October 18.2002-
G U EST C O M M EN TA R Y
by
Lomu L. Jt a n
The IN publication for the O UT population
F ounded 1983 • J ay B rown
V ol. 19 N o . 2 4
and
R enée L a C hance
O ctob er 18, 2 0 0 2
FEATURE
THE MAN WITH TWO FACES: Lon Mabon thinks
he’s too pro-gay. Bill Bradbury thinks he’s too
anti-gay. Will the real Gordon Smith please
stand up?
P 24
NEWS
NORTHWEST • Meet Reid Vanderburgh,
Portland’s first openly trans psychotherapist;
lesbians should take heed of National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month; AIDS charity survives
federal funding cuts; small congregation gets
a new senior pastor
PP 8 - 1 8
NATIONAL • Bush nominee criticized
pp 2 0 - 2 1
WORLD • Gay Paree mayor stabbed
PP 2 2 -2 3
ARTS AND CU LTU RE
CULTURE- Queens and kings get the royal
treatment at Coronation 2002
pp 3 4 -3 5
SPORTS • Bon voyage Team Oregon!
P 37
PEOPLE • Survivors John Carroll knows a thing
or two about allies
p 39
DOORS • Moving memoirs
P 41
ART • Portland artist likes his boys underwater
p 42
FILM • Hell House will scare you straight
P 43
DIVERSIONS • Tegan and Sara at the Roseland;
be a slut against rape; eight-minute dating;
film festival jury awards
p 44
WHAT'S POPPIN'T • You must, no you really
must see Igbv Goes Down and Secretary
p 45
COLUMNS
MS. REHAVIBR * Help, my friend has been
kidnapped by a rural lesbian
Building an anti-racist movement
Creating Change will address one of the most divisive and damaging elements in our society and our world
ore than 2,000 people from all over the United States
and other countries will gather in Portland beginning
Nov. 6 for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Forces
15th annual Creating Change conference. Were
immensely proud to he holding this years conference in
Oregon, a state that has long been a leader in progressive movements in
this country and is home to a well-organized and vibrant G LBT communi
ty that has overcome repeated challenges by organized anti-GLBT groups.
Creating Change is one of the most important gatherings in our politi
cal movement. The people who attend include the most experienced vet
eran activists as well as novices. The conference offers everything from a
forum for addressing cutting-edge issues to providing a unique professional
development opportunity for those working to advance our cause.
While people come to Creating Change for many different reasons,
we all participate in one overriding goal: building a stronger, more high
ly skilled, more representative movement for freedom, justice and equal
ity. In a nutshell, this is the mission of the task force.
This year, for the first time, Creating Change has a theme: “Building
an Anti-Racist Movement: Working for Social and Economic Justice.”
Never in the history of our movement has such a large, multiracial
G LB T gathering focused on this topic.
So, why is the task force doing it now? Institutionalized racism is one
of the most significant factors hindering our success as a movement.
If we were unified as a community, we could take better advantage of
the strength our numbers afford. Our movements political agenda
would better reflect the priorities of all segments of our community.
And we could better engage our allies in joining in our struggle.
But too many things divide us. The discouragingly long list includes
racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, transphobia, biphobia, AIDS-phobia,
classism, ageism, horizontal hostility and a corrosive lack of compassion
and forgiveness.
With such a list, where does an organization like the task force start?
This year, Creating Change focuses on building an anti-racist movement.
Racism is one of the most pervasive, divisive and damaging elements in
our society and our world. The same is true of our own G LBT communities.
Thus, as a movement, we must get our own house in order. People of
color suffer irreparable harm as a result of racism, and all of us are
diminished by it.
Further, how can we purport to advance freedom, justice and equality for
GLBT people if we are not working for the changes necessary to make these
concepts realities for all in our community? The great Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. believed that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
All of us share responsibility for working to eradicate the injustice in
our own community. We will not succeed as a movement unless we
make a significant investment in doing so.
And this responsibility must translate to organizational leadership.
This year’s conference is one way in which the task force is striving to
shoulder this responsibility.
JL
It also is important to acknowledge the range of emotions that a
theme like “Building an Anti-Racist Movement” can elicit. Hope, fear,
skepticism, anger, optimism— just to name a few. Sometimes these reac
tions are bom of experience; other times they stem from ignorance.
For example, the task force already has been publicly attacked by a
white gay male columnist who identified the theme of this year’s confer
ence as proof of our “obsolescence.” Even if it weren’t the right thing to
do (which it is), and even if it weren't long overdue (which it is) and
even if it weren’t, indisputably, “a gay issue" (which it is), one would
think that anyone who observes politics would understand that working
to build an anti-racist movement is strategically smart.
Statistically, straight people of color are generally one of the most
supportive demographic groups when it comes to civil rights for G LBT
people. They understand that the bigotry that serves as the foundation
for racism is often the same bigotry that serves as the foundation for
homophobia, for anti-Semitism, for misogyny.
But our opponents are trying their hardest to drive a wedge between
us and our most steadfast allies. The gay-obsessed religious fanatics who
are behind anti-GLBT organizing in this country are now reaching out
to straight leaders in communities of color— deliberately, systematically,
maliciously— to try to convince them to join their homophobic crusade.
Our community must offer the reasoned alternative.
And we cannot do so as effectively if most of our organizations and
our leaders fail to represent the rich diversity that is our community.
This is just one more compelling reason that all of us should be invested
in building an anti-racist movement.
Finally, this year’s conference is not really “the start” of this effort. Creating
Change 2002 is neither the beginning nor the end of work on these issues.
First, just as is true of many conference attendees, the task force has
been working on most of these issues for almost 30 years. The confer
ence has always included workshops on these topics, and the task force
has often been a leader in addressing them.
Second, “Building an Anti-Racist Movement” is a tall order— it isn’t
something that gets solved by a single conference or a single organiza
tion or even- 2,000 well-intentioned and committed people. And we are
bound to make mistakes in our attempt to promote dialogue and action
around this very critical issue.
Still, a conference like Creating Change can serve as a catalyst for
exponential leaps forward in our movement. And that is our hope for this
year’s conference. Just as it is our commitment to continue to work on the
goal of building an anti-racist movement— day after day, year after year.
Together, if we approach this task with patience, with intellectual
honesty and empathy, with understanding, determination and account
ability, we can help our community and our movement make progress in
building an anti-racist movement. Together, we can prove the relevance
and effectiveness of this work. j n
LORRI L. JEAN is the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force executive director.
p 33
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARC • Don’t sweat
the small stuff— let Marc do it for you
P 48
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endorsements
• U .S . Senate: Bill Bradbury
• Governor: Ted Kulongoski
• City of Portland Commissioner,
Position 4 : Serena Cruz
• Metro Council President: David Bragdon
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District 1: David Wu (D)
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ID ITO i • Marty Davis
• Jim Radosta
ARTS A M C 8 m M « T B R • Lisa Bradshaw
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Gary Morris, Courtney Perkins, Floyd Sklaver,
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I • Larry Lewis
Markie Acevedo
Erin Sexton
mOVIHnVf • Rivendell
Marketing Company Inc., 212-242-6863
Kafoury (D)
• State Representative, District 4 4 : Gary
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• State Representative, District 4 5 : Jackie
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• State M easure 25 (increases minimum
wage to $ 6 .9 0 ): N o
• State Measure 2 6 (regulates paid refer
endum petition signature gathering): Yes
• State Measure 27 (requires labeling of
genetically engineered foods): N o
• Portland Measure 26-33 (finances chil
dren’s investment program): Yes
• Portland Measure 26-34 (restores park
services and allows much-needed repairs): Yes
• Portland Measure 26-36 (renews library
levy): Yes
1 • Kevin Moore
Zanne dejanvier
Sarah Leimert
I • Ed Carder, Ian Drake, Ron Geer,
Mary Hauer, Kelly Keigwin, Merid Schwartz,
Jen Spires, Janelle Vogt, Melissa Weigand