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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2005)
I □ A by just rm ai M arty D avis newsmagazine the in publication for the out population Founded 1983 • Jay Brown and Renee LaChance A frighteningly good time Vol. 22 No. 24 “Spooktacular” signals that Portland is ready and waiting for a community center hile there are definite advantages to being a cynic, it can also really bite you in the butt sometimes. W Such was proven true Oct. 16 when I begrudging ly pulled myself out of a bedridden avian flu stupor (I’m a cynic and a hypochondriac) just so 1 could say I showed up for the first-ever Q Center community event. Muttering pos itive statements to myself such as, “How come I have to go—no one’s gonna come to this stupid thing,” I scrounged up recently slept-in cloth ing and, accompanied by bed-head hair highly suited for an event called “Spooktacular,” I set off for what I assumed would be a 15-minute jaunt to and from an empty warehouse. Boy, was I wrong. Imagine my surprise and delight when I arrived in my disheveled state to find throngs of people happily enjoying a day of spooktacular fun and festivity. 1 have never seen so many lesbian moms and gay dads in one place before. There were gobs of happy children with chocolate-pudding-smeared faces adorned as pumpkins and dragons and assorted magical characters. Sneakin’ Out played its joyous brand of music at a delightful sound level that didn’t shake the walls and jar the nerves. Little children wobbled on top-heavy bodies as they danced with the enviable freedom that so many of us seem to lose far too early in life. Poison Waters served well as a self-censoring hostess, and a slew of “celebrity judges” awarded prizes for artful pumpkin carvings and paintings. This was truly a “community” event with the families in attendance joined by members of the Portland Area Business Association, Love Makes a Family, Pride Northwest and the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court. Side by side were elders from Senior Housing and Retirement Enterprises and toddlers downing gcxiey gummy worms. Representing City Hall were three generations of Potters: Mayor Tom, daughter Katie and granddaughter Madi Potter-Moen. (McKenzie, it seems, had a pre vious commitment elsewhere.) Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey was seen enjoying the energy and excitement, and James Rae of KGW-TV was taking it all in, too. Susan Remitters and the Q Center board get high marks for organiz ing this event and covering so many details with skill and expertise. They invited Hewlett-Packard to take free digital photos as souvenirs, and the edible treats were definitely geared toward the little ones. No sushi, yeah! Apple slices and ch<x:olate cookies were rhe ftxxl of the day. What did the attendance at this event signal? That Portland is ready and waiting for a community center and many, many more family events like this one. Families have been, for far too long, an under served segment of the region’s gay, lesbian, bi and trans community. Parents need a place to come together and meet other families. They’re about to get what they need. I will admit that, prior to this event, my enthusiasm for a community center had not yet taken off; 1 simply wasn’t getting a clear vision of who the users would be. My perception had stalled on a self-limiting view directed toward youth center functions. My thoughts were that this segment was already as well-served as it probably ever could be. 1 was locked into the notion that a community center might simply duplicate the efforts of the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center. Now 1 have a better understanding of how programs of music, arts, sports and innumerable activities geared toward the entire community will be the basis of our new Q Center. I’m on board now. But remember, we are still dollars and volunteer hours away from completion. For more information please e-mail info@pdxqcenter.org. And if you need clarification of the function and purpose of the center, please plan on attending an event soon. • The Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum appointed Keith Boykin as its first executive director in September. Boykin, a former special assistant to President Clinton, takes the reins of the forum as it works to establish itself as a national organization, according to a story in The Washington Blade. • The National Freedom to.Marry Coalition kicked off its activities with a press telecon ference Oct. 2. Its aim is "to win and keep the freedom to marry for same-sex couples." • "Black by Birth, Gay by God, Proud by Choice," read placards carried by a group of a hundred gay men Oct. 16 during the FEATURE 24 WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! 2 Gyrlz has the last word with fourth and final festival of freaks NEWS 8-18 NORTHWEST October is Clay History Month; homeless queers; Virginia Wcxif Dog Daycare is country’s first as job training for homeless youth 19-21 NATIONAL Million More March unfriendly to gays; Amnesty International: U.S. police fail to protect queers 22-23 WORLD Uganda bans same-sex marriage; Ontario woos U.S. gay doctors; data surface from 1949 British sex survey; Lithuanian anti-gays protest non existent Pride march ARTS AND CULTURE 35 CULTURE Just Out presents your guide to queer Halloween fun ey, guess what? You can now check out www.justout.com for a 37, 39 FILM sneak preview of our new site. The official unveiling won’t be until next month, but, just like car manufacturers and pharmaceutical Queers may have qualms with Capote 40-41 THEATER companies, we need to run our final quality check tests on you, the Broadway season goes up in cost, down in actual consumer. So, if you click on “letters to the editor” and your quality garage door opens, be patient. We anticipate a bit of troubleshooting during the next couple of weeks. We’ll have different rollouts of Phase 1 42-43 DIVERSIONS and Phase 11 during the coming weeks and month, and additions and William “Sam” Gregory; We’Moon; Portland adjustments will be made to the contents. International Short Short Film Festival; The The archives will take time to build up, and, yes, I’m sure that we Best Gay & Lesbian Films: Glitter Awards 2005 will eventually have a Poison Waters tribute page. In the meantime, 45 BOOKS perkxlically check the photo gallery for sightings of you and your pals, The vampire strikes back and remember, 1 now have a great outlet for really bad photos I’ve taken COLUMNS of so many of you. At last, a home for all those Sam-Adams-with-his- eyes-closed photos. 18 DEAR ETHEL And if you’re a current or potential advertiser, please note that we’re BMI: Body Misinformation? now beaming you into worldwide exposure. And if you want to be 33 MS. BEHAVIOR among the first to purchase banner ad space, please contact Larry Lewis Be my guest at 503-236-1253. Intnxluctory rates are attractive and available—start 34 OUT GOING ing right now. Check us out; send us your feedback. JH We are family H REFLECTIONS] 10 years ago in just out... volume 12 number 24, October 20, 1995 • Lauren A. Usher and Theresa A. (Terri) Loubey wish to announce that they were married Sept. 16, 1995. The couple were joined by 120 of their friends, family and colleagues for a candlelight service on the Portland Spirit. In recognition of their marriage, they have changed their last names to Gevurtz. October 21, 2005 Million Man March in Washington, D C. The rally was called by the controversial Rev Louis Farrakhan. head of the Nation of Islam. • The Sexual Minority Roundtable Crisis Response Team was officially launched Oct. 11, National Com ing Out Day. The team works in partnership with Port land police officers wtfc> respond to calls for assis tance involving sexual minorities. • Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts continues to actively work for gay and lesbian civil nghts. Last month she joined the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay and lesbian rights organization based in Washington. D C. • Code Blue, Portland’s premier rotating women's night club, presents a Lesbian Halloween Bash at Mont gomery Park Gay m^n are welcome. $1,000 in prizes for best costumes. • The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, a solo perform ance by Rob Buckmaster, opens at the Main Street Playhouse. Just Out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. Copynght © 2005 by Just Out No part of Just Out may be reproduced without wntten permission from the publisher Editorial guidelines: Letters to the editor should be limited to 500 words Announcements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions, etc ) should be limited to 200 words, photos are welcome Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday 15 days before the next publication date. Just Out reserves the nght to edit for grammar, punctuation, style, liability concerns and length Views expressed in letters to the editor, columns and features are not necessanly those of the publisher Advertising policy: The display advertising deadline is the Monday 12 days before the next publication date Classified ads must be received at the Just Out office by 5 p m. on the Sunday five days before the next publication date, along with payment Classifieds may be placed via www iustout.com. by mail or tn person at our office. Just Out reserves the nght to reject or edit any advertisement Compensation for errors in, or cancellation of. advertising wilt be made with credit toward future advertising Advertising rates available upon request Distribution policy: Just Out is available free of charge Just Out is delivered only to authorized distnbutors No person may. without prior wntten permission, take more than one copy Any person who takes more than one copy may be held liable for theft, including but not limited to civil damages and/or cnmmal prosecution Subscriptions are $22 50 for 12 issues First Class (in an envelope) is $40 for 12 issues Contact Just Out at PO. Box 14400, Portland. OR 97293 0400: 503-236-1252, advertising 503-236-1253, fax 503 236-1257: e mail justout@justout com Visit us on the web at www justout.com. 38 EPIQUEEREAN I vant to dvink your vine 46 JIM’S CLOSET What's so funny? PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR Marty Davis NEWS EDITOR Sarah Dougher ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Jim Radosta STAFF WRITER Jaymee R. Cuti DESIGN DIRECTOR Anabel Ramirez AD PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ramey Holsman ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Larry Lewis ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Kari Tate, Cshea Walker WEB ADMINISTRATION Ashley Austin CONTRIBUTORS Yvonne P. Behrens, Stephen Blair, Mana Callahan, Meryl Cohn, Jodi Darby, Suzanne Deakins, Jemiah Jefferson, Timothy Krâuse, Jon Kretzu, Patricia L. MacAodha, Christopher McQuain, Gary Morris, Jenny Nguyen, Bob Roehr, Floyd Sklaver, Rex Wockner DISTRIBUTION Allison Benn. Lisa Benson, Youme Inhofe, Pat Kilmer-Cramer, Chance Schwartz
