JULY 21.2006
discrepancy, Justice Paul
Rivard ruled that the
statute was discriminatory.
The government missed
its deadline to appeal the
decision and must therefore
change the law within 12
months. Rutherford’s attor­
ney, Joanna Radbord, said
she was surprised that
Ontario’s government even
fought this case. “This is an
Cynthia Nixon poses with Youth Courage Award winners, from left,
outdated statute that does­
Christopher "Cree" Gordon of Eugene, Captain Young and Ana Lopez.
n’t reflect the realities of
family life. But the government usually wants a
Awards Fund Arts Organizations
trial so they can blame the outcome on liberal
Various local queer-run or queer-friendly arts
judges.”
organizations received sizable grants when the
By June 6, 2007, the government must amend
Regional Arts &. Culture Council (RACC)
the law, but can do so, according to Radbord, with a
announced awards July 11 in the areas of general
narrow fix that only addresses lesbian couples who
support and professional development totaling
use unknown donor sperm or with a big-picture fix
$1,035,895.
that could show the intended, genetic and social
Among the organizations funded were Artists
parents on the birth registration. “It would be my
Repertory Theatre with $41,400; Broadway Rose
dream come true it the government rewrites the
Theatre Company with $15,800; Do Jump
Vital Statistics Act to recognize the diversity of Movement Theater with $16,900; Literary Arts
families and prioritize children’s best interest."
with $27,700; Miracle Theatre Group with
$17,800; Portland Center Stage with $58,800;
Eugene Youth Honored
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus with $6,900; Portland
at New York Pride
Institute for Contemporary Art with $15,700;
Christopher “Cree” Gordon of Eugene was
Portland Opera Association with $104,800;
awarded the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award
Portland Taiko with $25,400; Profile Theatre
at a star-studded gala June 22 during New York
Project with $14,100; White Bird with $33,500;
and Write Around Portland with $10,400.
Pride.
Bom to a white mother and black father into a
RACC general support grants fund arts organi­
homophobic and racially divided community in
zations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington
rural Louisiana, the 20-year-old struggled to be
counties that provide a wide range of high-quality
black enough for black people and white enough
arts programming made available to the public.
for white people. Gordon came out to his parents
These grants recognize the cultural and economic
at 14; his mother tried to accept him, but his step­
benefits of a strong arts community and provide
father eventually threw him out of the house after stable support for local arts organizations with
budgets of $80,000 or more that together provide
his first semester of college. He lived on the streets
of New Orleans, hustling his body to survive.
services to more than 2 million patrons annually.
Gordon met a man from Eugene who t<x>k him
“Local artists and arts organizations drive the
west before becoming abusive. On the streets again
creative economy, enhance our children’s learning
in Eugene, he took an HIV test to get the $10
with arts education programs and improve the
incentive a local clinic was offering and was faced
quality of lite for all area residents,” said Eloise
with a positive result.
Damrosch, RACC executive director. "We are
Within weeks of his diagnosis, Gordon began
delighted to provide support for these vital partners
volunteering and speaking out at local high schools
who are working with us to integrate arts and
and colleges about being HIV-positive and queer.
culture in all aspects of community life.”
He says, “If in all the speaking I do, I can save the
Applications for next year are available online
at www.racc.org/grants. The electronic application
life of one person, that would be worthwhile.”
Gordon became a leader at University of deadline is Aug. 21.
Oregon’s queer student group and Black Student
BRO, HRC Endorse Kulongoski
Union, working to bridge the two communities.
Incumbent Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski pre­
A charismatic and energetic public speaker, he
has a knack for opening eyes and hearts; his motto dictably won the endorsement for November’s
general election from Basic Rights Oregon, the
is “You gotta make them uncomfortable to make
organization announced July 20.
’em comfortable.” Gordon’s Youth Courage Award
The endorsement was a collaboration between
will enable him to complete his next semester of
BRO
and the Human Rights Campaign.
college.
The groups cited Kulongoski’s commitment to
The awards ceremony included celebrity
queer rights spanning three decades, beginning in
presenters and entertainers such as Sex and the
his first term as a legislator in the 1970s, when he
City star Cynthia Nixon, The Vagina Monologues
introduced one of Oregon’s first anti-discrimination
creator Eve Ensler, playwright Tony Kushner and
bills.
actress Christine Ebersole. Michael Patrick King,
creator of Sex and the City, hosted the evening's
“As a movement, we are lucky to live in a state
where our governor has done more to stake out a
festivities.
public position in favor of GLBT equality than any
The Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards
other governor in the country,” said Frank Dixon,
honor queer youth who have demonstrated
BRO’s interim executive director. “From the
tremendous acts of courage and strength in the face
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justiout 9
Continued on Page 11