Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2003)
rTîTTTïïTm n ew s N A T IO N A L N EW YO R K resident Bush issued a proclamation Oct. 3 declaring Oct. 12 to 18 “Marriage Protection Week." The announcement was made one day after a coalition of ultra-conservative gnxips held a press conference in Washington, D.C., to publi cize the anti-gay effort. “Marriage Protection Week provides an opportunity to focus our efforts on preserving the sanctity of marriage and on building strong and healthy marriages in America,” Bush said in the proclamation. “We must support the institu tion of marriage and help parents build stronger families. And we must continue our work to cre ate a compassionate, welcoming society, where all people are treated with dignity and respect.” During the coalition press conference, Fami ly Research G xin cil executive director Tony Perkins warned that U.S. citizens are facing what he calls "the Black Plague." He said, “From the Pledge of Allegiance to the Ten Command- ments to the Do-Not-Call campaign— and now to the very institution of marriage— unelected judges in black robes are not only ruling against the wishes of the American people, they are overturning laws passed by the elected represen tatives of those people.” Fix:us on the Family executive ditector James Dobson said that by extending civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples, “W hat you’re doing is undermining the whole legal definition, the underpinnings of the institution of the fam ily, and when that goes, everything goes with it, including the stability of the country...and the future of Western civilization.” P IL L IN O IS Northwest Northwest Northwest Northwest Northwest Northwest Northwest KAREN M. 5WEK3ERT, MD Obetetrice and Gynecology Northwest Northwest Continued on Page 22 Ah, remember the good old days? Northwest Northwest Northwest Northwest 9 d Love to bhinq qvu A c aha bid 9 haven i mot qvu qsd! Phone 50 5 274-9936 Ponor Ineemination r 1040 N.W. 22nd, Suite 330, Portland, OR 97210 W estoyer H eights N Offering general internal medicine and excelling in sexual health care Jin d ma in the ÿuàl Jiuandi Uoica fieAAonali 5 0 3 -2 2 6 -6 6 7 8 on peupu Serving the com m unity fo r 1 7 year j A s seen in Vogue, Allure, Shape and Family Circle Magazine S3 a nd S k Velvet the only FDA approved nonsurgicaL non-inva.u\e treatm ent fo r • Body contouring • Reduction o f appearance o f cellulite • Improvement in appearance o f ¿car l issue and burns Call for a free consultation 5 0 3 -2 2 8 -0 2 7 4 Open for 4inner at 5:00pm Mon-Sat Lucy's Social H our 5 0 0 - 6 3 0 M -F .ap p etiz ers A drinks fo r less $ 70A NW 21st & Irving 503.226 6126 www. Iu c y s ta b le c o m www.velvet-skm.com 1920 NW Johnson S t Suite 108 Portland, OR 97209 \ w A its you * own ( mbs 50 wo\d a d a i www.fUAioul.com a hod vand skin solution for men and women F o o (\ you want to eat. dm i 2330 NW Flanders, Suite 207 ■ T he fifth annual Matthew Shepard March, named after the gay Wyoming student .S. Sen. Hil lary Rodham C linton, D-N.Y., blasted President Bush and the Republican leader ship Oct. 9 for the direction they are taking the United States, likening it to a rollback of the clock to a time when “they didn’t have to deal with women or gays or anybtxly else." She made the comments during a dinner in New York City that raised almost $650,000 for the Empire State Marchers rally against right-wing attacks on gay rights Oct. 4 in Chicago Pride Agenda, a queer rights organization. In a 20-minute speech brutally murdered in 1998, rallied for same-sex interrupted by frequent applause, she predicted marriage Oct. 4 in Chicago. Activists were re the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment will acting to President Bush’s decision to join a he at the “center of the presidential election next coalition of ultraconservative groups by issuing year” and will he used by people “who try to drive a proclamation declaring O ct. 12 to 18 “Mar wedges” between U.S. citizens. riage Protection Week.” “The Netherlands and other areas have insti “They deserve to he turned out of office, and tuted equal marriage rights for lesbians and gays they’re going to look for any way to stay in without the sky falling in,” said Andy Thayer, power,” Clinton said. “If the administration and co-founder of the Chicago Anti-Bashing Net their allies want to make a campaign issue out work, which organized the event. “Those who of amending the Constitution, we will not only raise these ridiculous arguments against gay mar stand against it, hut we will point out that riage have a far more serious reason for opposing they’d rather talk about taking away rights and our marriages: hatred of gays and a desire for us undermining the ability of Americans to live to continue to have second-class citizenship.” their own lives, to have their own families, than to talk about the miserable economy, to talk about their miserable foreign policy, to talk about their rollback of environmental laws and workers’ rights, education and health care!” Meanwhile, her husband, Bill, made his strongest denunciation of “don’t ask, don’t tell" to date in a statement coinciding with the anti gay policy’s 10th anniversary. “Simply put, there is no evidence to support a ban on gays in the military,” the former president wrote. Clinton signed the policy into law Nov. 30, 1993, after promising during his campaign to lift the previous ban and let gay and lesbian U.S. cit izens serve openly. Since the current law went into effect, almost 10,000 servicememhers have been discharged on the basis of sexual orientation. “Discrimination is unfair, and it unfairly restricts the talent pool available to the mili tary— and that diminishes our security,” C lin ton added. “If you can serve as a police officer, an FBI agent or a member of Congress, there is no reason why you cannot serve as a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine."
