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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
february 1 . 20Û2 ’ COMMENTARY by M arty D a v is The IN publication for the O U T population F ounded 1983 • J ay B rown and R enee L a C hance V ol. 19 N o. 7 F eb ru ary 1, 2 0 0 2 FEATURE QUEERING THE S1XGE: The state of queer theater has never been better i. 2 6 NEWS NORTHWEST • Volunteers compiling lesbian health directory; Corvallis resource center opens; Beaverton men fight for human rights pp 6 - 1 9 NATIONAL • Liar, liar, pants on fire pp 2 1 - 2 3 WORLD • Is a Russian serial killer on the loose? pp 2 4 - 2 5 CULTURE ART • Couple’s creations commemorate commitment P 37 CULTURE • The Fetish Masquerade Ball returns p 39 FILM • Punks stunk; Story achieves glory P 40 BOOKS • Sex writers cum to town P 41 MUSIC • Sarah Dougher does it again P 43 DIVERSIONS • Q ueer Duck ruffles feathers; Scopitones come to Clinton Street Theater; Wild Abandon turns 7 pp 4 4 - 4 5 FILM • International festival is reely gay P 46 ! COLUMNS MS. BEHAVIOR • Hostile bisexual needs therapy p 35 OUT LOUD • A Valentine’s Day reflection p 47 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARC • That’s all, folks! The sidewalks of Portland Together, we can create a safe and secure haven for all today the police sweep the homeless camps, not that many years ago they few days ago I was surprised to find myself doling out a conducted raids on public restrooms kx>king to roust out yesterday’s public miserly handful of coins to one of those unfortunate folks enemy: the homosexual. The fact is, in many cities cops still do this, but no who stand at the freeway entrance holding a makeshift longer so often in Portland, where we have achieved a highly positive profile. cardboard sign while silently imploring passersby to scoop out loose change. at our history, it wasn’t too long ago when the city was far less T h is is an interesting ritual. T h ere is this seemingly understood than the safe and secure haven it is now. During those earlier days— code that those standing on the sidewalk and those sitting in the of the Portland Town Council, Keeston Lowery and Sanford Director— cars com m unicate while never speaking— never, ever making eye the Lesbian Community Project was formed to provide support and co n ta ct and seldom acknowledging the other person actually understanding for struggling women. exists— except for those rare and brief m om ents when a window Nearly 20 years later, after dealing with finances, staffing, growth, goes down and a hand hastily extends a hit o f com fort. III i . lack of growth and a multitude of issues and problems, 1 pass by these people many times a day and seldom pay LCP is still here. W hen viewing the rich tapestry of this heed. 1 have developed Urban Plight Immunity Syndrome. This particular day 1 faltered from my resolute pattern OH sidewalks? organization’s history, surely the events of the past few uui u tu u « ; ui ....g m naiu .vuun . , * weeks will stand out as one of the more colorful sections of not because of uuuiv noble anu and gtuvium generous iw feeling toward fellow mankind but rather because it was pouring, and the guy was ,,./ S ttllS PO W 1VG W O Pt the yet-unfinished weave. standing there with his dog— the saddest, wettest, most , n fh a r n o n n lo During this brief span of time LCP came under attack not from the Oregon Citizens Alliance, not from other right-wing pathetic-looking dog I’d seen since the last time it rained groups, not from an outside enemy but rather from within. and someone stood on this comer with a pet as a shill. treale q ? And I’m happy to report to you the attacks came and went So, lest you were starting to think 1 was having a quicker than a Mariah Carey movie, and today the organization remains moment of breakthrough humanity, the unfortunate truth is I most strong and viable, although, of course, perpetually in need of membership, often place greater value on the well-being of the dog than I do on the funding and volunteers. On a positive note, I’m sure this most recent inci sodden human companion. You see, I can rationalize that the person dent resulted in a renewed commitment to dust off the bylaws and tend to a probably made had life decisions to explain his circumstances, whereas little necessary housecleaning. the dog never had a damn choice at all about deciding to sit in the rain Now, if I may, a few gentle words to other nonprofits in our commu on the side of the freeway. nity. Yes, you’re all very busy; yes, you’re juggling jobs and lives and vol unteer work; yes, you assume you’re all on the same side and working for he homeless are everywhere we look and everywhere we refuse to the common goals of your organization. But now and then you need to look. They are constantly in our face, yet they remain invisible. stop and check in with yourselves. Although I am far from becoming an advocate for the homeless, I can see Are you on track? Are you meeting your own missions and objec clearly they are the next community of people who face victimization from tives? Is dissent from within being addressed and handled or allowed to “mainstream” society. And while I can he as uppity as the next person about seethe and explode? the unsightliness of their habits and their ways, 1 am nonetheless appalled at C an your organization withstand scrutiny from outside and possibly the recently proposed city regulation making it illegal for “certain” types of even from within? If you’re not sticking to the letter o f your bylaws, people, engaged in “certain" types of behaviors, to sit on sidewalks. then either revise them to reflect changing times or get your group hack Illegal to sit on sidewalks? Come on now, let’s think about this. Is in focus. We don’t need any more behaviors like those seen recently. this how we want to see other people treated? Is this right? LCP has had a turbulent couple of weeks. But it emerged with a Prohibiting certain types of people from sitting on sidewalks will do stronger board, a renewed sense of com mitment and I suspect an aware nothing more than protect the comfort level of those who never have nor ness of needs that had gone unmet. ever will have to sit on a sidewalk. Send a letter or an e-mail; make a call to Now, if we can, let’s skip the fighting among ourselves and get on the Portland City Council. This is not a good piece of business for our city. with the business at hand, which is obtaining full civil rights for all gay, Keep in mind it wasn’t that many years ago gay men and lesbians in Port lesbian, bi and trans folks and making the world a safer and better place land weren’t treated much better than the way we now view the homeless, for all (including those who call the sidewalks home). J H the newest victims of elitism, oppression and economic bigotry. Whereas IllBCJOl JO Sit TO See OTPei people T P 49 SPECIAL out EATING OUT • Let someone else cook tonight pp 3 6 , 3 8 JUST FRIENDS • Free voice personal ads CHUMS p 50 Ju s t o u t ia published on th e flret and th ird F ri day o f each m onth. Copyright © 2002 by Just Out. No part of Just Out may be reproduced with<Hit written permission from the publisher. CATHARJ« ble-spnced. Just Out reserves the rinht to edit for grammar, punc tuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. L etters to the ed ito r should be limited to 500 words. A n nouncements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions, etc.) should be limited to 200 words; photos are welcome. Dead- lin e fo r su bm issions to the editorial department and for the C alendar IS the Thursday 15 days before the next publication date. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessarily those o f the publisher. T he d isp lay ad v ertisin g d ead line is the Monday 12 days before the next publication date. C lassified ads must be received at the Just Out office by 4 p.m. on the Thursday eight days before the next publication elate, along with payment. Aels may be placed by telephone or via the Internet with.Visa or MasterCard payment. Ad policy: lust Out reserves the nght to reject or edit any advertisement. (Compensation for errors in, or cancellation of, advertising will be made with credit toward future advertising. Advertising rates are available upon request. D istribu tion policy: lust ( hit is available free of charge, one copy per person. Just Out is delivered only to authorized distribu tors No person may, without prior written permission from Just Out, take more than one copy. Any person who takes more than one copy may be held liable for theft, including Nit not limited to civil damages and/or criminal prosecution. Su bscrip tions ire $22.50 for 12 issues. First Class (in an envelope) is $40 tor 12 issues C o n ta ct Just O u t at P.O. Box 14400, Portland, O R 9 7 2 9 5 -0 4 0 0 ; 5 0 1 -256-1252. advertising 50 5 -2 5 6 -1 2 5 5 , fax 505-256-1257; e-mail |iisrout<i|uslout.com. Visit <xir Internet site at www.justout.com. ti* cut •« " " 7 ; 1 a The •ubmiM ion o f w ritte n and g rap h ic m a teri a ls is w elcom ed. W ritten material should be typed and dou- 1 \ • The W orld Health Organization has deleted homosexuality from its International Codex of D iseases. The new codex will be published Jan. 1. 1993. • Describing it as a “heroic" feat, the conserva tive Oregon Citizens Alliance submitted 22,875 signatures for its initiative designed to overturn Portland's civil rights ordinance banning discrim ination based on sexual orientation. % si I .(.* * *■ ':*7 T ** oo»«* -, * 1 IT S S i* PUBLISHER AND MANAGING BIITOR • Marty Davis NEWS BIITOR • Jim Radosta CULTURE EDITOR • Lisa Bradshaw CONTRIBUTORS • Marc A cito, Kronda Adair, Meryl Cohn, Dark lady, Katy Davidson, Susan Detroy, Oriand Green, Heather Hyharger, Sarah Leimert, • Despite occasional rumors about financial instability, the Oregon Citizens Alliance was named one of the top-spending political action committees for 1990. A recent state report lists the group as the state s fifth biggest-spending P A C that year. The O C A reportedly spent $215,274 on the 1990 leg islative races. • M ica Smith, C ascade A ID S Project board chairman, has been hired as its new executive director. He replaces Paul Starr, who resigned because of declining health. • The first conference of the Northw est Old L e s bians Organizing Comm ittee took place last month in Tumwater, W ash. M ary Brady, a 60-year-old active in the Portland Lesbian Choir and Lesbian Com m uni ty Project, attended. • Phoenix Rising Foundation is facilitating the pro c e ss to create a lesbian and gay community center for the Portland metro area. Its volunteers are acting a s am bassadors and inviting lesbian and gay groups to join in the process. The board of Phoenix Rising hopes these groups will devise a joint plan to lease or buy space to build a center. • Author M ary Ann Hum phrey joins Lanny Sw erdlow as co-host of Nightscene, a Portland Cable A cce ss program. Her book, A Ay Country, M y Right to Serve, is the first oral history about the experiences of gay men and lesbians in the military. • Ten Oregon authors, poets and playwrights are recipients of 1991 Institute of Literary Arts fellowships Three of the talented 10 are Portland lesbians Anndee Hochman. Judith Bamngton and Andrea Carlisle. Marketing Company Inc., 212-242-6863 Patricia L. MacAodha, Christopher McQuain, Gary Morris, Hadley Scott, Sally Sheklow, Tom Stevenson, Rex Wockner PRODUCTION DIRECTOR • Kevin Moore ADVERTISING DIRECTOR • Meg Grace OFFICE M ANAG8I • Melissa Sayler ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES • Markie Acevedo, Larry Lewis NATIONAL ADVBTTISING REPRESENTATIVE • Rivendell PR00UCTI0N ASSISTANT • Melissa Sayler DISTRIBUTION • Ian Drake, Rick Geiger, Kelly Keigwin, Bonita Mattinson, Merid Schwartz, Becky Warner, Melissa Weigand, Carla Wright
