may 2 1 2004 • jU S t O Ut o
just rrn
■ 0 The IN publication
publicatioi for the OUT population
lime will tell
F ounded 1983 • J ay B rown
V ol. 21 N o . 14
The community must elect progressive candidates in the November general election
oral runoff race in the November general election. Mr. Potter, I acknowl
f I were a hit more of a Dickensian sort, 1 might start this column
edge and respect your tenure and experience, your leadership skills, your
with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I can’t
longtime support of gay rights and your dedication to all the citizens and
quite go that route, however, as I’m still struggling to find what is
the city of Portland. In the next few months I look forward to seeing more
that would constitute “the best of times.”
of your humor, your wit and the energetic vitality and vision that will be
The May 17 issue of Time magazine manages to spin both the
needed in the next mayor of Portland. We look forward to your presence
best and worst of the week. A cover that resounds with a sordid image
in the Pride parade next month. Dazzle us! '
from Abu Ghraib is accompanied by a story that tells the story of cul
Good news and not-so-good news for our friends on the Multnomah
tural differences and how our military uses institutionalized homophobia
County
Board of Commissioners. The good news is that Maria Rojo de
as a tool of torture. This is a story that’s only beginning to be told.
Steffey soared to victory and can now concentrate on solving the bud
Images of prisoner abuse are being viewed worldwide, while at home our
get problems at the county. Meanwhile, Lisa Naito was forced into a
nation perches precariously on the edge of a morality-based civil war
runoff and will need our combined dollars and votes to guarantee her
with a fundamentalist Christian commander in chief standing poised
the re-election that she deserves in November.
with his finger above the red button of self-righteousness destruction.
Favorite son Sam Adams probably won’t be taking any long vacations
Turning to the good news section of this issue of Time, readers will
this summer, either. His goals for the summer are to raise money, broaden
find a lengthy article on how our Multnomah County commissioners
his voter base and gamer the support needed to cat
worked behind the scenes to bring same-sex mar
apult
him to victory over rival Nick Fish in Novem
riage to Oregonians. This is one of only a few
must register and unite as
ber. 1 share Adams’ confidence that the anticipated
national stories highlighting the Multnomah
a single-minded voting bloc. higher number of voters in the general election will
County and Basic Rights Oregon process, and its
give him the winning boost that he needs.
appearance is timely and deserved. To me, never
You have two choices: You can
previously a student of conspiracy theories, I’ve
he real losers in any election are those who
begun to think that Massachusetts was selected,
be part o f the solution, or you
d
< on’t even bother to vote. By failing to partici
groomed and preordained, so to speak, to be the
can
be
part
o
f
the
problem.
pate,
you voluntarily give up one of your most cov
first state to offer fully legal and sanctioned same-
eted privileges— a privilege that people in other
sex marriages and that efforts elsewhere were des
countries often fight and die for. A privilege that more than 50 percent
tined for less-than-high regard. But before Oregon and Multnomah
of Oregon voters couldn’t bother to get off their fat couches and mail in
County are totally overshadowed by Massachusetts and dispatched to
their ballots for.
the portapotties of obscurity, one magazine does tell our story. It’s worth
For the November general election it is imperative that the “queer”
your time and effort to track down a copy.
community unite behind supportive and reliable candidates and that we
maximize the potential of our combined voting power. Together we can
ll same-sex marriages, all celebrations, all victories, all defeats had
bring victory to deserving candidates. To lead the process Just Out will
to take a step backward this month in saddened observation of the
tragic torture death of American Nick Berg. And in Portland the hor be actively promoting voter registration at our Waterfront Park booth
ror of this event was compounded further by the unimaginable stupid during Pride weekend. We’ll have registration cards, we’ll have pens,
we’ll have clipboards, and we’ll have people grabbing you by the collar
ity of the radio “personalities" who mocked and replayed the execution
as you walk by. Step one to victory: We must register and unite as a sin
on their pathetic radio shows. While I am keenly aware of the mighty
gle-minded voting bloc. You have two choices: You can be part of the
sanctity o f First Amendment rights, I nonetheless believe these cretins
solution, or you can be part of the problem.
should be rounded up and shipped off to Iraq to perform community
Now I am neither naive nor stupid. The notion of our community
service projects.
being single-minded on any matter borders on the absurd. But, absurd or
not, we’ve got to make this happen. We must elect progressive candi
n a calmer note now, there was indeed some good news to be found
dates. This is our moment, this is our time to make an impact. We’re far
this month. To my surprise and that of many others— most notably,
past the old Pride chant of “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.”
I suspect, City Commissioner Jim Francesconi— former Portland Police
From now on it’s “We’re here, we’re queer, we vote, WE W IN!” J H
Chief Tom Potter pulled a coup in the primary election, forcing a may-
We
T
A
O
and
R enée L a C hance
M ay 2 1 , 2 0 0 4
FEATURE
THERMGTHMG: As Massachusetts legalizes
same-sex marriage, Portland queer couples
grapple with saying “I do”
p 26
NEWS
NORTHWEST • Pride of the Rose Scholarship
celebrates 25th anniversary; the story behind a
gay septuagenarian’s picture reveals a life filled
with love, loss and legacy; County Chair Diane
Linn apologizes, but not for same-sex marriage
pp 6 - T 7
NATIONAL • Massachusetts finally issues
marriage licenses to same-sex couples; Utah
high school punishes students for wearing
“Queers Kick Ash” T-shirts
pp T 8 - 2 T
WORLD • U.S. soldiers use same-sex acts to
humiliate Iraqi prisoners
pp 2 2 - 2 3
ARTS AND CULTURE
BOOKS • Portland’s hippest queer parent turns 10
pp 3 4 - 3 5
F I L M . A trio of filmmakers will put Portland
couples on the big screen; Showtime produces
trans documentaries
p 37
WHAT'S POPP IN 'T • But even fast food tastes
better than Troy
p 39
DIVERSIONS • A Weekend at Home away from
home; gay men and their plants; keeping on the
Down Low
4T
ART * Gay Portland photographer brings his
Moroccan journey home
p 43
p
COLUMNS
M S. BEHAVIOR • Friends don’t disinvite friends
from The L Word
p 33
EPIQOEEREAN • Let’s do lunch, redux
p 40
OUT WITH ITI • Not so extreme makeovers
p
• It’s been nearly two months since Sven
Gomez was found dead in his Northwest
Portland apartment, in what police have
described a s« “ highly suspicious death."
In June 1997, the Colombian shared his story in
Just Out. He described himself as one of the
many gay men and lesbians who come to the
United States seeking asylum for fear of
persecution in their homelands due to sexual
orientation.
QUEERS
«>
T r *
Qrevp" T™“ .
can ofjn-
rich
Sidwell have opened 3 Friends Coffeehouse.
Located at 201 S.E. 12th Ave. in Portland, this
newest addition to the caffeine scene is meant to
function as a social hangout for men who are
seeking an alternative to the bars.
• An estimated 800 people, including a handful of
Oregonians, recently gathered in Washington,
D.C., for the Lesbian Rights Summit sponsored
by the National Organization for Women.
,.• * ,0 uivWä»***
* Deke Law, the Lesbian Community Project’s
politically passionate staff organizer, readily
acknowledges that not all members are happy
about the wider focus of the rebuilt group, as
evidenced by spirited debate at its last annual
meeting, when some expressed grave
concern that the lesbian in Lesbian
Community Project was being shunted to the
side.
• Ron Carter, Randy Rapaport and Dean
I • Marty Davis
• Jim Radosta
ARTS AM M J I K B U M • Lisa Bradshaw
1 Meg Daly
1 Marc Acito, Kathy Beige, Meryl
Cohn, Gina Daggett, Els Debbaut, Kobe Kemple,
Timothy Krause, Andy Mangels, Christopher
McQuain, Gary Morris, J.B. Rabin, Bob Roehr,
Tom Stevenson, Glenn Scofield Williams, Rex
Wockner, Pat Young
I • Larry Lewis
! • Kari Tate,
• Members of the Portland Bisexual Alliance, the
Bisexual Community Forum and Portland Bisexual
Women discuss how to make Pride ’99'bi
positive May 28 with representatives from Pride
Northwest.
• Judy Brodkey leads a workshop for men and
women titled “ Understanding the Importance of
Men s Liberation" June 8. Learn about society’s
narrow definitions o f masculinity and how to
become an ally for the boys and men in your life.
Ashley Austin
GRAPHIC IMKTN • Kevin Moore
PMBKT1M ASSISTANT • Zanne dejanvier
RISTMVniN • Kristine Ashton, Allison Benn,
Ashley Conley, Darren Linder, Kelly Moe
4T
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARC • Love and
marriage
p 45
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