Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2004)
jufcl&2QQ4 R357!:! o u t | U S ( f ^ ^ f ^ =r n 7 1 ^ OW ^au ^ a^out ^ens* J °^ n ^ erry an^ J°h n Edwards skipping the vote on the •* Federal M arriage Amendment? Were they running scared from an important civil rights issue, or were they playing it safe to ensure victory in November? I honestly believe that both Kerry and Edwards Amendment from the floor of the U .S. Senate support civil rights and the rights of all indi (despite his currently appearing in President viduals to marry, regardless o f what they say in i Bush s television ads). ' public. It is unfortunate that they skipped out on the vote, but frankly, if playing it safe wins the D.E. W agner White House, 1 am all for it. Santa Rosa, Calif. Our nation is too immature and socially backward to be ready for something like allow ing gay marriage on the federal level at this time. We need to get liberals in office, get more posi ’m not sure. But I hope it is noted by us all tive gay role models on television and slowly and they are contacted in note. Be active! change middle Am ericas perception of who a They know there is no choice: we have to vote gay person is. This will take time. for them if we are pro-gay. The question is where it goes from here. If Bush’s Christian-Republican Party “activist judges” can take away basic family rights from gay people, they could easily take away other rights from gay people, such as fair employment and housing. The only way to stop this is to beat Bush by voting for Kerry and Edwards. D evin R usso Portland D. T imothy B ealer Portland • • • • • • A ll of us who have worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. senators and U.S. House members know that a so-called “procedural” vote is a damn waste of valuable time. Better the “two Johns" were out working those awful Nader states so we gays and lesbians can achieve victory. A totally meaningless vote. A technical roll call to cut off debate in the manner of a fili buster and achieving the 66 votes of 100 sena tors. And a VERY transparent attempt— in the absence in 2004 of communism, allegiance pledge, flag salute/buming— at a new wedge issue. G O P Sen. John M cCain of Arizona termed it a very “un-Repuhlican” measure to amend the U .S. Constitution— and he sched uled time to speak against the Federal Marriage B itching about Kerry and Edwards’ irritating political gamesmanship will not help beat Bush. They would have lost a day on the cam paign trail and accomplished nothing by voting. Kerry and Edwards may never actively sup port gay marriage, but they will stop the appointment o f conservative judges who are imposing their so-called “Judeo-Christian val ues" on everybody without voter approval. For example, President Bush appointed Judge William Pryor, who recently upheld a Florida law that prevents gay people from adopting but allows child molesters to adopt children. He compared homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia before he was appointed. Serving Women's Hemp Needs & More Since 2002 T homas K raemer Corvallis I • • • Common law. The possibilities are endless. But let’s get this one over with first, and call a spade a spade. The right-wing conservatives preserve in law their definition of “marriage” as between one man and one woman. The left-wing liberals enshrine the separation of church and state. It’s a win-win, which leaves to the individual churches, synagogues, temples and mosques the right and responsibility to decide the issue of morality, based on their specific spiritual views. Maybe this is oversimplification. But the cur rent approach is clearly a losing battle for every one involved. It’s time to say so and move on. During this political convention season, if some one else has a better idea it’s high time for us to hear it. R obert A. B oleyn West Hollywood, Calif. Blowing my top To t h e E d ito r : 1 am amazed and disturbed by your article on role play [“The Joy of Switch Hitting," July li>]. After all these years of gay evolution, the author indicates that bottoms are equated some- iustrrrn ; - f i t i t * * • loc » i *p*t«too MASTER PEACE 4314 SE Hawthorne (503) 493-2366 I don’t think they were either running scared or playing it safe. From what I heard on The Randi Rhodes Shout, the Dems had a head count of how that vote was going to go and could tell that Kerry and Edwards were not needed, but they would have come hack to Washington had they been needed. Their campaign schedules made it hard for them to make a trip back to Washington at that moment. Kerry has an exceptional record on queer issues. Edwards is also a very worthy ally. Focus ing on how they missed this unneeded vote (which was a vote to end debate, not a vote on the amendment itself) could serve to weaken the queer community’s resolve to support this ticket. This would not be good, as this ticket’s victory would be the best thing that ever hap pened to our community, and the less we sup port them the more chance that the dangerous, evil incumbent will win. T om S oppe Portland r f T T T T l How do you feel about the July 28 Willamette Week cover story on Portland Fellowship? ^ r* 1 . L worthwhile information, or did it lend unearned credence to the “ ex-gay” movement? (Please see related item on Page 13.) Respond at www.justout.com. (Don’t forget to include your name, city and daytime telephone number.) no choice hut to say it openly, or to vote for the amendment. It’s a high-profile “outing" of the most appropriate kind— forcing bigots to admit to their bigotry, or work with their opponents to defeat it. Yes, their spinmasters have done a magnifi cent job of convincing God-fearing mom-and- pop types from the Midwest that “marriage" has always been a secular institution that shouldn’t he legislated or redefined by “radical judges” hell-bent on its destruction. But have you heard them once say they’d undo the legal rights and responsibilities they’ve obtained through past legislation of the issue? So , as a m atter o f com prom ise, why shouldn’t we concede what we’re told greater than 60 percent of Am ericans believe: M ar riage, in its traditional sense, is a religious institution that should not be modified by the government. Let’s give them that point, and move on to our strength. As a secular institution, "marriage” cannot he legislated due to the separation of church and state clause. Therefore, all rights that have been conferred to straight Americans by virtue of their “marriage” must he rescinded. We can debate the newest terminology for legal protections from now until the cows come home. Civil unions. Domestic partnerships. to Lick in g B u sh in 2 0 0 4 how with the feminine role. As a top of 30 years, I have to say that I have NEVER thought of bot toms as anything hut equals who are the other half of my equation. Can you believe that anyone other than straights and gays who have just come out would even go near this connotation? How degrading to gay men. Shame. D. T imothy B ealer Portland Alzheimer's isn’t funny To th e E d ito r : A lthough I usually get some gcxxl chuckles from reading “The Gospel According to Marc,” the column in your July 16 issue also upset me (“Botoxic Shock”]. It is fine to ridicule celebrities for their obses sive cosmetic surgeries, but it is not amusing to make light of a victim suffering the memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease— even if the object of derision is a person for whom I have no great respect, admiration or fondness. Funny? Definitely NOT. L yle M. T ucker Lake Oswego Now accepting opinions on all topics in "Letters to the Editor" at www.justout.com Serving Oregon's Gay; Lesbian B i & Trans Communities fo r 2 0 Years Relief & Recovery From Car Accident Injuries Chronic Pain Feci Better in an Hour! Gentle Chiropractic Care & Massage 3703 SE 39th Avenue Located at 39th & Powell Wt* Handle insurance Billing 5 0 3 659 -2 8 4 4 -
