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by Marty Davis
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Slam Dunk
VOL. 24 NO. 8
NEWSMAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 16, 2007
iSY OF WHITE BIRD
i
Ex-NBA player comes out, confronts "deeply ingrained homophobia...
within our sports culture"
t’s been a rollercoaster week for the Human Rights Commission and for
National Basketball Association players. Early in the week HRC
announced that former NBA player John Amaechi will serve as a nation
al spokesman for the organization’s Coming Out Project, a program
designed to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people come out
and live openly.
“John is making history this week, becoming the first NBA player to ever
come out and talk about his life and experiences as an athlete and a gay
man,” said HRC president Joe Solmonese. “In sharing his story, our great
hope is that John will pave the way for more
______________________
GLBT and straight athletes to openly support
fairness and respect on and off the playing
field.”
The embracing of Amaechi follows a pattern
of celebrity validation that HRC seems to seek.
A few months ago Lance Bass was the hot
newbie to follow. Now it’s a basketball player.
I bet that a few weeks ago this NBA star had no
idea of who or what HRC and National Coming
Out Day are, and look, now he’s a national
spokesman.
While one basketball player outs himself as
gay, another blows the door off the idiot’s closet.
Following Amaechi’s announcement, former
Miami Heat player Tim Hardaway commented
in a radio interview: “Well, you know, 1 hate gay
people. 1 let it be known, I don’t like gay people.
I don’t like to be around gay people. Yeah, I’m
homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in
the world, or in the United States. So, yeah,
I don’t like it.”
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation was quick to respond: “Hardaway’s
comments are vile, repulsive and indicative of
the climate of ignorance, hostility and prejudice
that continues to pervade sports culture. And by
apologizing not for his bigotry but rather for
giving voice to it, he’s reminding us that this
ugly display is only the tip of a very large
iceberg.
“It would be a mistake to assume that since
such prejudice is rarely aired so blatantly and so
publicly that it is in fact rare. It is not. And the
media that are now doing a commendable job
holding Hardaway accountable for his intoler
ance also need to turn their attention to the
deeply ingrained homophobia that continues to
thrive within our sports culture at all levels.”
All of the factors noted here are indicative
of a morass of problems that extend far beyond
the mouth of one basketball player.
GLBT. Self-identified trans activists have toiled with passion and with tears
as they struggle with efforts to make hate crimes legislation and non
discrimination laws inclusive of trans-identified people. And now, you find
this reviling?
So, writer, are you asking that the entire movement drop the “trans” from
our coalition identity as the gay, lesbian, bi and trans community? You ask for
a different, kinder view. What do you suggest? How about considering that if
you’re not trans any longer, perhaps someone else is? Maybe what we’re
writing is about them, and not about you?
To our other “trans-identified” readers,
does this writer speak for all of you? How do
you wish to see yourselves viewed in our pages,
in our community? Is the “trans” movement
ready to move on?
ords, speech, language, these have
garnered a lot of attention lately.
Tensions heightened, perspective becomes
cloudy. Sensitivities take on a sharper edge.
While deep-seated issues must be handled
with serious regard and respect, it’s equally
important to learn when to shift the load and
lighten up a little.
Portlanders are lucky to have a great com
munity treasure; we have among us the wit
and wisdom of the wonderful Darcelle XV.
Now is a very gœd time to reflect upon the
words with which Darcelle doses each of her
* shows: “First we learn to laugh at ourselves,
then we can learn to laugh at each other.”
y the way, I was wrong when in the last issue
of Just Out 1 speculated that former Basic
Rights Oregon executive director Roey Thorpe,
already departing from Freedom to Marry, would
be joining up with the Gill Action Fund. Turns
out that’s not the case at all. Thorpe instead has
joined Equality Federation, a national network
of state-based gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans
gender advocacy organizations. She will join the
federation March 5 as its first director of
advocacy services.
I must admit to having no familiarity with
Equality Federation. According to its not-
very-current Web site, this organization is
a national alliance of statewide sexual minor
ity advocacy organizations, working together
and with national allies to achieve full civil
rights by building a strong, state-based move
ment for justice. It appears that its focus is
more on working with states’ rights issues
rather than seeking change at federal levels.
ports and TV celebrities are not the only
The listed partner organization of Equality
ones accused of hate speech. Just Out has
Federation in Oregon is Basic Rights Oregon.
also been tagged with that label. An anonymous
Back to local politics: A recent article in
writer questions why we use the words “trans,
The Oregonian writes of Multnomah County
trannys, etc.” The writer continues: “All these
Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey and her
sisters that I know of, none of us wants that
announcement that she plans to run for re
Former NBA star John Amaechi (top) came out as gay
label. Even those of us you can ‘read’ a mile
jection to her seat in 2008. The article states
days before Tim Hardaway came out as homophobic.
away—it doesn’t matter. We’ve put too much
that her strategy for victory is in place. Work
into what we are and, really, always were. We are men or we are women. We’re
hard, play nice and hope voters let history lie.
not ‘trans’ anything.”
Will that work for you? If you're in the commissioner’s district, do you see
In one way I can completely see this writer’s perspective. It’s logical that
yourself voting for her? A lot of work can be done in two years. I’ll ask the
“trans” is a temporary, or transitioning, period in a person’s life. You start in
question again as the election draws near.
one place and finish in another. You are a man, you are a woman. However,
Hope to see you all Feb. 19 at Gay Skate. Check our Web site daily for
news updates, calendar announcements, humor, wit and fish evictions. ©
at the same time, activists for years have fought to proudly put the “T” in
S
FEATURE
20 THE LONG ROAD TO SUCCESS
Minh Tran collaborates with fellow
Vietnamese choreographer for cross-cultural
artist residency
NEWS
6-15 NORTHWEST
Wonder Ballroom here to stay; Stereotypes
moves; homestyle cooking arrives; Portland
celebrates women; Brother to Brother
expands; Darcelle breaks ground; Bartlett,
Highhouse receive Silver Awards; Lambda
Awards given; Hispanic films cover queer
topics; Brother to Brother holds first fund
raiser; organizations reach out to domestic
violence victims; crisis team responds;
welcoming a new pastor
16-17 NATIONAL
Ex-NBA player comes out; freedom to
marry observed; self-hating reverend
“cured”; retirement benefits lawsuit filed;
gay learning institute opens; court rules
against public employer benefits
18-19 WORLD
Moscow mayor calls Gay Pride “satanic”;
Portuguese gays gain rights; French MP
fined for anti-gay remark; Polish Pride case
accepted; Catholic leader threatens to close
adoption agencies; Canadian gay
newspapers stolen; gays make splash at
World Forum; Iraq unhappy that U.N.
highlights gay killings
ARTS & CULTURE
34-35 CULTURE
Gay men’s wellness movement takes off in
Portland
37 FILM
Anthony Minghella squanders cast’s
considerable talents in Breaking and Entering
38-39 MUSIC
Cazwell comes to Portland for a one-night
stand
40 NIGHTLIFE
What is I.T.?
COLUMNS
14 GET DIRTY
WITH DAN
Coming Chit Too
Soon
33 MS. BEHAVIOR
Basement Mold
36 EPIQUEEREAN
The Culinary
Cupid
42 JIM'S CLOSET
For Your Consideration