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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2003)
march 7,2001 lustrín COMMENTARY ■ V The IN publication for the OUT population F o u n d e d 1983 • J a y B Vol. 20 N o. 9 row n and R enée L a C hance March 7, 2 0 0 3 FEATURE THE HOUSE THAT VOLUNTEERS BUILT: AIDS facility celebrates 15 years of care and support P 24 NEWS NORTHWEST • Trans man wins National Meter Reader of the Year award; gay businessman Mike Pina promotes positive space for queer youth pp 9-17 NATIONAL • Groundbreaking decision favors trans father PP 19-21 WORLD • Spain torpedoes pro-gay bills pp 22-23 ARTS AND CU LTU RE PEOPLE • Margaret Cho's Revolution Tour comes to town p 35 MUSIC • Portland singer Kanzeon plays music t for the brain p 36 MUSIC • Lesbo Lolitas of t.A.T.u. rock the pop world P 37 THEATER • The Brody Theater dishes out life ! off the cuff; plus new reviews! pp 42-43 FILM • Four Wall Cinema sends queer Postcards ; PS. Your Cat Is Dead opens at the Hollywood pp 44-45 WHAT'S POPPIN'T • Dyke director Rose Troche’s latest opens p 39 DIVERSIONS • Portland straight hunk in gay pom mags; Outrage is a little gay; The Ijiram ie Project hits the road; get naked for peace p 41 COLUMNS MS. BEHAVIOR • Help! I love a lefty organizer p 33 OUT WITH ITI • Queer cable channel “controversy” »41 Choose your battles As the United States prepares for war, the sexual minorities community mobilizes for health W and partners are coming together to bring awareness, education and infor ords o f war, threats of war, fear of war. It’s every mation to our community via National LG B T Health Awareness Week where. In fact, there’s so much ineffectual and from March 17 to 21. A t a meeting March 20 in Portland, a committee numbing prelude to war that soon people might will be seeking input from all of us as to needs, concerns and interests. simply stop listening to it all. I myself think that Issues include sexual health, mental health, substance abuse, cultural this is all part of the bigger plan. And surely there competency, transgender health, domestic violence and, of course, my is some sort o f a bigger plan, right? Are these people, our fearful personal favorite, obesity. leaders, really as dazed and confused as they appear to he? The plan Fair warning: The rest of this column is about obesity; it’s about me. must he to wear down the foes and the opposition with mundane It is really damn personal and, again, might well piss off a lot of you. and endless banality. Terrorist warnings, duct tape, Tom Ridge and Run now if you must— or if you can. Homeland Security. Yup, it’s all the equivalent of inept foreplay It’s been a year now since I wrote of my concerns about overweight leading up to really had sex. Bad sex with the added bonus of a gay men and lesbians in general and my own battles specifically. In painful social disease. The disease o f power. The disease of control. the past year I’ve had great success and I’ve also seen The concerns, the divisions, the debates touch us failure. But failure can be a bittersweet opportunity to all. There are those who think the sexual minorities Which is the more try again another time, and even in failure there can community should unite in a stand against the war. Others, those more practical and pragmatic, realize our significant battle for our be victory. A year ago I set a weight loss goal. I’ve reached and community couldn’t unite in an attempt to flee a community to take on? maintained goals set and adapted and embraced new burning building, let alone reach consensus on an attitudes and behaviors— and now I begin the next issue of such scope as a call to war. Do we want our The war against Iraq or phase. It can be done. I know it can because I’m doing groups and organizations speaking out for us, joining it— and you can, too. But first you have to set aside the war against coalitions, taking stands against, or in some cases for, comfortable old excuses and weary whining. And I war efforts? Or do we prefer our leaders to stay focused stupidity, the war for know that these are not easy to give up. So don’t look on the specific battles germane to our cause? Chicago columnist Paul Vamell writes, “for those our rights? Perhaps we at what you perceive as losses— rather, look forward to what you’ll gain. Health, mobility, energy, vitality— of us who care deeply about gay and lesbian equality it can do both— or do we these will be your rewards. is also important to remember that gay concerns do I could write a book and go on Oprah, but I’d rather not disappear during times of uncertainty and con need to prioritize? use the time working in my yard— so here’s my message flict.” He and others urge us to not allow our mission of success, albeit the short version. of attaining full civil rights to be lost in the greater Look at yourself. Look at what you’re eating. If you’re fat, you hue and cry. Locally, Basic Rights Oregon votes to endorse the state can’t eat that stuff anymore. See, it’s easy. You’ve got to find the ment of “Win Without War,” a coalition united in the cause to promote right fuel for your body. It’s a chemistry thing. W hich means there disarming Iraq without war. This would appear to be a benign action might be a dichotomy between your em otional, intellectual and overall— but is it what we expect of the time, energy, dollars and focus spiritual desires and your physiological needs. O ne woman wrote in of community-funded organizations? last year to say she was vegan, rode her bike everywhere and was While talk of war swirls about, many Americans take their escape in still overweight. A possible solution is for her to ride out to Sayler’s popular entertainment such as the current crop of reality television Old Country Kitchen and have a nice steak. Her diet is not a match shows. The most recent celebration of poor taste, Married by America, for her body. It’s the wrong fuel. W hat becomes her priority? T hat is seems designed to mock and denigrate the very fundamental rights that her decision, her call. But she shouldn’t say she can ’t lose weight— gay men and lesbians are denied. We cannot marry— yet they can mock it’s more that she chooses not to. institutions and traditions that they so freely take for granted. Which is I’m running out of room, so this discussion will have to continue the more significant battle for our community to take on? The war later. Last year I literally worried myself sick waiting for the calls, letters against Iraq or the war against stupidity, the war for our rights? Perhaps and tirades to come in after I wrote my column. This year I’m stronger we can do both— or do we need to prioritize? and firmer yet in my convictions. Obesity is a major health issue in our community. It does not have to be. It is one of the truly winnable and attles are fought on more than the international level. In Portland and across the United States, health activists, community leaders controllable battles we face. Come on— let’s all win. Please. m B REFLECTIONS THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TB MARC • It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superdog! p46 0 years ago in p p p i * I ! i i m • M ore than 700 African Am erican gay men and lesbians gathered in Long Beach, Celif.. during President's Day weekend for the sixth annual National Black Gay and Lesbian Conference sponsored by the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum. ju st out ii published on the first and third Fri day o f each m onth. Copyright © 2001 Ky Just ( )ut. N o part o f Just Out may Nr reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The subm ission o f w ritten and graphic m ateri als is welcom ed. W ritten material should he typed and dou ble-spaced. Just Out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punc tuation, style, liab ility concerns and length. We w ill reject or edit articles or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may result in legal action. Letters to the editor should be lim ited to 500 words. 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As part of the Stand Up Portland project Nature's shopping bags feature ’ 10 things I can do every day to celebrate diversity.’ • Calyx, a Corvallis-based journal of art and literature by women, recently was awarded $73,315 from the U a Wallace-Reader's Digest Publishers Marketing Development Program. • A group called the G ay M en's Community Project is organizing to see what gay and bisexual men in Portland need. It is waiting for more community input before deciding on its focus, but one possibility is a referral service to help gay PUBLISHER AND MANAGING ERfTM • Marty Davis NEWS EDITOR • Jim Radosta ARTS AM CHIME EHTM • Lisa Bradshaw ENTHRAL ASHSHNT • Marie Fleischmann CHITRHfTM» • Marc Acito, Kathy Belge, Jamie Bolyard, Michael Burdick, Meryl Cohn, Els Debbaut, Timothy Krause, Christopher McQuain, Gary Morris, Floyd Sklaver, Tom Stevenson, Rex Wockner, Pat Young ARVBmSMC HRKTM • Larry Lewis ARVBmSMC HPRUMHVIVI • Markie Acevedo ARWRT1IRH AtSOTANT • Erin Sexton *** * H and bisexual men sort through the more than 100 organizations in Portland. • Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts has introduced a M l to the state Senate that would establish an 11 -member Human Rights Com m ission. • ’ Learning to Love Your Body: Self-Acceptance for Large W om en’ is a one-day workshop led by licensed massage therapist M ara N e sb itt Stop fighting your body with (Sets and guilt; join in a day o f information, encouragement and celebration. • Portland Police Chief Tom Potter w i address the Portland Area Business Association at its monthly meeting. • Calling aH Nike dykes. Tired o f wondering about that sweet thing down the ha*7 O r that buff woman in the locker room? Interested in meeting other lesbians who work for Nike? Ju st do it. GRAPHS HRKTM • Kevin Moore PRMMTHN ASSWANT • Zanne dejanvier H R S MANAGER • Marie Fleischmann MTHMTHN • Kristine Ashton, Jennifer Brinson, Ian Drake, Ron Geer, Mary Hauer, Crash Schwartz
