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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
M U r tü iv jttin e u /s f you want to make a difference in your community, you have to get involved. I That’s a rally cry public officials use repeatedly, and Bret Palma and Jim Ma guire have taken the message to heart. Beaverton Mayor Rob Drake and the rest of the City Council recently appointed the gay men to serve three-year terms on the Human Rights Advisory Commission. Although they are relative newcomers to the Portland suburb, they have long-term interests in human rights issues. Palma, a res ident of Beaverton for the past year and a half, and Maguire, who moved there only six months ago, both are excited about the opportunity. “When I first moved to Beaverton, 1 decid ed I wanted to get involved politically, being convinced that many Beaverton citizens had not had much positive exposure to gays,” Maguire says. “ 1 was thinking that I could rep resent the community intelligently and fairly and maybe break a few preconceived notions along the way.” The commission was created in 1993 with an ambitious mission statement: “Promoting mutual understanding and safeguarding the rights of all citizens.” Palma says its goals include “embracing and celebrating diversity, eliminating bigotry and enhancing a sense of community.” The panel is designed to he representative of the city. “Currently the commission looks like a miniature United Nations and has two gay members, so it seems to be meeting its demo graphic goal as well,” Palma says. The members’ duties are to: • Promote harmonious intergroup rela tions within the city of Beaverton by enlist ing the cooperation of various racial, religious and nationality groups; business, community, labor, governmental, fraternal and benevo lent associations; educational and other groups. • Examine sources of tension and practices of discrimination within the community; and acts of prejudice by employees of the city of Beaverton. • Perform conciliatory services that do not conflict with the functions of any other govern ment agency or city department. • Make recom m endations concerning solutions to specific problems of prejudice or discrimination. • Recommend to the City Council action, policies and legislation to he considered by the state and local governments. The commission also is planning multi cultural events, such as Heritage Days, which will take place this summer. It especially is con cerned with prejudice directed toward people of T he R ights S tuff Two gay men battle bigotry in Beaverton b y Tom Steven son Bret Palma co-founded the first gay, lesbian and bi youth support group in Portland during the mid-1980s “I consider myself a well-traveled, well- Middle Eastern descent in the wake of the spoken person whose life experiences to this Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Palma and Maguire— who live with their point lend me a unique perspective on com munity, especially human rights,” he says. “I partners and work in the Beaverton area— take their appointments seriously. However, they are have traveled the world both while in the mil itary' and as a civilian, quick to note they have not and I think I can bring felt any major prejudice since "I was m enially ready to a balanced, enlight moving there. ened perspective to “My experience has been have bricks or rocks thrown the commission.” very positive, more positive through m y windows when Maguire says two than I expected honestly,” key experiences in his Maguire says. “1 was mentally we finally bought a house life led him to the ready to have bricks or rocks human rights field. thrown through my windows and m oved in. But so far I First, his little brother when we finally bought a hove not experienced any was bom with Down house and moved in. But so far syndrome. I have not experienced any adverse reactions. “I have always adverse reactions." Palma echoes those feel — Jim Maguire had someone in my life that other people did ings but admits he has not not understand, looked at funny, teased and lived in the area that long. “ Personally, I’ve made assumptions regarding his potential sim encountered very little homophobia,” he says. The men bring contrasting backgrounds to ply based on his Down syndrome,” he says. “By the human rights communal table. Participating constantly being supportive of my brother, helping my parents fight for his education in his first public post as an out gay man, rights and defending him against people who Maguire insists he is not an activist. W c'u Me made fun of him, 1 have literally grown up edu cating people around me to be sensitive to their prejudices.” Maguire, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Acad emy, also was affected by his time spent in the military. He had anticipated a long and success ful career, but “the stress of having to stay in the closet forced me to make the choice to resign my commission.” He did not quit under pressure. He simply knew he was gay and wanted to be in a relation ship, and even though his sexual orientation had no effect on his ability to be a great naval officer, the prejudices were built in to make a military career too stressful. Maguire says the entire experience forever changed him. It “crystallized my desire to ensure that someday another kid who wants to serve his country can do so without having to drive him or herself to the edge of mental col lapse due to the stress and strain of staying in the closet.” Palma has been an activist on and off through the years. His human rights efforts began during the m id-1980s when as a teen-ager he co-founded Windfire, the first gay, lesbian and bi youth support group in Portland. A s a substitute teacher in several area school districts, he says that sexual minority students and staff generally are treated fairly hut that much work remains. “T he goal...should he to treat gay and straight teachers exactly the same as their straight col leagues.” Unfortunately, that is not the case. For ex ample, Palma says if a straight teacher talked about a spring break trip with a spouse, nobody would care. But if a gay or lesbian instructor shared the same news about a vaca tion with a partner, “some administrations would flip their lids. T hat reaction is unac ceptable and discriminatory.” Both men insist the political work in their community is a natural extension and encour age others to get involved. “Find something which most appeals to your interests and go for it,” Palma says. Maguire adds: “Open your mind and get involved. Forget all the social programming you had growing up, then make the first phone call, send in your bid to be a commissioner or what ever. Take the first step.” J H For more information about the HUMAN RIGHTS A d v iso r y C o m m is s io n visit the Internet site www.ci. beaverton. or. us/mayor/hark. html. T o m STEVENSON is a Portland free-lance writer and a full-time Portland State University student who can he reached at ruraltom@yahoo.com. Ufipud n M ake B ender Properties your real estate hom e. Put your feet up and relax! Details are our business. You w on’t lift a finger as w e attend to every aspect of buying or selling your h o m e -e v e n the lit tle chores that others sw eep under the rug. And successful? W hen it com es to fresh m arketing or resourceful hunting, our enterpris ing agents really clean house. C om plete service and client e d u ca tion are always our priority. 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