .. jo r A U SER S G U ID E FO R N A T IO N A L C O M IN G O U T D A Y . ^ BY JIM R A PO STA ational Coming O ut Day 2001 falls exactly one month after the ter rorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. T he significance of this somber anniversary could have a pro found effect on what is meant to he a day of celebration. The hate ful tragedy might frighten some people from taking that final, brave step out of the closet. But hopefully it will serve as a reminder that life is short and that lying, hid ing and worrying consume a lot of personal energy and detract from the quali ty of what little time we have on this planet. Many optimistic people think the events of Sept. 11 will force the United States to rethink its priorities and ulti mately could push homophobia by the wayside. Candace Gingrich, half-sister of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., now serves as the Human Rights Campaign s National Coming Out Project man ager. She says choosing to live openly and honestly is “our most powerful tool for achieving equality because it shows the world who we truly are” and considers it “one of the most significant and rewarding decisions in [our] lives.” U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., adds: “The goal is not to tell for the sake of telling, but not to hide. The more people you can find and be honest with, the better you’ll feel.” Frank says one thing usually stands between life in the closet and life in the open: the fear factor. “Almost everyone I know has had a better experience coming out than they thought they would.” Linda Villarosa, author and former editor of Essence magazine, echoes this sentiment. “My imagination of how people were going to react was so much worse than the reality,” she says. JD 1. Homosexuality is not a choice; homosexuality chooses you. Homosexuality is an orientation— a part of who you are— and is not a choice any more than being left-handed or having blue ey es or being heterosexual is a choice. 2. Gay people are mentally healthy. The anxiety you are feeling is probably the result of family or social prejudice against homosexuality, not homosexuality itself. 3. Being gay or lesbian is natural. If sam e-sex love goes against morality, why would it occur, generation after generation, despite strong societal prohibitions? 4. Being gay or lesbian is not a “lifestyle," it's a life. This word trivializes us and im plies all of us sub scrib e to the sam e values, characteristics and dream s. 5. Gay men and lesbians constitute families. Many couples have children through adoption, artificial insemination or previous relationships. 6. Some of the most talented people are or were gay or lesbian. If anyone ever sug g ests your life w on’t add up to anything if you're gay, remind them about R ato. M ichelan gelo, Leonardo da Vinci, O sc a r W ilde, Gertrude Stein, k.d. lang, M elissa Etheridge, Ellen D e G en eres, David G effen and G reg Louganis. Excerpted from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's R esource Guide to Com ing Out EASTSIDE MOVING & STORAGE Co. H o u seh o ld G oods In tern a tio n a l T raile S h ow s ■ * Toni. C. Morales Director of Corporate Relocation E-m ail toni@move-northwest.com MflflEUaMEB TRANSÎT (503) 777-4181 (800) 547-4600 Fax (503) 775-8443 FLAMBE QUEER NIGHT @LE H A P P Y MONDAYS 9PM TO 1AM 1101 NW 16TH • 21 & OVER • 503.226.1258 NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • Advocates for Youth: www.youthresource.com. • BiNet USA: www.binetusa.org. • GenderPAC: www.gpac.org. • Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: www.pflag.org. RECOMMENDED READING • Coming Out: An A ct o f Love by Rob Eichberg (Rum e). • Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide fo r Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Par ents by Mary V. Borhek (Pilgnm Press). • Now That I'm Out, What Do I Do? Thoughts on Living Deliberately by Brian McNaught (St. Martin's Press). • Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as Lesbian o r Gay to Your Family, Friends and Co-work ers by Michelangelo Signorile (Fireside). HOTLINES • Gay and Lesbian National Hotline: 888-843-GLNH. • National AIDS Hotline: 800-342-AIDS, 800-344-7432 (Spanish). 800-243-7889 (TTY). • National Gay and Lesbian Youth Hotline: 800-347-TEEN. • The Trevor Hotline: 800-850-8078. Vacation T ravel Planners (Formerly Downtown Travel Services) We Took You to N ew York for G ay G am es IV -1994 We Took You to Amsterdam for Gay G am es V - 1998 N ow : Let Us Take You to S ydney - Nov. 2002 GAY GAMES VI Call Rip For All Your Travel Needs: (503) 223-1100 • (800) 357-3194 email: gavtravelCniplanvacationtravel.com www.iPlanVacationTravel.com D ignified P et S ervices Cremation & Memorials For Your Companion tlte /ie 'l a p e t in qou/i lije, lx/ou n eed to- Jznxuo a b o u t uA,! 8976 SW Tualatin Sherwood Road Tualatin OR 97062 Phone (503) 885-2211 www.DignifiedPetServices.com (A Division o f Cascade Funeral Directors, Inc.)
