Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2003)
4 Just M t * »Uly 4.2003 Metropolitan Community Church of the Gentle Shepherd John 10: 14-16 Rev. H arriet Barshofsky Sunday Services: 10:30 am -6:30 pm We are a Christ-based church. All are welcome. We do Baptisms and Holy Unions. Located just minutes from the Interstate Bridge http://www.mccgs.org 2200 Broadway Suite F Vancouver, W A • (3 6 0 ) 695-1480 <2,fvVo " (n r Experienced Hair Care Services (at Escapade in Hollywood) by Appointment V W .( V \ V M X < W y i.M ^ Safe and Confidential Alcohol and Drug Treatment ... \ I / The Triangle Project — ----------------- Portland s only program designed specifically for the GLBT community All services are provided by experienced GLBT counselors If you have problems in your life related to your alcohol or drug use, call before the problems get bigger. We can help. Words are powerful To t h e E d it o r : read Marty Davis’ editorial “Community, Not Conform ity" about six times (June 6]. Each time, 1 felt more outraged at her ignorant, self- centered confessional than the last. Words are powerful. You managed to write several paragraphs on the topic o f racism w ith out any introspection of the harm it has and continues to do to people o f color. Instead, your m elodram atic monologue revolved around your discomfort and fear of even talk ing about racism. There is nothing soft, kind or gentle about racism. T h e country we live in has never been kind to people of color. W hite racism has caused slavery, lynching, segregation, police targeting and hmtality, unjust imprisonment, silencing and political/economic disenfranchisement of people o f color living here. Have you ever done anything to right these wrongs? Participated in a protest, written a let ter, interrupted a racist joke, cop-watched, watched a retail employee watching a black per son, in any way been a friend to a person of color surviving in our racist culture? O r are you sitting in a dark imaginary rixim, filled with trembling white homosexuals, feeling overwhelmed with the “R-word”? How very unfair for anyone to make you contemplate your own racism. Is it really words that intim idate you, Marty? I think maybe it’s dykes of color who intim idate you. Perhaps your cowardly, un examined privilege makes it difficult to look them in the eye. Is it really words that cause your fear and provoke defensive reactions? Maybe it’s the few white allies you’ve allowed yourself to meet. It sure is hard to see people with a sim ilar background to you acknowledging their own racism and actually doing something about it, isn’t it? T h e few times I’ve read your cathartic, worthless editorials in the past few years, you have done such offensive things as: stated that sliding-scale events for dykes aren’t fair to les bians who work and look normal; said that the Lesbian Avengers and anyone who goes topless at the Dyke M arch are responsible for hom o phobia; insulted dykes of size with condescend ing remarks based on your own weight- obsessed fad diet; dedicated an insultingly small amount of space to black queers during Black History M onth. 503.224.0075 2130 S W Fifth Ave., #100 Portland, OR 97201 As a native Seattle resident, I have a full understanding of your Sunshine needs. Allow me the opportunity to reveal the beauty, warmth and value o f Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley. View my listings at www michaelpaduano.com. Email mpaduano^1 winderemere.com 850 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 760/831-3761 or 877/718-5600 ext 113 ( s much as 1 would love to say the United States would recognize a same-sex mamage performed in Toronto, I think there is little to no chance that will happen anytime sexxr. Since Arti cle II of the Constitution (the Full Faith and Cred it Clause) guarantees that a contract that is con sidered legally binding in one state is honored in all states, once (T ie state reatgnizes the marriage, all 50 states must follow. This is the impetus behind die Christian tight wing trying to push through the Defense of Marriage Act before Hawaii, Vermont or California passes a law explicitly granting same- sex couples full marriage rights. Perhaps one day our nation will be as enlightened as Ontario, but that’s not the planet we live on right now. A drienne Portland J. D avis • • • W hs S arah B arnard Portland On the Level most. A n over-the-top musical encompassing all aspects of the term “queer” represents exactly what we are trying to create here at Level— an all-inclusive space for people to com e together and celebrate their personal pride while being their outrageous selves. For Ms. Bradshaw to say that we are “tired” is her opinion. T o imply in print that we are “racist," regardless o f her com edic attem pt, is not only libelous but dangerous and untrue. To the E ditor : 4 ■<> \ fter The Wizard o f Oz, Level chose to i \ screen The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which, come on, is so tired. Actual conversation with a friend at Level: M e: Rocky Horror, god, how original. At least they could have shown The Wiz or some thing. Friend: Yeah, that would have been gixxl. Maybe they’re racist or something! M e: Yes, Level is racist! Friend: O r maybe they just don’t want to show anything with Michael Jackson in it because, no matter when it’s from, you always think of how he is note. M e: O h, yeah, they’re probably just trying to spare us.” Lisa Bradshaw wrote a glowing review of what surely was the crown jewel o f Pride week end’s tiara (“Hits and Misses,” June 20j. “Land of O z," thrown by both Skervy and Not A nother Q ueer N itc @ Level (Fridays at C obalt and Sundays at Level, respectively), saw more than 700 people com e together and party their asses off. To see dykes, lipsticks, trannies, fags, gym queens, hippies and alterna- queers in the same place, having a great tim e, truly reflects what the creators o f Skervy and N ot A noth er Q ueer N ight set out to do— offer an a lte rn a tiv e to th e less- inclusive gay bars. For Ms. Bradshaw to criticize our visuals as “tired” is petty and trivial. “Lions and Tigers and Q ueers, O h M y !”— th e th em e for our Pride w eekend— is hardly a fresh and ingenious c a tc h phrase. In fact, 1 can th ink o f many cultural staples from the gay c o m m unity th a t may also be co n stru ed as “tire d .” Mommie D earest, A untie M am e, W hat Ever H appened to Baby J a n e ? and G one with the Wind are cam py gay classics th at have endured and th at most queers can relate to. In that whimsical vein, we chose to screen The Rocky Horror Picture Show to the delight of B lack V enus •J on G uidone Not Another Queer N ile @ Level In defense of Sophie B. Hawkins To t h e E d it o r : isa Bradshaw is either one, if not any num ber, of the following: • Inexperienced at attending festival co n certs featuring live music performances by numerous entertainers. • Unaware that said festivals will inevitably be challenged with delays caused by schedule overruns, technical difficulties or even a band member’s last-minute incontinence. • Ignorant to what Maria said in her attempt to explain the delay of the headliner. • U nappreciative o f the fact th at, for the first tim e in my knowledge o f Portland Pride, we were finally exp eriencin g an in tern atio n ally recognized headlining artist. • Was distracted by oth er audience m em bers or too busy scribbling vitriol in her note- htxik to witness how energetically said artist worked her ass o ff with displays o f instm m en- tal virtuosity, provocative choreography, self- dep recatin g hum or and h eartfelt, soulful deliveries o f songs from her often brilliant repertoire. • Simply had some u n a tta in a b le irritation with the very presence o f Ms. Hawkins. • And/or, and this I find most reprehensible of all, has her own definition of what diversity is, and omnisexual isn’t recognized among the choices. Now, challenging opinions and negative reviews are always w elcom e in my reading and conversations, but m isrepresentation o f facts, let alone blatant disrespect for any form o f artistry and/or lifestyle, kicks me to the core. L Ontario legalizes sam e-sex m arriage: A re you planning on trekking to Toronto and getting hitched? Do you predict the United States w ill recognize the union once you cross the border? A Michael Paduano You consistently lower the ethical I.Q. o f the queer community. You are in an extremely pow erful position as the publisher (owner) and edi tor of Oregon’s only queer newspaper. That power was bought, not earned. N o, I don’t think we will run up to C an a da. W e got married in our own back yard Aug. 31, 2002. 1 hope and pray the U nited States will recognize same-sex unions soon. 1 am tired o f fighting to put my wife, Dana, on my health insurance and for many other ben e fits. It should not be so hard and be so wrong. E va H o f f m a n Mdwaukie • • • hy join in a failed and laughable institu tion such as marriage? Sure, we need equal rights and benefits under the law, but we can attain these without having to get caught up in the sexist, controlling and religious-based his tory that is marriage. Abolish the religion/state- based forms of marriage and start anew without having any government or religion sanctify whether two people can be together. W C hristina L ynch Portland • • • ere’s w hat has happened in C anada: C e lin e left. T h e U n ited S tates is hold ing her hostage in som e sort o f R om an prison in Las Vegas, com plete w ith dancing forest m en, m idgets and invisible cables to allow her to fly. A ll o f C an ad a’s gay m en have left and im migrated to th e U n ited S ta te s to be near her. In an effort to get them to m ove back to C anada, the governm ent, in an unprecedent ed publicity stunt, actually legalized same-sex marriage. T h e result has been a d eclin e in C e lin e ’s atten d ance at Caesars and an influx o f gay m en in C anada. I say, give th e C an ad i ans back C e lin e , and give me my marriage law. W h y would 1 go to another country? A m I a now a sexual refugee? 1 should be able to get married here. I work, I pay taxes, but I ca n ’t get married— why? Because C e lin e D ion lives here. H
