by
M a r t y D a v is
The IN publication for the OUT population
Winter storm warning
i
I V ol. 21 N o . 6
reetings and a belated happy new year to you all. Thanks
wording. He says it would have-been more appropriate for us to have
are definitely in order to Roey Thorpe, executive director
stated that CAP is calling on clubs and patrons to self-regulate. I myself
feel that in view of the increase in traceable sexually transmitted diseases
of Basic Rights Oregon, who capably stepped in and filled
this space for me in the Jan. 9 issue. Her remarks were
and the undeniable conclusion that this increase is the result of unsafe
right on target as she wrote about the challenges ahead of
sexual practices and that these same practices lead to the spread of HIV,
us for 2004. I especially concur with her admonition to pay heed to the
it is more than reasonable to call for accountability. Accountability and
force of a right-wing backlash— a backlash that could hit us with all the
regulation, it must be noted, are not the same thing.
force and fury of a certain recent and infamous Winter Blast storm.
If you don’t see, or won’t see, unsafe sex as an issue of morality, or as
an issue of conscience, or simply good plain sense, how about taking the
The current presidential administration will use the alluded-to
taunt o f an “anti-gay marriage” amendment as a divisive tool to deflect
cold, harsh stance that it’s also a matter of money and funding and tax
focus from its other failed policies and efforts. T he gay marriage issue
priority? Taxpayers in Oregon and Multnomah County are being asked
has all the potential needed to fire up emotions and
to take on more and more funding burdens. A portion
release a storm of anger, hurt and misunderstanding.
of these moneys go to treatment, education and preven
As a united force
Gay marriage will become the weapon of mass destruc
tion of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. If
we have voting power one chooses to practice unsafe sex, is there not risk of
tion that the Bush administration has been seeking
these past many months. The target of this weapon:
disease and illness? Can this point be argued? With dis
and, equally importantly, ease and illness often comes financial hardship. With
the tired, broke, worried, reactionary voter.
One of the first things that we as a community need
we have the individual financial hardship comes a need for public services.
to do is to stay educated and informed. We must prepare
Public services are funded by taxpayers. And for this
and
combined
abilities
offensive strategies rather than be forced, under attack,
reason we, the taxpayers, have a right to ask for certain
to take the defensive. As a united force we have voting
to impact other voters, behavioral accountability.
power and, equally importantly, we have the individual
As this issue is being read, voters are sitting down to
and combined abilities to impact other voters, people
people whom we come cast their votes on a statewide funding measure. There
whom we come into contact with each and every day of
is undeniable concern about the passage of Ballot Mea
into contact with
our lives. We have the power to influence voters.
sure 30. Should it fail, there likely will be additional
In the next issue of Just Out we’re going to provide
cuts in health care funding. Somewhere, someone is
each and every day
you with some history and research on just what it takes
going to lose funding for medication, funding for home
o
f
our
lives
to amend the U.S. Constitution. It is not an easy proc
heath care, funding for the services that provide needed
ess, and were it to actually start it would become a battle
quality of life for those suffering from illness and disease.
waged for years— in state after state after state. Do you know how many
Isn’t the risk of one day finding yourself in this position cause for con
states it takes to ratify an amendment to the Constitution? Do you know
sideration of accountability? The decision is yours to make. Not C A P’s,
the framework of the process? We will demystify it for you. Before the
not Multnomah County. Its yours. May you make it well.
battle, before victory, comes knowledge.
inally, in closing, I draw your attention to the ever-so-slightly
nother storm of another nature blew in as the result of a headline
redesigned look of this page. “Page 3,” a commentary, defined by
in the last issue of Just Out. In reference to the alarming increase in
W ebster’s New World College Dictionary as “a series o f remarks or
the spread of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, our head
observations, usually connected in a loose narrative.” And this is
line stated that Cascade AIDS Project was calling on Multnomah Coun
what this column, now called “Page 3 ,” is: my remarks, my thoughts,
ty to regulate activities in mens sex clubs. In a letter on Page 4 of this
my observations— all subject, of course, to your scrutiny and
issue, executive director Thomas Bruner denies that his organization has
approval, or not. So now it’s your turn; talk back at
gone so far as to call for regulation and chides Just Out for overzealous
marty@justout.com. jH
F
mmm
■**
♦ *
5 years ago m
....
* * *
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■i
W ith the future of Phoenix Rising
Foundation up in the air, there also are
questions about the fate of the Sexual
Minority Youth Recreation Center, among
many other services.
gay nonincumbent ever to serve in the U.S.
Congress.
• President Clinton’s State of the Union
address seemed to have something for
everyone— including a bone for gay men and
lesbians. "Discrimination or violence because
of race or religion, ancestry or gender,
disability or sexual orientation is wrong and it
ought to be illegal," said the chief executive
during his Jan. 19 address. “Therefore I ask
Congress to make the Employment
Nondiscrimination Act and the Hate Cnmes
Prevention Act the law of the land."
• Mourners grieve for a pioneering Eugene
lesbian activist, community leader,
bookseller and friend. Izzie Harbaugh is a
woman whose presence here is sorely
missed. The 71-year-old's unexpected
death has saddened many and left a huge
void in the Eugene community.
• This month marks the first anniversary of
the “new” It's M y Pleasure and the
Sacred Grounds coffeehouse in Portland.
It was one year ago that It's My Pleasure
owner Holly Mulcahey made the bold
move away from bustling Southeast
Hawthorne Boulevard to the shop's
current locale at the intersection of
Northeast 64th Avenue and Sandy
Boulevard.
• Tammy Baldwin made history when
she was sworn into Congress on
Jan. 6 as the representative from
Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional
District. An out lesbian, she is the first openly
PUBLISHER AND MANAGING BUTOR • Marty Davis
NEWS EDITOR • Jim Radosta
ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR • Lisa Bradshaw
FEATURES EDITOR • Meg Daly
Kudej, Christopher McQuain, Gary Morris, Bob
Roehr, Royd Sklaver, Tom Stevenson, Rex
Wcxkner
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR • Larry Lewis
CONTRIBUTORS • Marc Acito, Michael Burdick, Bart
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE • Pam Colton
Church, Meryl Cohn, Timothy Krause, Karen
ADVBTTISING ASSOCIATE • Erin Scxton-Sayler
a nd
R enée L a C hance
Jan u ary 2 3 , 2 0 0 4
FEATURE
The forecast calls for a right-wing backlash— with a slight chance of pain
A
F ounded 1983 • J ay B rown
• Motheriode plays tunes from its fifth album,
Circle on the Sand. Jan. 23. The title song of this
new CD celebrates the lives of women turning 50.
• In earty January, the Georgia Commission on
the Holocaust called for the deletion of two
paragraphs that discuss the treatment of gay
people in Nazi concentration camps from
guides mailed to middle and high school
teachers.
• The Human Rights Campaign plays host to a
fund-raising gala Feb. 13 with U.S. Rep. Dick
Gephardt, U.S. Sen. Ron W yden, politico
David Mixner and queer comic Bob Smith.
GRAPHIC DIRECTOR • Kevin Moore
PROOHCTIRN ASSISTANT • Zanne dejanvier
DISTRIBUTION • Kristine Ashton, Allison Benn,
Ed Carder, Ashley Conley, Darren Linder,
S & E Distributors
PMI HOC Innovative program helps queers find
the write stuff
P 24
NEWS
NH0RNEST • Clackamas County mothers form
PFLAG chapter; queer men can take action to
I stop alarming new epidemics of STDs;
I workshop teaches queers how to discuss same-
sex marriage with opponents
PP 9 - 1 7
NATIONAL . Marriage update; New Jersey
domestic partner bill signed into law
PP 1 9 - 2 1
WRRLI • Australian state offers spousal rights to
same-sex couples
pp 2 2 - 2 3
ARTS AND CU LT U R E
FILM • Yossi & dagger exposes hot love in a cold
world of war
p 35
WHAT'S POPPIN ? • Pieces o f A pril disappoints
[ P 37
BOONS • Augusten Burroughs releases second
memoir
p 39
I CBLTMRE • Equinox keeps the “neighbor” in
neighborhood gourmet
»41
DIVERSIONS • Escape to Portland's new queer
club; Altitude 12 mourns organizer’s death;
Michael Mendelson comes home; national adult
expo sticks its toe in queer waters
P 43
TH E A TB • Edward Albee sends up the American
family again in The Goat
P 44
| COLUMNS
MS. BEHAVIOR • Tops, bottoms and formers
p 33
EPIQOf FREAN • A day in the life of an Epiqueerean
p 36
OVT WITH IT! • The Goodfellas of No Fish!
Go Fish!
P 43
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARC . Acting your
age
P 45
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