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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2004)
4 J U S t O U t • auflusl 6.2004 3 m * o u t impose its values— regardless of its tradition— on a minority without creating oppression. T hat in a republic, “we the people” are the TO THE El'HTOR: ith Republicans and Democrats almost i source of the legal system, and that “we" are part of the “we the people." equally opposed to gay marriages, and Marriage, the basic cell of the society, with the once liberal media’s exclusive coverage" belongs to all society's members. Extending it to of the right wing’s religious perspective, we have all citizens does not constitute an attack on it. If been left alone in the struggle lor total equality. the religious rexits of the civil union also called This battle is now entirely up to us. marriage stands in the way of full equality, a G ay Democrats have accepted the agenda compromise could be reached by reserving the compromise of civil unions. T his compromise would’ve been comparable to African A m eri name “marriage” for religious rituals only and “civil union" for civil rituals only. cans back in the ’50s accepting being allowed Names are ultimately irrelevant and arbi to sit in the middle of the bus but not in the trary. Reality is what matters, and the reality iront. This middle ground option reflects Kith offered to us must be identical to the one the hypocrisy ot the majority that offers the enjoyed by straight citizens. Call it marriage, deal and the lack of determination of the civil union, domestic partnership or “gayrriage,” I minority. 1 don’t care. I just don’t want to be forced to sit We can only win the battle lor equal rights in the middle of the bus. with knowledge, strong political will and determination. T he outpouring ot civic senti ments during the Democratic N ational C o n F r a n k O ’N eill vention was consistent with the party’s com Portland mitment to equal rights since the ’50s. The Dem ocratic Party cast most of its votes j W hy not am en d against the right wing’s efforts to send us back th e C o n stitu tio n ? to the closet. Still, the fact is that many To the E ditor : Democrats in both houses of Congress crossed arriage shall henceforth he considered a party lines to vote against us, with some even religious institution between one man co-sponsoring the bills. We need everybody’s involvement in order and one woman, with no legal rights or remedies to attract moderate votes to achieve the high thereof.” er good of unseating President Bush, and for A little radical, admittedly. But why wouldn’t it work? It’s got the same basic concept built into this goal the more progressive platforms need it as the Federal Marriage Amendment, which to K* toned down. This is a necessary com m it ment. However, it has to be made clear to the ; requires marriage to lx* forever defined “between one man and one woman.” But it’s also got one Democratic Party that this compromise is a tor those us of who believe in the separation of temporary agreement and not a capitulation of church and state: It requires that we remove principles. We have to firmly declare that the “sepa all legal rights, responsibilities and protections conveyed through “marriage” as it is tixlay rate but equal” compromise principle is as administered. unacceptable now as it was 50 years ago. T hat Would it pass.7 Highly unlikely. But it would we are not asking for tolerance but demanding do something those of us w'ho’vc been quietly equality. That until we are granted all rights and protected from all forms of discrim ina advocating a new’ approach feel is essential. It would force the extreme right-wing ideologues tion, our Constitution’s letter and spirit will continue to be violated by the civil and polit pushing this issue to admit their true rationale. It would force them to openly state that what ical societies. That our claims are civil, and they really intended was to deny more than that they do not require a religious argument 1,020 rights and responsibilities to the minority in order to validate them. That in a dem ocra cy, a majority does not have the right to I in the name of their religion. They would have The m id d le off th e b u s THE ANDY v WARHOL COLLECTION HAS ARRIVED Big Brothers Big Sisters o f Metropolitan Portland Bring magic to the life of a child. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister today. i 503-249-4859 www.bbbsportland.org P e a rl Rung C o •T \ C Artwork for your Floors r" EQUITY t O U N D A t IQ N 4818 N. Interstate • 503-282-5102 inside the Portland Costless Carpet Complex M-F 9-6, Sat 10-4 and Sun 11-3 pearlruKCompany@aol.com A n y project. E v e ry budget. S e e h o w o u r e xp e rie n ce c a n m a k e y o u feel right at hom e. B arb G oodrich | General Contractor (5 0 3 )8 1 9 -8 0 0 0 1 www.goodrichrenovations.com OR C C B # 1 5 3 0 1 8 1 WA i ¡K _ f/C IL _ A 1 B L ie # G O O D R R L 9 8 3 R L S \ | Goodrich R e r x w a t í o n r , LLC Molalla residents Deborah Ann Whalen (left) and Debbie Spickerman were married March 12 at Holocene. Whalen, who hails from Long Island, N.Y., works for Safeway in the deli depart ment. Spickerman, who was bom and raised in Portland, works as a low-voltage techni cian and is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48. The couple, who met online, have been together since June 2001. They made a commitment to each other in October of that year. “ We never would have found each other without the Net,” the Couple told Just Out. “ No two people were more intended for each other.” It’s My Pleasure owner Holly Mulca- hey (right) and the Rev. Ann Duffy mar ried in a simple ceremony March 8 at the home of their pastor, the Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez of Ainsworth United Church of Christ, after 13 years. The couple met the second week Duffy was living in Oregon and serving United Church of Christ in Gresham. D id you know Just Out publishes free wedding announcem ents .7 Submit your story and photo at w w w .justout.com l
