AUGUST 3. 2007 JUStlOUt
5
letters
Regular Guy
there is diversity in the gay male community and
feel sad you don’t feel represented in your “normal­
cy.” The concept of gayness, my dear friend,
however, is not for you alone. It is a continuum.
And I believe that the world is for all people—
straight, gay, bi, queer, fags, dykes, transgendered,
intersex, black, white (to name a few)—human
diversity is marvelous and far beyond the binary.
Love and human rights are for all human beings,
not just those of us who are or who fit the norm.
And I do hope one of these days, my brother,
you, too, will have the courage and the balls stereo­
typically associated with your gender to stand up
and love who you are.
To the E ditor :
1 am one of thousands of gay men in the state of
Oregon, for your information. We have families,
jobs and all the responsibilities of the straight
world. We look, act and believe in our daily life just
like regular people. The only difference is we are
attracted sexually to people of our same sex.
It is a shame that a publication like yours insists
on portraying us like faggots, whom I respect but
who are a minority in the gay world [“Parading Our
Pride,” July 6|.
I would appreciate it if you would rethink the
way you portray the concept of gayness in Oregon. It
would be a great benefit to all of us regular gay men.
Start by putting on the front page of your issue
a regular gay male, not some freaky faggot.
G iorg W arner
Portland
"Freaky Faggot" Responds
To the E ditor .-
This is the “freaky faggot” writing you. First,
I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am 30
years old, having just graduated from Portland State
University with a master’s in social work, and 1 also
have a bachelor’s in my studies in psychology. 1 am
a bicultural male, half Armenian and half
Georgian. I identify as a gay man, queer and faggot,
depending on which identity needs standing up for
in the moment, and sometimes I get scared and feel
vulnerable, too, and wish I could blend in.
I have a lot of friends, and I volunteer at the
YWCA as a therapist. Shortly 1 will be starting
a private practice as a psychotherapist, as well as
working in an agency in the community, support­
ing the city’s underprivileged.
1 wanted to respond to your letter personally
because “othering” and hate often have a hard time
continuing when our humanity is made apparent,
and dehumanization is something 1 have always
had very little tolerance for.
I am heartbroken that my message of love, cele­
brating my and our humanity, diversity, genders,
sexuality and relationships, admittedly creative,
flamboyant and playful, is responded to with such
hatred and fear. Heartbroken, because I marched
that morning with the Oregon Psychological
Association and I stood next to people with signs
that ¿aid “God Hates Fags.” I chose to march with
the psychologists because historically, until the
1970s, psychology has pathologized diversity of
relationship orientations (homosexuality) and
continues to pathologize diversity of gender experi­
ence (transgenderism). 1 stood next to the “fag
haters” at the waterfront, and I am standing next to
you now, my brother and my fellow human. I did so
because homophobia and heterosexism and trans­
phobia affect me and you and us every moment of
our lives. 1 did so because my heart breaks for every­
one who is a target of a hate crime, who is unable
to receive benefits in their relationships and who
walks down the street and gets uncomfortable
looks. I marched to honor our elders, those who
made our path a bit easier, and historically it is drag
queens and gay and lesbian people of color who
have fought for and have gotten us some of the
basic rights we enjoy now. I marched in alt of my
pink-fishnet-glittering-penis-hear-love-dancing-self
because my brothers and my sisters and my friends
internationally and some parts of the United States
and Oregon cannot for fear of legalized murder.
I marched because 1 will no longer tolerate
homophobia and heterosexism personally or
systemically. I marched to stand up for my love, love
that is made invisible, pathologized, legally
murdered and underprivileged. 1 marched because
1 am, and I deserve a place in this world just like
you. I marched because I am proud of me, and you.
And I wish you could be proud of you and me, too.
1 am happy that you are a “normal” gay and are
enjoying the privileges that you have of everyday
acting, believing and working, responsibilities and
jobs of the straight world, responsibilities and
privileges that I, too, enjoy. And those privileges
are built on the backs of thousands of lives of
“freaky faggots” who are human beings just like you
and I! The marginalized communities are often
scapegoated with ail the projections that are denied
by the “normal” people, and I agree with you that
K im B aller
Milwaukie
Representing Oregonians
To the E ditor :
As a 63-year-old single white male married for 34
years and with two “straight” (a term 1 don’t like
A leksandr P erekrishvili
since it implies others might not be) children, you
Portland
might imagine I do not read all issues of Just Out. But
1 grabbed this one quickly. I recall my spouse and
Standing for Fairness
1 being shocked when the Human Rights Campaign
To the E ditor :
endorsed Gordon Smith in his bid for U.S. Senate.
I was of course incredibly honored to be on the
We found it hard to buy that he would bean effec­
cover of Just Out [“From the Left,” July 20] and
tive advocate for equal rights for all. We still do.
enjoyed working with your reporter. There was, how­
Our association with Steve Novick has been
ever, an unfortunate misquote in the article. The
mostly through his work with Stand for Children, an
article had me saying that “people in this country”
Oregon nonprofit advocating for children’s agendas.
will have to pay higher taxes—making it sound like
As such, we have not discussed gay issues with him.
I support tax increases on everyone, even people just
And so I do not purport to speak for him on these or
struggling to get by. What 1 actually said was that in
any other matters. 1 could never be so smart or clear.
order to avoid national bankruptcy, some people who
However, having been a voting Oregonian for
do not now pay their fair share will have to pay
more than 35 years, I have seen the right and the
more—such as people who make their money buy­ religious right attack not only gay (do 1 show my age
ing and selling stock, who right now pay a lower tax
by not saying queer? It was a strictly pejorative term
rate than people who actually work for a living.
in my youth) rights, but civil rights and human
What I stand for, above all else, is fairness.
rights. These are inseparable to me. I make no claims
1 believe it is unfair that some of the richest people in
to lack prejudice toward any number of things, many
America get special tax treatment, especially when
1 am sure wrongly, which I regard as making me
we are running huge deficits. I support fairness in the
similar to others. But 1 and my family have always
tax code just as 1 support fair treatment, in every way,
supported, advocated and voted for what we believe
for gay and lesbian Oregonians and other Americans.
to be issues of fairness and equity for all.
Thank you for your continuing coverage of the
Will Steve Novick put gay (queer) issues at the
campaign, and I look to talking with your readers
fore of his agenda? 1 do not know. As a senator for
more about these important issues for Oregon’s future, j Oregon, he will have many complex, difficult and
divisive issues to deal with.
S teve N ovick
This, though, I can say. In my heart of hearts,
Portland
I truly believe Oregon could ask for no better
person to represent the interests of Oregonians and
Editor’s note: Just Out stands by its original quote.
all Americans. No one would work harder or
smarter to protect and defend our collective rights
Watching the Field
and to advocate strongly for the rights of all of us to
To the E ditor :
live our lives without fear or prejudice in our work­
As a native Oregonian, I’m not so sure Steve
place, our communities, our state and our country.
Novick is the only candidate we should be voting for.
While I’m not totally happy with Gordon Smith, I do
R ichard L. H epper
realize he can reach across party lines (when
Portland
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same to conservatives? I’ve come to realize that far
lefties can be just as oft-putting as far nghties and that
it is important to include those who might not be
totally supportive of us but don’t necessarily stand in
our way. For now, I’m waiting until the field becomes
more clear before I give my support to anyone.
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