October la, 2002
P T m io u t
Continued from Page 5
Stop the violence
making our community more inclusive for
everyone and those who resent having to add
the word “trans” to the equation.
You have the women-hating men and the
men-hating women. You have the “dykes” who
identify as women, live like men and are threat
ened by transgender people.
You’ve got those who are in the endless pur
suit of getting laid and the ones who always are
looking for the "one.” Then, you throw in psy
chotherapy, politics,' everyday life issues, a
Republican president and an ever-evolving
society.
The other day 1 was looking for a lightheart
ed escape when I picked up Just Out. After I read
through it I felt overwhelmed and frustrated,
because in every issue the editor airs her person
al problems and hang-ups and always ends up
putting her foot in her mouth. Most of the let
ters submitted are in protest to someone else’s
letter, and the gay man who used to write the
insightful and funny stories now is obsessed with
his newfound skinniness, big dicks and offend
ing lesbians.
To me, “community” is more than having
alternative sexuality in common. It is about
sharing a common bond, having each other’s
backs and being accepted and appreciated for
who we really are.
I haven’t found that sense of community
here yet, and I’m not sure I ever will. For now, I
guess I will have to take Portland for what it is:
extremely diverse, fiercely opinionated, at times
dysfunctional and definitely interesting.
To the E ditor :
J ess B runelle
Portland
I have been very blessed to have found a
wonderful gay therapist with a respectful knowl
edge of OCD. It is with his help that my com
mitment to my partner is stronger and more
confident than ever.
Domestic violence comes in many forms
through emotional or physical abuse. Reasons
for it vary from alcohol, drugs and jealousy to
mental illnesses, the weather and many other
unlimited examples. It never should be justified
or ignored.
Because of my situation, I have decided to
begin a support group for people with O C D
and those who love them. T his illness is seri
ously misunderstood, and I know how alone
he felt.
I have befriended people from across the
country who just need someone to talk with
who understands. Anyone can reach me at
971-544-0404 or FaithfulQueer@aol.com.
I encourage the queer community to come
together against domestic violence. We still can
have our fun with pageants, dance parties and
other entertainment releases, but let’s come
together and not be fearful to tackle the serious
issues within our community.
Domestic violence is just one overlooked
reality. The outbreak o f sexually transmitted
diseases soon will become an overwhelming
concern, as many younger queers are not
completely educated. Breast cancer within
the lesbian community has seriously high
numbers.
These are only a couple of the issues begging
to recognized. We all have a voice, and one
voice can make a difference.
I would like to express my appreciation for
the story Just Out ran about the murder of Jerri
Lee Williams allegedly by her partner, Lisa
Marie Roberts I“Woman Accused of Strangling
Partner,” Sept. 6].
Domestic violence seems to be a taboo
subject, especially within in the queer com
munity. And while this story is extremely
heartbreaking, I hope a light of good can
come from the death of Williams, who was
only 35.
Though my situation is different, during a
two-month period within my relationship with
my soul mate, I was a victim of his violence.
Because of his social illness, obsessive-compul
sive disorder, a period of immense stress upon
him was released against me.
I never truly feared he would seriously hurt
me; at these moments he was not fully in con
trol of the situation because of his OCD. But
because our relationship is so spiritually strong, I
knew it was only a matter of moments before I
could hold him and all the pain would be
released for both of us.
During this brief period, I found myself very
alone. O f course, many friends could not under
stand why I would stay with someone who had
hit me.
But their lack of knowledge of O CD did not
give them a valuable concern for my situation. It
affects everyone differently and is difficult for
outsiders to understand fully.
Crisis lines were available, but I felt a sense
of distance when I informed them this was a gay
relationship. No shelters or safe homes are avail Ric B errong
able for abused men.
I Portland
Let’s hear it
for the rainbow tour
To the E ditor :
I was surprised to see the picture of only
three people in your photo of our Saturday
Burnside Triangle Advisory Group history tour
in the Oct. 4 issue of Just Out (“Don’t Know
Much About History r’].
There were upward of 26 people at the Sat
urday tour and more than 45 participants Sun
day. I was there, and we had problems contain
ing the crowd at times. It was very successful,
and we are considering another tour in the
future, j n
K athy B ambeck
Portland
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