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
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pp 3 6 , 3 8
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CHUMS
p 50
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a
The •ubmiM ion o f w ritte n and g rap h ic m a teri
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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.
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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
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OFFICE M ANAG8I • Melissa Sayler
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES • Markie Acevedo,
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DISTRIBUTION • Ian Drake, Rick Geiger, Kelly
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