¿una 20. 2003 - jM tf w tf|5
Designer Rocks
we are limited by our type of nonprofit status,
there are the continuing political battles to
fight.
We hope to continue to survive and some
how grow our numbers back slowly. We will be
more cautious about our funding sources; we do
find we will have to rely more on membership
and donations fees, as grant programs are
becoming much more competitive. We also
strongly value our GLBT-oriented library, one of
the larger ones in the state, and wish to keep it
available to all the public.
Off center
To the E ditor :
read with great interest “ Breaking Common
Ground" in the June 6 issue of Just Out about
Portland’s efforts to open a G LB T Q community
center. Our fondest hopes go out to the group on
their efforts.
Our G LB T center, the Abdill-Ellis Lambda
Community Center Association, serving south
ern Oregon and northern California, is still alive
and well, contrary to the impression given in the
article. Though we did suffer financial and man
agement setbacks a couple of years ago, our
G LB T support and social organization is still
surviving, but admittedly at a much-reduced
(downsized) scale.
We are now subsisting on an annual budget
about one-tenth of what we had in our “heyday”
period. It seems to be a new fact of life, for what
ever the total reasons, that it has become a lot
more difficult to play host to such a center or
group.
It is not only true of our type of groups but is
true of so many other nonprofit groups or
organizations. Our local Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays group recently dis
banded, for the most part, for many (if the same
“lack of support” reasons. Physical and financial
support is now much harder to come by, for
whatever those reasons are.
To me, it sometimes begs the question: Is it
that much easier for individuals to get the support
and information they need and to "be out,” and
have we outlived much of that greater need we
once knew? Our center hoard of directors remains
convinced we need to survive for the newbies and
newcomers “out there” needing our help and the
continuing need for public outreach.
Also, there is a very obvious, seemingly
growing need to help our youths. And though
V icki R ae
Abdill-Ellis Lambda Community Center
Association Secretary
Shame on U.S.
To the E ditor :
sent this letter to President Bush, U.S. Sen.
Gordon Smith and the Republican Party in
response to an article about the U.S. Justice
Department’s decision to cancel its Pride event:
I am saddened and angered at this complete
ly unnecessary and malicious act against a specif
ic segment of employees. I am reminded that gay
and lesbian citizeas raised exactly these concerns
when John Ashcroft was nominated as U.S.
attorney general, and we were assured that our
fears were based more in politics than reality.
I find this adversarial action not only anti-free
dom hut anti-Republican. The Republican Party
is the party of the open dtxir. Ours is the party of
liberty, the party of equality of opportunity for all
and favoritism for none (Preamble, Republican
Party Rules). It is a contradiction to claim you’re
“protecting freedom and personal liberty” from
taxation and governmental regulation, only to
impinge on the most personal of freedoms— love
and family— through governmental policy.
I
• • •
It should also have resources to other agen
cies that may help people who come to the cen
ter. It should be for every queer of every age, and
it should be kept that way. Straight people have
their own centers for a reason.
C
lean and safe. Coffee is available. Library is
available. It has the capacity to play host to
venues. Its a place that you aren’t embarrassed
to bring your friends to. It has a large-screen
television for film groups. A good example is the
center in Salt Lake City.
S arah (S am ) K leames
You all ought to be ashamed! I know I am
ashamed of you.
R obert M. T opolski
Any Image etched in stone
We produce high quality laser
Photograph images on granite tiles
Hillsboro
* Unique Gifts
T Special Occasion
T Custom Entry Ways
w M antel Designs
* A w ard Plaques
w M em orial Markers
▼ C reate Vour Own
Vision In G ranite
We are PFLAG
To the E ditor :
\ / ou have watched us as we march past you in
I the parade— you cheered or may have
cried. Perhaps you or one of your family got
needed support as one of you struggled with
coming out. We are moms, dads, spouses, chil
dren, sisters, brothers and even grandparents.
We are straight, hi, questioning, gay, lesbian and
transgendered. We are PFLAG!
My partner and I walked in the parade
with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians
and Gays again this year and worked the
booth at Pride. We heard wonderful words of
support and praise from many of you. I
encourage you to check out the monthly
meetings and get involved. It is an incredibly
rewarding experience.
3 6 0 - 6 9 9 - 1 8 1 0
Vancouver, WA.
J im M orris
Portland
co rrectio n
he June 6 article “Breaking Common
Ground” listed the wrong date for the
Portland queer community center’s next Speak
Out Forum. D ie meeting will be held from 6:30
to 8:30 p.m. July 1 in the Community Center
Room at St. Andrew Church, 806 N.E. Alber
ta St. For more information call 503-535-3815,
e-mail portlandqueercenter@yahoo.com or
write to P.O. Box 1682, Portland, OR 97207.
Just Out regrets the error.
T
friends that there is no center in Portland— no
combination free library, drop-in clinic, one-to-
one hot line and legal aid desk that sponsors
softball leagues and camping trips and shows
lifestyle movies every other Tuesday. We have
empty buildings, we have willing bodies, why
don’t we have a center?
5 0 3 .3 3 5 .7 I 7 3
Lesbian Owned & Operated
1
p/toiod,
MaAyaA&t
A ll O c ca A M H P ito ttH jA O fJu f
Portland
D awn C randall
B arb S oha
• • •
Beaverton
Hillsboro
here are more than a few G LB youngsters
out there with no one to turn to, no
resources to depend on and no communities
that they can call “home.” More than one dis
paraging teen/young adult have 1 encountered
who feels utterly alone. If there were a commu
nity center, there would certainly have to be
“ mentors” available to such youth (and us
"grownups” as well) and a community board or
message system. Everyone needs the reassurance
that they are not alone in the world, and we are
certainly no different.
Location? Anywhere close to a major bus
line/MAX, so that everyone has access to the
facility without having to ask for a ride.
T
• • •
I
t would have a staff that could help people
locate the resources available to the G LB T
community, info on HIV, something for the
seniors and possibly a cafe. I think it should be
located near M AX and bus service and be cen
trally located.
C arol P rice
Vancouver, Wash.
• • •
G
etting straight to the point, I think one
main priority is catering to youth. Queer
youth need a safe place to hang out, congregate
and, above all, have fun. I also think the com
munity center should offer safe-sex courses and
resources such as condoms.
Another top priority is getting gay men and
lesbians to congregate together. 1 think queer
men and women should spend more time
together and not separate hangouts by the sex of
individuals. Lastly, resources, information and
programs for bisexuals also need to be offered.
P
‘ ro^eootomUiom cvctÂout CÂc S S
5 0 3 M 2 -2 6 7 7
¿-oto/U@cUt 4 t. com
flpîve with Pride
A pril M. D orsey
S
upport groups: Alcoholics Anonymous,
AIDS/HIV, survivors of someone who has
passed, trans, family planning. Everyday classes:
job readiness and bulletin boards, r&umi, tutor
ing for those in college and below, ST D preven
tion, singles counseling, couples counseling and
family counseling. Outings: camping, hiking,
beach trips, movies, barbecues, picnics, baseball,
basketball, arts and crafts, theater. Atmosphere:
modem, fun, laid back, big kitchen, comfortable
couches, big library with lots of books, television
room, pool table, basketball/tennis court, swim
ming pool, hot tubs, saunas, tanning rooms, pri
vate rooms for conferences and counseling,
wheelchair accessible and a big stage and dressing
rooms for those wonderful drag performances.
• • •
S ara G ates
Troutdale
Tualatin
• • •
j
i
j
i
L
ocation? Central to metro Portland area,
next to M AX with outreach centers.
Ultimate? Top priorities? Me! And my part
ner, you and your partner, all of us! Singles, dou
bles, male, female, both, undecided. We are the
foundation— we need to get together and build
ourselves a home. A place to learn, to laugh, to
win the race before the rat, to be the “minority”
that effects positive change in the community.
It’s embarrassing to admit to out-of-area
next IkH 'U
sam e-sex m arriage: A re you planning
on trekking to Toronto and getting
hitched1 Do you predict the U nited
States tpill recognize the union once
you cross the border? (P lease see
related item on P age 2 3 .) Respond at
uww .justout.com . (Don't forget to
include your nam e, city an d daytim e
telephone num ber.)
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