JANUARY 20. 2006
I ette r s
jUSt|OUt
with women. We all were just having a great time.
fix it, you gotta stand it,” which shows his regret
One of the instructors, Dunbar Aitkens, was
The place was not too crowded, so there really was
and remorse about a lost opportunity. I’m sorry the
recently quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle story
not a lot to choose from, but even if there had been,
screenplay moves the line to an earlier part of the
about his participation in the 1964 free speech
1 see nothing wrong with women dancing with
film, where 1 don’t think it means quite as much.
movement at UC Berkeley.
No Data Exist for
Trans Smoking Behaviors
women. We had been doing this for about two hours
To the E ditor :
when the hand said: “This next song is for the hetero
The tone of the movie is, indeed, a tragedy, as are
Unfortunately, ex-gay groups predated gay
so many great romances: Romeo and Juliet, Love Story,
friendly student groups. Even today, several Corvallis
I would like to make a correction to the article
sexuals only. That means one man and one woman.”
Titanic. It is through viewing these stories of love lost
churches are still sponsoring ex-gay groups on cam
on queer smoking rates in Oregon [“Queers Smoke
Then they played a slow song. As 1 looked
and loss regretted that the theme comes through:
pus to “help homosexual students” become straight
Nearly Twice as Much as General Population,”
around, nobody seemed to care what had just been
Live who you can while you can when you can; who
through prayer and unethical psychotherapy.
Dec. 2].
said. I could not believe what 1 heard. 1 know in my
knows what tomorrow may bring or take? If Jack and
Fortunately, OSU president Ed Ray cut the rib
The article asserts: “Not enough respondents
heart that if any people of color had been there and
Ennis had run off and started that ranch, it might
bon at the official opening of the new “Pride Center"
[to the state health department’s adult risk be
the band had said, “This next song is for white
have been a sweet story, but hardly not the stuff of
on National Coming Out Day in 2004. This level of
havior survey, or BRFSS] identified as transgender
people only,” there would have been a lot of
drama, and certainly not the movie experience that
support is amazing given that just 30 years ago the
to provide adequate statistics about their tobacco
trouble. This is not right, and I cannot believe thi$
is leaving audiences in tears. Those feelings of pain
first OSU gay student group struggled to recruit the
use.” In fact, the state collects no data on trans
band could get away with saying this.
prove the audience is learning something.
one faculty adviser required for official recognition.
gender risk behaviors, which include tobacco use.
1 have been in this bar a few times and have nev
In a time when Will & Grace and Byron Beck
There is no place within the BRFSS to identify
er run into this before. There is always a different
are considered windows into gay life, 1 commend
T homas K raemer
one’s gender beyond “male” or “female.” This infor
band each weekend, 1 have danced with women
everyone connected with bringing Brokeback
Corvallis
mation would be useful for advocating for increased
before, and nothing like this has ever been said. My
Mountain to the screen and wish them every suc
funding for education, prevention and health care
friend Bonnie Conners encouraged me to write you.
cess, especially at Oscar time.
for transgender folks as well as for those who
identify as genderqueer or gender-variant.
Specifically related to tobacco use, the extreme
(P.S. On a prurient note, “spit” and “the first
D otty D odd
time” are a mainstay of every gay porn story I’ve
Portland
read; it seems odd to quibble about it in a Pulitzer
ly limited research that has been done outside
Brokeback Mountain
a Classic Tragedy
To the E ditor :
Memo to Jack Janisch: This film Brokeback
Mountain and the novella upon which it is based
Prize-winning story.)
at rates significantly higher than nontransgender
Brokeback Mountain
in Historical Context
D onald F inch
time 43 years ago [“Brokeback Mountain Gave Me
folks and 2) transgender people who take hor
To the E ditor :
Portland
Nothing,” Jan. 6[.
Oregon has suggested: 1) transgender people smoke
are period pieces, authentic to a specific place and
mones and smoke might increase their risk of
Several months ago, when 1 read Brokeback
smoking-related illnesses. Estrogen use might
Mountain in anticipation of the movie release,
Queer Beavers Turn 30
rytelling genius. The question isn’t whether she’s
amplify the risk for blood clots that could lead to
1 turned to my partner and said, “1 wonder how
To the E ditor :
“qualified to write about gay sex and what gay men
heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular
many gay people will think this is just another sto
In 1976, about 10 students formed the fir^t gay
feel” (what, Ls there a test or something?), it’s how she
disease. Testosterone use might raise the risk for
ry about self-loathing gays and violent bashing?”
student group to be officially recognized by Oregon
does so with such tmth and power. Br< tkeback Mountain
heart disease, which might be amplified by smok
Judging by your letters column Jan. 6, at least one!
State University. To celebrate the 30th anniversary,
is a truly remarkable film with two of the best perfonn-
ing. It is important to remember that more research
While I’m not going to try to change anyone’s
1 hope other charter members will share their
ances (by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) I’ve ever
memories in a letter to Just Out.
seen in the context of a gay story.
must be done in order to understand the impacts of
long-term hormone use generally, as well as in
combination with substance use.
1 apologize for the confusion about the data
results.
mind, I’d like to bring a few ideas to the table.
To read Annie Proulx’s story is to understand sto
Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that in
While researching early gay student activity at
The truths it speaks to the rapidly growing
neither the short story nor the movie is Jack killed
OSU, I recently reread the 1972 to 1978 microfilm
legions of people who are seeing it nationwide is
with a tire iron. Both narratives state that Jack is
copies of the OSU student newspaper, The
about the way love changes us and the heartbreak
killed in an accident while changing a tire. It is only
Barometer. As a result, I stumbled onto some inter
of regret in not being true to your feelings—both
in Ennis’ mind that the bashing occurs (something
esting bits of history.
relatively new ideals in terms of gay subject matter
R.E. S zego
he has lived in horror of his entire life—it’s the pri
For example, The Corvallis Gazette-Times news
produced for mass audiences. The tragedy at the
Breathe Free, Oregon’s LGBTQ Coalition Against
mary reason he turns down Jack’s offers), although
paper published a two-page article Jan. 9, 1976,
heart of the film is not only appropriate to the sto
Tobacco
the nature of movies requires a visual. Is it possible
headlined “Gay Women Coming Out of the Closet
ry but draws on some of the oldest traditions in lit
there was a hate crime? Certainly. But that is an
in Corvallis: ‘Now I
erature. Romeo and Juliet, anyone?
assumption some viewers—and Ennis—make.
Woman.’ ” The resulting angry letters and subscrip
Zinged at Hing's
Want to Marry This
1 would also mention the timeline of the story.
tion cancellations are summarized in my Sept. 13,
T odd S immons
I am writing to tell you about something that
That first summer is in 1963, the very beginning of
2005, opinion piece, “30 Years Later, Views of Gay
Eugene
happened Dec. 30. 1 had gone out for drinks and
the civil rights movement in America. The first
Issues Same,” which is available in the archives at
dinner for a friend’s birthday party. We went to a
postcard from Jack arrives just about the time of the
www.gazettetimes.com.
To the E ditor :
CORRECTION
The Jan. 6 obituary for Ray Southwick erro
Chinese restaurant/bar on Main Street in Oregon
Stonewall riots, although I doubt Jack Twist keeps
Present-day press coverage rarely mentions that
City called Hing’s.
up with his New York Times. And the story ends in
gay activists started fighting for gay marriage in
neously reported that donations to the Audria M.
There was a small group of us, and after dinner
1983, just as rhe first reports of AIDS hit the
1970. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the
Edwards Scholarship Fund should be sent to Equity
as we were listening to the band Hott Pursuit, we
media...and hate crimes against gay people begin
gay marriage of Jack Baker and Mike McConnell in
Foundation. Remembrances should actually be sent
girls decided to dance. We were dancing with some
to escalate. Perhaps those dates are meant to bring
Minnesota was national news.
to P.O. Box 8854, Portland, OR 97207, and e-mails
of the men there and with each other. Our group
something to the story.
was not the only one where women were dancing
The final line in the story is Ennis’ “If you can’t
Predating the first OSU gay student group was
an experimental college class on homosexuality.
can go to info@peacockinthepark.com. Just Out
regrets the error.
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