Just out., May 21, 2004, Page 5, Image 5

may 21.2004 - ju s t out 5
RWl'lout
Now that Portland bars are offering a queer night
JiistPXT!< I'll'I alm
ost every day of the week, tell us which one is
your favorite. Why do you feel that w ay?
T
n cxirm rn ^lt
M akyanne “J ohnny M ozzarella ” C asserà
Portland
about the new parade route for
Portland Pride 2 0 0 4 ? Is it a necessary
change to improve traffic flow , or will
you feel ghettoized because we won't
be m arching through the middle of the
city? (Please see related item on Page
9 .) Respond at www.justout.com .
(D on't forget to include your nam e,
city and daytime telephone num ber.)
wanted to give recognition to Holocene as
my favorite club in Portland. My friends and
1 appreciate the idea that you can hang out at
Holocene and not go home smelling like an ash­
tray. Holocene is SM OKE FREE and is very sup­
portive to many queer events such as Tart, Diva
and DK PDX. Holocene also hosts Atlas featur­
ing DJs Anjali and the Incredible Kid. This
dynamic duo play the latest in fierce Bhangra
and Bollywood beats that have a substantial fol­
lowing in the queer community.
sexual” or "homoerotic” aspects of these photos
with disgust, as have many of our elected leaders.
They are avoiding or simply do not recognize
the true purpose of the treatment of prisoners in
this way. These photos are pornographic. They
are sexually humiliating and degrading.
In fumbling around trying to elucidate the
“reason” that prisoners have been treated this way
(we don’t treat men this way, do we?) our news­
casters and leaders have labeled the abuse “homo­
sexual.” It is not. It is sexual humiliation. Period.
F lora M. R amey
Portland
Terms off endearment
To the E ditor :
I
feel praise is in order for the Eric Plenums
article “Transitional Terms: What the T Has
to Do with G LB” [May 7]. There is much cul­
tural capacity building that needs be done
around trans/gender issues, and your article is a
positive contribution to this effort. As a member
of Basic Rights Oregon’s Trans Advocacy
Group, and a trans activist in general, I greatly
appreciate the respect given to our group and
the sensitivity with which individuals’ concepts
and identities were treated.
Much of the work that needs to be done is
within our own queer communities, and Eric’s
article helps introduce some of the issues at
hand. In addition to a lack of sensitivity within
many queer social circles, there is a great deal of
resistance from certain organizations (like, sadly,
the Human Rights Campaign, which doesn’t yet
see us as human beings deserving of rights), and
I feel education and visibility are key in effecting
change and building alliances.
As trans people, we share much of the same
history, stigma, pride and struggle as gays, lesbian,
bisexuals and others (and, of course, many trans
folk are queer-identified). In addition to the suf­
fering caused by heterosexism and violence moti­
vated by the perception of “nontraditional” gen­
der expressions, one major commonality has been
the impact of the AIDS pandemic. The trans/gen­
der communities are one of the most underserved
in the areas of HIV/STI education and prevention
and can face many unique health issues (lack of
knowledge about the dangers of sharing hormone
needles, higher risk of HIV/STI contraction from
continual tucking, identity and acceptance issues
that lead to high-risk sexual behavior, a lack of
trans-sensitive/“T-ffiendly” primary care).
This is one reason why it is also important for
me to let you and your readers know that Out­
side In has just opened a Trans Resource Centre
at 1030 S.W. 13th Ave. Outside In hired me,
with an impressive team of staff and community
support, to develop this center as a resource for
addressing some of the unique health and social
issues that trans people face.
The center houses the ID Project (which facil­
itates name change and sex designation on state
identifications), free needle exchange for trans
folk using injection hormones, Internet resources,
peer support and referrals to competent therapists
and endocrinologists. Walk-in hours are 11 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. (See com­
munity listings in Just Out for more details.)
I anticipate that Plemons’ article will set a
precedent for more coverage of the trans/gender
movement and increase the active role the
media can serve for education, visibility and
community exchange.
Thank you for printing this important article
and for serving as an ally to the trans/gender
communities. I look forward to our future.
WHETHER YOU'RE STARTING A FAMILY
OR CREATING ONE AS YOU GO.
L lewyn M aire M c C obb
Outside In
Yukpa Sophie
Mae Wright was
bom to parents
Amanda Wright
and Becky
Yamall-Wright at
5:53 a.m.
April lri. She
weighed
8 pounds,
7.2 ounces and
was 2 1 inches
long. I he couple
would like to
thank their fami­
ly, friends and
midwives Laura,
Kelli and Sarah
for all of their
love and support.
B
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ft
4 v
M A \
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