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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2002)
■> novamber 1¡L 2002 • 7 rTìTi7rW3T3neu;sbrie/s L ung C ancer I s H ip he researcher who discovered a secret tac tic to hook queers on nicotine visited Port land on Nov. 6 to speak about slick cigarette marketing techniques aimed at the sexual minorities community. Anne Landman found out about Project SCUM , which stands for “subculture urban marketing,” in early 2001 when tobacco compa nies were forced to publicly disclose their docu ments on Web sites as part of a lawsuit settlement. R.J. Reynolds concocted the strate gy to increase cigarette sales among subculture groups such as queers, homeless people and Generation Xers. Landman was accustomed to shocking indus try documents, hut when she read about Project SCU M , she literally jumped out of her chair. "This was outrageous!” Some of the documents had whimsical, cute graphics. “If you’ve looked through a lot of doc uments, you don’t see a lot of this sort of thing. Someone was enjoying themselves when they put this together.” R.J. Reynolds saw self-destructive behavior as a golden opportunity for marketing ciga rettes. “They are marketing to this community for one reason— and the documents say this— there is a high incidence of smoking and drugs in this subculture.” Project SCUM is part of a much larger market ing phenomenon targeting subculture groups, Land- man said. And the center of queer culture— the bar scene— is an important marketing opportunity. “The queer community has a higher smoking rate and frequenting of nightclubs, and that’s where the tobacco companies are right now,” Landman said. “It’s called trend influence mar T keting. Tins generation isn’t as interested in sign advertising, but it’s hip to trends.” Tobacco companies pay young people to wear nice clothes with the cigarette logo, visit nightclubs and hand out free cigarettes. They also sponsor events at bars; the recent Arabian Nights at the Egyptian Club is an example. Prevention measures also are failing because the tobacco industry subverts them for their own marketing strategies, Landman said. She cited examples of tobacco companies creating partner ships with the 4-H Club and the Jaycees for pro grams to help children resist smoking. “But at the same time they are trying to scope out kids for marketing purposes,” she said. “By pairing up with the Jaycees and other groups, they gain respectability; lawmakers see they are trying to reduce kids’ smoking so vote their way.” W hat can be done? “Knowledge is power,” Landman said. “People don’t like being manipu lated; maybe when they see they’re being manipulated they’ll wake up.” E ugene C hickens O ut H P he Eugene City Council dropped trans peo- X. pie from the human rights code revisions it approved Nov. 12. Mayor Jim Torrey had threatened to veto the changes, citing privacy and cost concerns regarding a guarantee of “reasonable accommodations” in buildings open to the public and access to gender- specific restrooms, dressing rooms and showers. According to the Register-Guard, Bible bangers outnumbered progressives in the audience. “This is one nation under God, and God hates homosexuality,” Ken Biersteker of Veneta testified during the meeting. “I don’t want any one to go to hell, and God don’t want anyone to Barbara A. Peterson A Comparison of Views. Jim Moeller Lifestyle Single mother, three children; family oriented. An attorney in pnvate practice Openly homosexual active male and council member. Political Leaning Compassionate conservative Believes in the free-enterprise system - and that smalier government is better Ultra-liberal. Believes government has the answers to our problems. A bureaucrat. Passions Families, environment, children Caring for the elderty Fights against abortion, assisted-sucicide ¡¿nc pornography • Wants fo mahedrug laws tougtier Homosexual activist He says he’s for “working families" but works to defend ..“Hand5 t5#W ashiw|ton * Wants to legalize manjuana. Recognizes a solid education is criticai go to hell. But when you approve of this non sense, you’re sending a lot of people to hell.” The good news is that Eugene passed a domestic partnership registry. It is the third Ore gon jurisdiction to make the largely symbolic gesture, following Ashland in 1999 and Mult nomah County in 2000. The amendment package also allows people to bring private lawsuits if they are discriminat ed against, creates a team of volunteers to help resolve incidents of harassment and adds eth nicity to the list of protected classes. Councilors promised to revisit the trans issues soon. » R ace G ets U gly J oters picked gay Vancouver City Coun cilor Jim Moeller for the Washington House on Nov. 5, but victory didn’t come easy. The Democrat’s opponent, Republican \ attorney Barbara Peterson, sent out a mailer less than a week before Election Day comparing the two candidates’ views. O f course, she couldn’t resist playing the sex card. “I have been a little too kind about it this whole campaign,” Peterson told the Columbian. “We believe in informed consent in medical and legal circles. Why not in political circles?” Under “Lifestyles,” Peterson described her self as a “family oriented” single mother of three. Moeller, meanwhile, was an “openly homosexu al active male.” Peterson’s “Passions” were “families, envi ronment, children” and fighting against pornog raphy. Moeller was a “homosexual activist” who “wants to legalize marijuana.” “1 had hoped for better, but it looks like she finally showed her true colors,” Moeller said. Continued on Page 8 Injured? ...Call m e S Proudly serving our co m m un ily since 1 9 8 9 in personal in ju ry claims including: 1 Hala Gores, P.C. | * • Auto & M otorcyle Accidents • Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents Attorney at Law • M edical M alpractice Free NW Portland's only oM -SuitiS hotel/ Retro-hip decor ■ Way comfortable king suites Fully-featured kitchens a n d wet bars ■ Original artwork by local artists Artistically landscaped rooftop garden ■ Convenient on-site parking Located along a celebrated streetcar line Supporting diversity in our community! 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