fehmary 6.2004 ? j u s t
ju s t rm
am 3
d N The IN publication for the OUT population
Making amends
F ounder 1983 • J ay B rown and R enée L a C hance
V ol. 21 N o . 7
What does it take to alter the U.S. Constitution?
news and had news come our way. In the had news
category, it’s time to consider the harsh fact that even in
"T r the world of seeming acceptance for Queer Eye for the
Straight Guy and the tediously had The L Word, the gay
' - v
and lesbian community is not yet poised for our Sally
field moment. Guess what? They don’t all like us. They really don’t.
First, let’s acknowledge and celebrate, albeit briefly, the recent and
potentially powerful victory. On Feb. 4 the Massachusetts Supreme Judi
cial Court clarified its ruling late last year that denying marriage licenses
to same-sex couples violates the Massachusetts Constitution’s guarantee
that all citizens he treated equally under the law. “The history of our
nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal,” wrote the
four justices who ruled in the advisory opinion. The niling also said that a
hill allowing civil unions instead of civil marriage would create an
“unconstitutional, inferior and discriminatory status for same-sex couples.”
Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, states that the
timetable is such that on May 17— the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board
of Education—civil marriage licenses should he issued (without discrimina
tion) to same-sex couples willing to take on the commitment and follow the
rules and responsibilities of marriage. Freedom to Many is the gay and non
gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. The text of
the court ruling is on the Internet site www.freedomtomarry.org, which also
includes resources pertaining to the national marriage equality debate.
( x k !
elehration must he tempered with the knowledge that the above-
^ mentioned “victory" serves also as a rallying cry for those opposed to
gay marriage. Even as Freedom to Marry makes its plans, President Bush
issued a statement calling the Massachusetts ruling “deeply troubling” and
reiterated his stance that the constitutional amendment process might he
necessary to defend the sanctify of marriage.
News of the Massachusetts victory might have gay Floridians pack
ing their bags and heading north, especially in the wake of a stunningly
harsh ruling set down last month. On Jan. 28 the 11th Circuit U.S.
Court of Appeals affirmed the state’s ban on gay and lesbian adoption in
the Lofton vs. Kearney case. Florida has the most restrictive law in the
country, one that provides a blanket prohibition on gay and lesbian
individuals from adopting. As summed up by Roey Thorpe, executive
director of Basic Rights Oregon: “This decision is an outrage. It is an
insult to two of the finest parents I have ever met and to gay and les
bian parents across this country. It ignores the needs of thousands of
children who desperately need and deserve loving families.” Further
details of this ruling and the impact on Portlanders Steve Lofton and
Roger Croteau can be found on Page 15 of this issue.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated that he was “pleased” by the ruling.
It validates Florida’s contention “that it is in the best interest of adoptive
children, many of whom come from troubled and unstable backgrounds,
Febru ary 6 , 2 0 0 4
FEATURE
to be placed in a home anchored both by a father and a mother.”
As if the Florida decision weren’t enough, we now also have a ruling
in the case of Limon vs. Kansas. The Kansas Court of Appeals decision
upholding differential penalties for gay and lesbian citizens is another
blow to the attainment of civil rights for all citizens. The American
Civil Liberties Union sought a finding of unconstitutional because cur
rent law gives gay teen-agers much higher prison sentences than hetero
sexual teen-agers who engage in identical consensual sexual activities.
This appeal was overruled.
Matthew Limon was appealing a 17-year prison sentence he received
for performing consensual oral sex with a nearly 15-year-old male.
Limon, who had turned 18 only a week before the incident, would have
been sentenced to a maximum of 15 months if he and his partner had
been members of the opposite sex, because the state’s “Romeo and Juli
et” law applies only to heterosexuals.
And this brings us to Republican Senate Leader Bill Frist of Ten
nessee, who, in reference to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,
remarked, “The issue before us today is that activist judges in Mas
sachusetts are intent on destroying the traditional definition of family.”
He went on to state that he is in support of amending the U.S. Consti
tution to prevent gay families from being labeled as actual families.
O o, what does it take to amend the U.S. Constitution?
O
There are essentially two ways spelled out in the Constitution for
how it can be amended. Only the first procedure, as described below, has
ever been used.
This method is for a bill to pass both halves of the legislature, by a
two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it
goes on to the states. And then comes the hard part. The costly part.
The painful part. The amendment must be approved by three-fourths of
the 50 states, 38 to be specific. Congress has the power to set a time
limit for the process, normally seven years. Seven years in which to tie
up the energies, the emotions, the moneys of a nation. Seven years of
battling. Seven years of unfettered hatred.
One of the last amendments brought to the nation was the Equal
Right Amendment. This was a simple and basic wording that stated,
“Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or any state on account of sex.”
First written in 1921 by suffragist Alice Paul, the ERA was intro
duced in Congress every session from 1923 to 1972. It passed Congress
in the above form in 1972 but was not ratified by the necessary 38 states
by the July 1982 deadline.
Oregon was one of the 35 states that ratified the ERA. Nearly 25
years later, how do you think the majority of Oregon citizens would
vote on a federal amendment designed to recognize marriage as a union
between man and woman only? JH
REFLECTIONS
TO OUR READERS, FROM JUST Otft Valentine’s Day
words of wisdom from Sandra Bernhard and
Dan Savage
p
24
NEWS
NORTHWEST. The Rev. Fred Phelps cancels
picket, but here comes former Alabama Chief
Justice Roy Moore; queer community center
launches second phase o f feasibility study;
Portland gay couple lose challenge to Florida
adoption ban; trans woman files $1 million
lawsuit against Gresham athletic club
pp 7-17
NATIO NAL • Ohio Legislature votes to ban
marriage and marriage-related protections for
same-sex couples
pp 10-21
WORLD • Gay orgy” raided in Taiwan
pp 22-23
ARTS AND C U LTU R E
THEATER • Tim Miller wants to know what the
hell is wrong with us; Sapphic delights of the
Asian art world in 36 Views
pp 34-35
ROOKS • Settle down for a long winter’s lesbian
mystery
P 37
DIVERSIONS • Portland International Film
Festival; Salt Lake City censors queer Mormon
movie; gay in Oklahoma!
p 30
FILM • Travel the world at University of Oregon
Queer Film Festival
41
WHAT'S PIPPIN'T • Touch that void at C2I
p 43
p
COLUMNS
MS. BEOAVIOI • Chafed chubby chasers
p 33
EPIQKEREAN • Gastronomica Africana
p 38
N T WHO IT! • Top Ten Valentine List
p39
TIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARC • Smart
people spotted in L.A.
• For the first time in eight years, the Imperial
Sovereign Rose Court gave the group's award for
community service to an organization not in the court
system, the Right to Privacy PAC. Emperor X Gary
Benoit presented the award to Keeston Lowery, trea
surer of the organization.
• Darcelle XV and Sandy are inviting all past Foxy
Lady Pageant contestants to a 10th anniversary
reunion Feb 5.
• It happened at 8 a.m. Jan. 6: Dan White, con
victed assassin of San Francisco Mayor George
Moscone and gay Supervisor Harvey Milk,
became a free man. W hite was released from
prison after serving just over five years of his vol
untary manslaughter sentence. All political and
judicial efforts to prevent his release had failed.
• A foundation has been formed to cure the
dangerous disease of homophobia It was
named after comedian Eddie Murphy, who has
justified jokes about contracting AIDS from girl
I ANO M ANAGING EDITOR • Marty Davis
I • Jim Radosta
ARTS ANO C0LTURE EDITOR • Lisa Bradshaw
! EDITOR • Meg Daly
I • Marc Acito, Michael E Barrett,
friends who ‘ hang out with gay people.' The six-minute ver
bal attack was part of a Columbia record album and an HBO
television program.
• Tee Corinne will present Lesbian Sexual Imagery in the
Fine Arts Slide Show on Jan. 21 at Metropolitan Community
Church of Portland. Included in the program is ‘ A Sappho
centric Love Story," a warm and gentle animation of lesbian
lovemaking. This is a woman-only event.
• A Woman’s Place Bookstore celebrates its 11th anniver
sary with a benefit Sock Hop featuring the infamous 50s
rock 'n' roll band The Dyketones on Feb. 4 at Echo Theatre.
• Portland Community Bowling Association started its sixth
year Jan. 8, not only as a nonprofit organization but with the
prestige of being the largest bowling league in the state.
Portland City Commissioner Margaret Strachan was on hand
to throw out the first ball of the season.
• $76,500 Eastmoreland Heights: Terrific neighborhood, great
two-level home perfect for roommates or kids. Private yard,
two fireplaces, family room, huge master. Bridgetown Realty.
Meryl G>hn, Karen Kudej, Christopher McQuain,
Todd Simmons, Rex Wockner
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
• Larry Lewis
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE
• Pam Colton
• Erin Sexton-Sayler
GRAPHIC DIRECTOR
• Kevin Moore
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
• Zanne dejanvier
• Kristine Ashton, Allison Benn,
Ed Carder, Ashley Conley, Darren Linder,
S & E Distributors
DISTRIBUTION
P 45
J w t M il li published on the first and third Fri
d ay of each month. Copyright © 2004 hy Just Out. N o part
of Just Out may he repnxluced without written permission from
the publisher.
The m bm lM lon o f w ritten and graphic m ateri
als Is welcom ed. Written material should be typed ansi dou
ble-spaced. Just Out reserves the right to edit for grammar, punc
tuation, style, liability concerns and length. We will reject or edit
art Kies or advertisements that are offensive, demeaning or may
result in legal action.
Letter* to the editor should be limited to 500 words. A n
nouncements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions,
etc.) should be limited to 200 words, photos are welcome Dead
line for subm issions to the editonal department and for the
Calendar IS the Thursday 1 5 days before the next publication
date. Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features
are not necessanly those of the publisher.
The d isp lay advertisin g deadline is the Monday 12
days before the next publication date.
Classified ad* must be received at the Just Our office by 4 p.m.
<»i the Thiirxlay eight days before the next public.it ion date, a ling
with payment. Ads may be plarrd via the Internet with Visa <»
MasterCard payment, by mail with a check, iv in persrn at our office.
Ad policy: lust ( Xtl reserves the nght to reject or edit any
advertisement ( aim pensatun for errors in, or cancellarxn of,
advertising will be made with credit toward hitare advertising
Advertising rates are available upon request.
Distribution policy: lust (Xu is available free of charge, one
copy per persin. Just ()ui is delivered <mly to authonzed distribu
tors N o persin may, without prior written permissun from Just
Out. take more than one ciqty Any persin who takes more than
one ciyy may be held liable for theft, including but not limited to
civil damages and/or criminal prosecution.
Subscriptions are $22.50 for 12 issues. Fust Class (in an
envelope) is $40 for 12 issues.
C on tact Just Out at P.O. Box 14400, Portland, O R
97293-0400. 503-236-1252, advertising 503-236-1253. fax
503-236-1257; e-mail |ustout4tjusti«it com. Visit our Internet site
at www justout.com.