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.
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