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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2002)
spptBmhflr 6 . 2 ÛÛ 2 * J a a t o n t Hìl'i'H! IMI 4.4 Jnews P ortland T railblazer Basic Rights Oregon honors longtime volunteer by Jim Ratiosta Lyle Tucker also has volunteered at Oregon Public Broadcasting and Sisters of the Road Cafe I n the ongoing struggle for equality, a getting phone calls at h o m e.. .people would just select few familiar faces receive most of say the word ‘fag’ and then hang up.” the attention for the hard work they do. Tucker says he didn’t want to worsen the sit Behind the scenes, though, scores of vol uation by coming out. He avoided Gay Pride unteers quietly perform the everyday tasks and anyplace parents or students might learn that are necessary to keep the movement alive. about his sexual orientation. All that changed at his retirement luncheon Understated? Perhaps. in 1992, when he told his colleagues about what Thankless? N ot to Lyle Tucker. campus life is like for gay teachers and revealed T he 63-year-old retired French teacher has that he would be volunteering for No on 9 as volunteered for Basic Rights Oregon almost soon as the school year ended. T he positive every week since 1994. He finally will receive response was overwhelming. his m om ent in the spotlight Sept. 13, when he “I was really afraid I was going to chicken will be honored as a Basic Rights Trailblazer dur out,” Tucker says. “1 had, to my knowledge, the ing the nonprofit’s annual fund-raising dinner. BRO also will recognize Bill Dickey, a long first standing ovation that ever occurred at one of those end-of-the-year luncheons. After the time supporter; Cary Renfro, Salem Human lunch was over, 1 was surrounded by people hug Rights and Relations Advisory Commission ging and kissing me and saying, ‘Sorry that you vice chairman; and the M etropolitan Group, a suffered this way.’ ” strategic communications and social marketing firm. The special guests at the dinner will be the ilson High School has come a long way in family of Steve Lofton and Roger Croteau, a the past 10 years. While preparing to march Portland couple who are fighting Horida’s gay with BRO during Portland Pride 2002, Tucker adoption ban. spotted some students from its gay-straight alliance. “I went over to tell them how wonderful I ucker first got involved in gay rights during thought it was that there could be an organiza 1992’s successful N o on 9 Campaign. But tion like that at the high school and how I when the Oregon Citizens Alliance returned with appreciated the fact they were there and partic 1.994’s Measure 13, he knew he had to do more. ipating in the parade,” he says. “W hen 1 was “I was afraid every couple of years...we’d their age, I did not know there were other gay have one of those O C A campaigns and we people. It was a ‘love that dare not speak its wouldn’t be ready,” he says. “I was concerned name,’ and people did not speak about it. I heard about an organization being ready right away to words like ‘queer’ and had some vague feeling get organized. I didn’t feel sending a contribu that maybe it was people like me, but I didn’t tion was enough.” Tucker decided to make a weekly com m it know there were other gay people around.” Tucker remembers the first time he read m ent to volunteer. Every Monday he comes into about gay people in a learning environment. the office to fold letters, stuff envelopes and W hile attending W illamette University, he saw enter donor information into BRO’s database. a one-paragraph entry in a psychology textbook “Even though 1 view what 1 do there as.. .the that called homosexuals “sick.” ‘little guy’ kind of volunteerism— I’m not an “A t least kids nowadays...know they’re not activist, I do behind-the-scenes stuff—I know alone and there are places they can go to get they need that kind of help,” he says. “I feel that information, and there are counselors they can this is something that 1 can comfortably perform talk to, and they can get support,” he says. “I for a group that means a lot to me.” So what’s the driving force behind Tucker’s think the changes are really significant.” JTH passion? For one thing, he wants to ensure that The B asic R ights O regon A n n u a l D inner teachers and students don’t have to endure the kind of environm ent that forced him to stay featuring comedian Bob Smith uill be held Sept. 13 at the Hilton, 921 S.W. Sixth Ave. Cocktail hour closeted throughout his education career. uill begin at 6 p .m ., with dinner at 7 and a roving “I knew people suspected I was gay,” says after-party at 9. The theme is “Setting Sail," and Tucker, who worked for five years at Franklin High School and another 25 at Wilson. “I was cruisewear is encouraged. Tickets cost $100. For more information call 503-222-6151. mildly harassed and called ‘fag’ in the hall and OLD WORLD CHRISTMAS • CHRISTOPHER RADKO 0 ' SLEIGHBELLS of SHERWOOD W ' '■ ' \ 23855 SW 195th Place Sherwood Located just two miles south of Sherwood off Hwy 99W on Chapman Road T ( 503 ) 625-6052 Open Every Day 10am to 6pm 2 0 0 2 P r o d u c t - C a n d l e H o u s e s from L ith u a n ia ! 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