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