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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2002)
4 J u s t o u t » apiil 5.2002 P T m io u t Eugene responds To the E ditor : any of us in Eugene/Springfield do trea sure Just Out [“A Tale of Unrequited Love,” March 15]. But, in general, most people simply aren’t aware of the behind-the-scenes workings of institutions like newspapers. So it’s not surpris ing most had no idea it’s so expensive to keep Just Out distributed outside Portland. (From here, it’s natural to assume some of the perks of wealthier Portland will benefit us: That’s why we can drive up to enjoy national-tour concerts and better plane fares.) Now that you’ve called attention to the hard financial facts, 1 hope locals here will respond with more support. While raising this topic, though, you asked if there even is a sexual minorities community in the Eugene area. The answer is yes— a commu nity supported by an amazing weh of old friends, new friends and legions of exes: lovers, house mates, neighbors, co-workers, classmates. A community that stretches to include a lot of “straight hut not narrow” friends and family and that richly overlaps in an everyday way with a few hundred other local “communities” (politi cal, spiritual, racial/ethnic, environmental, charitable, educational, health, social, arts, sports, professional and more). And now, the shocking part: We like it this way! Sure, lots of people prefer to live in the type of gay community you consider us lack ing— that is, the type found in major cities. Understandably, they tend to leave here and move to a major city. There’s nothing wrong with either prefer ence. It’s just, y’know, that diversity thing again. M L aura P hilips Eugene No on 9 fo r Stein To the E E ditor : lection Day is just seven weeks away, and many former N o on 9 Cam paign staff wanted to join voices again to express our support for Beverly Stein for governor. We feel it is extremely important to vote for a candidate who not only supports our commu nity hut has made our struggles a priority her entire political life. We urge you all to vote for Beverly. She is the single best candidate for governor and the best candidate for the sexual minorities community. Her campaign is energized, superbly organ ized and filled with the volunteers and staff with the skills to win. Here are a few more reasons to vote for Beverly: • She was an early supporter and a major financial donor of the successful No on 9 Cam paign. She also sponsored a Voters’ Pamphlet statement against the measure. • Beverly was the chief sponsor of Senate Bill 606, which requires the reporting of crimes motivated by prejudice based on perceived race, color, religion, national origin and sexual orientation. • She led the fight for the domestic partner ship registry in Portland and is on the record in support of civil unions. • As a United Way hoard member she stood up against the Boy Scouts of A m ericas anti-gay discrimination and fought to pull funding. Her actions in support of sexual minority rights aren’t the only reasons Beverly is our choice. Indeed, she has received the endorse ment of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the Oregon Nurses Association and Ore gon Action. As chairwoman of the Multnomah County Commission, Beverly cut crime in Oregon’s largest county to the lowest level in more than 20 years. As a state legislator, she helped pass the Oregon Health Plan and the state’s landmark recycling law. We believe Beverly can win the nomination of the Democratic Party. She has put herself on the line for our community time and again. Now it’s our turn to show our support for her. A lot is riding on this election: reproductive choice, civil rights, our public education system and the economy. We encourage you to check out Beverly’s Internet site, www.steinforgov.com, to review her positions and her proposals for Oregon’s future. We are confident you’ll agree she stands alone as the strongest candidate. Remember, you have until May 16 to mail in your ballot or until May 21 to hand deliver it. Please vote! show. He has refuted these statements, and many o f you out there already know this is not true. Deacon X was asked by the promoter of the hall to make this scene happen. He joined forces with me and Thomas Thompson to create what became my life’s most magical moment: where I met my partner, Geoffrey McDaniel. The Deacon, our enthusiastic friends and I spent long hours promoting, setting up and get ting the talent for the hall. The self-proclaimed Goddess had nothing to do with the show. Reli able sources tell us she was there on a free pass and nothing more. Nothing! Severina insulted all of the Portland fetish community by saying we had little or no scene until she came here in 1994, insinuating she had something to do with making it happen. It was lush, lavish and publicly accessible. The whole West Coast was going modem primitive in the late 1980s; tattoos and piercing were about to become more accepted. So many people were out there doing fetish shows and scenes all over town that it was hard to stay home at night. Portland’s own Lick Sis ters had become world famous for their sexy per formances and brought great attention to our precious little town as leading the country in alternative lifestyle. Deacon and I had discussed putting on some sort of show for years. Si) after our successful col laboration at the hall and the growing popularity of his long-running Queer Night, we decided to put on a monthly event, Fetish Night— which is another show Severina had absolutely nothing to do with. Ms. Goddess has been claiming the hard work of others to sell her shows and herself for a long time, and we want her to stop! K athleen S ullivan , B ecky L ee , KD P arman , D on P owell , E rin A nderson , A my H ojnowski , L iz K aufman Readers off the lost a rt No on 9 Campaign Staff 0 h v Goddess! T ushell L ieberman Portland To the E ditor : ust a quick note: Lori Buckwalter always has well-written letters. The well-written letter, regardless of the subject matter, is damn near a lost art. J To the E ditor : i would like to clear up some false statements that were printed in the article previewing the Portland Fetish Masquerade Ball (“Fetish, Anyone ?' Fch. 1]. Goddess Sevcrina said she and Portland musician, sound man and fetishist extraordi naire Deacon X teamed up to help combat the Oregon Citizens A lliance’s virulently— and ultimately unsuccessful— anti-gay ballot measures. She further stated that the two of them concocted the Sextacy Ball together and that she had some involvement in the J ohn B oynton Portland correction he March 15 article “New Faces” misiden- tified the Outside In queer youth group facilitated by Melissa Shepherd. Its name is VOICES (Voices of Individual and Community Empowerment from the Streets). Just Out regrets the emir. Is Just Out on the right track in trying to be “ all things to all people” statewide, or would ju s t ET3 Nm.il Portland advertisers and readers be better served by maintaining focus on the Rose City? accept the mission of allowing the spread of gay ell, do other cities have a publication such as Just Out! 1 think you should cover | normalization throughout Oregon, not just in all events statewide. But concentrate on Port Portland. I would like to see stories on people who live land and its community. in the eastern part of Oregon. Let people know ! that being gay is normal and right, not just for E va H offman some hut for all, and that we will not he silent or Milwaukie hidden anymore anywhere. • • • B ob W eideman ortland is just a small area o f Oregon. I Vale There might he more gays there, hut all • • • through the state there are many people like ' * - 4 myself who look to Just Out for some ground I ur community needs a leader to provide ing force. Just Out is the only or one of the few gay con the news. Many people residing in smaller tacts they might have. Cover all of Oregon and I communities shop in cities, picking up Just Out W • • • * • • Hardware Pet Food & Supplies Gardening Tools & Supplies Down-to-Earth Products U-Haul Trailers & Trucks M e n tio n tfiis ad fo « r 1 0% d is c o u n t 10920 NW St. Helens Road (503} 286-1291/Fax: (503) 286-9592 P O in Portland clubs, Salem bookstores, Corvallis coffee shops and Eugene bars. They depend on Just Out to provide infor mation for our area and the bigger national issues. Your online edition could be upgraded and be a contact for our population in more rural areas. I know there is a large population o f sexual minorities outside the Portland metro area. All of us need a forum that keeps us updated on the local, national and international news. I have read Just Out since it began. The locations where I pick it up have changed through the years, but, as a voice for all of Oregon and W ashington’s sexual minorities, it has improved and remained. I urge you to remain as the leading example
