Ju st O ut,
1986
Well into the AIDS pan­
demic, misinformation still
exists about transmission. A
Newsueek/Gallup poll shows a
majority of U.S. citizens think AIDS patients should be
quarantined. The Oregon Health Division develops an edu­
cational program to train medical and civic leaders across
the state. It also sets up a task force to look at other issues
and services for people with AIDS (or PWAs, one of many
acronyms to enter the everyday vocabulary).
we salute you
for 20 years
of service
to our
community
In other happenings, the Portland Lesbian Choir
forms. The city hosts the fifth annual national convention
of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Just
Out runs a story about artifi-
KBOO-FM airs a
cial insemination as more lesbians opt to have
new gay and lesbian
children. The Northwest Gender Alliance starts its fifth year,
billing itself as a “social club for cross-dressers and transsexuals.”
radio show called
Queersville. The show
draws controversy
when a Just Out read­
er expresses a nega­
tive opinion: “The
name alone is enough
to disgrace our com­
munity, yet gay men
and women are
putting their time,
talent and enthusi­
asm into this project.
Airing a program
called Queersville is
not responsible.” The
Formed in 1986, the Portland Lesbian Choir (pictured here
show is a hit but folds
celebrating its I Oth anniversary) continues to hum along today
a few months later
when one co-host
The Lesbian Community Project forms after the Lesbian Communi­
leaves Portland.
ty Organizing Project gathers input from lesbians in the Portland area.
In November, LCP holds its first conference, “Building Gwimunity:
Common Ground for the Future,” and nearly 600 lesbians attend. As executive director, Cathy
Siemens is the only paid staff. Most of the 24 board members are out, but that’s not a requirement
as one board member tells Just Out in 1987, “Today, you don’t have to jump out there in your
lavender suit.” Through the years LCP offers a variety of services to the lesbian community includ­
ing New Year’s Eve dances as well as seminars on homophobia, self-defense, American Sign Lan­
guage and Spanish. LCP remains active today.
FLOREID WALKER
503.445.9390
3529 N.E. Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
It’s a you parade.
Heirgg-M eier
ChriS “
Z,*'""" D r i v e l e d . ®
A man in Roseburg writes
to Just Out describing his iso­
lation: “Except for a short
conversation with a man from
the Cascade A ID S Project, I have not spoken to another
person with AIDS. I feel like I am on an island here in
Roseburg. I just wish I had someone to write to, or better
yet, to talk to, who really understands what is happening
to me. N o matter what medical terms you use, you can’t
know what this disease is like until you experience it. So,
if anyone with A ID S will drop me a line, I’ll do my best
to answer and say, ‘Hi.’’’
1987
Because most educational material about AIDS is geared
toward white gay men, Amani Jabari and Elizabeth Walker forni People of
Color United Against AIL')S. One year later, the
name changes to Oregon Minority AIDS Coali­
The Portland City Council approves
tion. Jabari and Walker form the grixip to bring
an ordinance that pulls together existing
information about AIDS to the a>mmunities of
city personnel policies, including a 1974
color. The challenge, notes Walker, is that people
resolution that bans jobs discrimination
of color are at the information level that white gay
on the basis of sexual orientation.
men were eight years ago. Ginsequently, they
can’t just take educational information geared to
The Oregon Legislature, however, does
white gay men and put a different color face on it.
not pass a bill that would add sexual ori­
In March, the federal government approves an
antiviral drug Azidothymidine— better known as
AZT—for treatment of AIDS. AZT changes the
face of AIDS as people begin to live longer with
the disease. There’s a catch, though. The dmg is
very expeasive and practically out of reach for
people without insurance. Some who participated
in the trial stages of the drug worry they won’t be
able to afford to continue using AZT. Within the
next nine years, an assortment of antiviral drugs
would go into the “cocktail" of AIDS medicine
including ddl, d4T, ddC and 3TC.
entation to existing anti-discrimination
laws. Legislators have been rejecting such
bills ever since the first one was intro­
duced in 1973. This inaction leads Gov.
Neil Goldschmidt to issue an executive
order that forbids discrimination against
homosexuals in hiring and firing of state
employees. The executive order sparks
the first of four statewide anti-gay ballot
measures sponsored by the Oregon Citi­
zens Alliance.
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