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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2007)
SEPTEMBER 21. 2007 letters One of Our Own To the E ditor : I’m going to put myself out on a limb with this letter, but I think it is important to get our community to think about the Sen. Larry Craig “scandal” with reason and logic. As most of the readers know, Craig, R-Idaho, was arrested in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and plead guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct. The whole incident stems from a roe-tapping incident that, according to the arresting officer, was “solicitation.” As much as this writer despises almost every thing Craig stands for, 1 must ask the question: “What law did he break ?” As most of us are aware, restnxim stings such as the one conducted in this matter have ehtrapped thousands of gay men through the years. These stings have raised the ire of the community with a loud chorus of “entrapment, gay baiting, bigotry.” Yet when someone we despise is caught up m such a sting, we are silent about it. If Rep. Ramey Erank, D-Mass., had been found in such a situation, would we be outraged about police entrapment? You better believe there would be a chorus of outrage over the situation. The question we must ask ourselves as a com munity is this: Are we really happy being such small-minded hypocrites? There is no proof Craig engaged in any nefarious activity, although that might have been his intent. His arrest is yet another case of entrap ment aimed at gay men. Whether we agree with Craig is not the point. We, as a community, have a duty to point out that this type of entrapment is wrong and that there was no crime committed. Yes, it is nice to see Craig exit the stage, but there’s something horribly wrong about our community’s hypocrisy regarding the whole event. We would scream and yell, “Entrapment! Bigotry! Gay baiting!” if it was one of our own. Yet we are silent if it is one of “theirs." We can’t have it both ways. Entrapment is entrapment, and it is our duty, no matter how despicable the individual involved, for us to come to that person’s defense. Craig has a despicable record, yet he deserves to be treated as we would treat one of our own in this situation. Shame on our community for failing to understand the right thing to do, no matter who the beneficiary of that action may be. We can do better. in size. If major Portland thoroughfares can be renamed after people with significant historical contributions even though they are not from Portland (think Rosa Parks Way or César Chavez Boulevard), then why not build a lasting tribute to Lady Peacock right in what literally was her own back yard? 1 encourage the scholarship fund to pursue this and encourage Just Out readers to contact Portland City Commissioner Pan Saltzman, who oversees the Parks and Recreation IVpartment. His contact information is: Pan Saltzman, Portland City Commissioner, 1221 S.W. Fourth Ave. Rixim 230, Portland, OR 97204- Phone: 503-823-4151. E-mail: dan@ci.portland.or.us. D avid M eltzer Portland JLÍSt|OUt justoutpersonals Business Directory Between The Pages J ohn L eonard BLOG OUT • Call to Action from GLAAD Ptrrtlarul Photo Gallery Resources Peacock in Washington Park To the E ditor : Several years ago when Peacock in the Park had its swan song, so to speak, there were promises of bigger and better ways to continue the memory of Lady Peacock. This past weekend I was taking visitors on a tour of Washington Park and we came across the innocu ously named Rose Garden Amphitheater. And then it dawned on me. What better way to make sure that the memory of Lady Peacock and the gixxl work of the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund lives on than to rename the venue the Lady Peacock Amphitheater? Peacock was the longest-running event in the amphitheater’s history, not to mention the largest Labor Di This ofte How doe • Bring Calendar of Events Submit your letters, wedding announcements, transitions, or list your events online at www.justout.com • NOI M Reader Submissx Letters to the Editor News Headlines Weddings & Commitments Arts & Culture Transitions Page 3 Comment List Your Events Columns • Sumrr «Fall is • Yeah, Potter • As alw your j Classifieds Community Current Issue Archives Advertising N Subscriptions Blog Out Paper Locations Publication Schedule Ete’s in Eteawpn Now 2640 ne alberta 23lOn lombard 1136 nw lovejoy 7522 n lombard 1990seladd 503-2S8-4067 * 503-289-8408 * 503-796-2825 * 503-247-3433 503-231-1181
