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
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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.
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by m ak ty d a m s
• Shoppers at Nature’s Fresh Northwest are leaving with
more than groceries these days. 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