APRIL 6 200 JUStlOUt
7
outstanding
A League of Her Own
ary Schütten has varied
accomplishments. She works
with youth as a consultant
for the state; she serves on
several hoards and recently
patented a new product she invented.
Schütten is organizing an event for
University of Washington to acknowledge
the accomplishments of female athletes from
1895 to the present. The event, which will
be held April 7, sold out in March. Schütten
took some time out to talk with Just Out
about history, family and her hopes for the
future.
My name is Mary Schütten.
years on the pro level. When 1 realized
I wasn’t going to be beating Martina
Hingis, I left. 1 always knew I’d be doing
something in sports.
My first same-sex crush was on
Sherry Overton in the first grade. My
heart would go 100 miles an hour when
the teacher would let us sit together;
she looked just like Snow White.
1 like to spend my downtime
with my grandson. He’s 20 months
old. He makes the world look like it’s
in Technicolor. He’s just starting to
acquire language. I wish we could
adopt some of his words because
they’re so perfect.
I am known for putting events out into
«
the world. That’s one of the things people
My proudest moment was being
attribute to me. I organized Pink Flamingo
with my family when Cathryn
Bingo for several years and organized
ICushing] and I got married by
events for the Africa AIDS Project. 1 enjoy
Multnomah County. We have three
getting friends together and putting on an
children, and having them all stand up
Mary Schutten uncovers the history of people
event, and they’re always sold out. Most
for us was definitely the proudest. It was
whose stories are rarely heard.
recently 1 am organizing the University of
really wonderful to have the opportuni
Washington Pre-Title IX celebration to recognize the contribution
ty to make our life congruent with our culture, even though they took it
that women have made in sports. I see it as creating resources, and
away. We have been together for a dozen years and will be together for
there are never enough. When I moved to Portland I knew no one.
the rest of our lives. It’s not like now that our marriage is invalid, we’re
Then 1 organized Pink Flamingo Bingo and it was a huge under going to break up or anything, but it was definitely nice to have that
taking; 500 people showed up.
recognition. Our family is my biggest accomplishment. Raising three
thoughtful, intelligent, good people is something to be very proud of.
My cause is history. History is dependent on who’s writing it,
and the more people we can get to write it, the deeper our histori
cal sense of self is. Dominant culture has a deep sense of self, be it
in sports or business or history, and unfortunately minorities don’t.
History is only as complete as the people who tell it and as we make
it, and the more people we can get involved in that, the richer it is.
For example, the history of women’s sports—an area 1 care deeply
about, the 1920s and 1930s—were a golden era. Women were
playing hardball. Then they got shunted back into their gender
roles. That history deepens our sense of self.
I am 50 years old. I feel 30, but not emotionally 30, which is good.
I’m definitely a lot more mature. I feel every decade gets better; you
start asserting yourself more and more. When 1 was in my 20s and 30s,
I was raising a family, and in my 40s and 50s, 1 am making my life look
more like I want it to look.
My childhood ambition was to be a professional baseball player.
Then I learned that option wasn’t open to me. 1 was heartbroken. Then
at 161 took up tennis. I played tennis through college and then had two
A perfect day in Portland would be drinking coffee, reading the
paper and spending time with my family. We live on a houseboat, so
it’s really nice to sit out and read and drink coffee. I jealously protect
my Sunday mornings.
My inspiration is people who reject the cultural norms. Althea
Gibson, who was the first African American to win Wimbledon, even
before Arthur Ashe, she went from Harlem to Wimbledon. Amelia
Earhart, she’s another inspiration. So is Billie Jean King. I’m inspired
by anyone who acts on the world to make it better, anyone who tries
to improve a situation.
My last queer philanthropic event was an event with the Africa
AIDS Response; I’m on their board as well. It’s nice to give money, but
it’s really great to be able to give both time and money.
My highest hope is that everyone's history is recorded, their
stories are told and their contributions acknowledged.
—Alex Baldino
Just Out hung out at the Oaks Park
commissary to ask Gay Skate Night
attendees, "Would you take
advantage of civil unions if they
were legal in Oregon?"
L onnie M artinez
The Midget
“Yes. I’m in a monogamous
relationship for 13 years, and 1
think it’s important to get the
same legal protections as everyone
else. We used the marriage
processes, and unfortunately it
wasn’t worth anything and it took
forever to get our money back.”
B en L orz
Gaysion
*
“Yes. Marriage is nowadays not as
sacred as it used to be. Civil
unions are something gays can
cherish, and we’d hold it with
more respect than straight couples
are now with the rate of divorce.”
B rittany M c D onald
Improv Artist
“1 would because we’d be given
more benefits, but the downfall is
it’s not the same as real marriage,
which sets us back a little.”
G abrielle A ppert
Gabreality
“1 would definitely take advantage
of it, and I think a lot of my
friends would because it would
benefit a lot of people in Oregon.
It’s not the same as marriage, but
it’s a step in the right direction.”