by Marty Davis
Learn Your Rights
Domestic partnerships are here to stay
t’s official. Domestic partnerships are on their way to Oregon. Starting in
January 2008, same-sex couples will he able to register for a packet of legal
benefits. With these partnership benefits comes a need for cautionary
advice. You will be entering into a legal and binding partnership. With this
will come responsibilities and obligations that our community is not used
to. These new laws are here to stay, regardless of what David Crowe or Marylin
Shannon have to say, and there will be no rushed and orchestrated theatrics like
those that accompanied the now historic Multnomah County weddings of a few
years back. Take your time. Learn your rights, and understand that there will
also be laws involving the dissolution of these partnerships. In an upcoming
issue of Just Out we will sit down with a panel of lawyers and accountants and
spell out exactly what is involved in an (.'fregón domestic partnership.
i
ensions continue to run high in North Portland concerning the proposed
plan to rename Interstate Avenue to César Chávez Boulevard. Fortunately,
some voices of calm and reason are starting to surface. Molly Franks, an
Overlook neighborhixxl resident who has often appeared in Just ()ut in conjunc
tion with her work with queer youth, shares her opinion on the topic. I’m print
ing her correspondence here as it arrived too late for the letters page but
contains such a timely message that it needs to be shared now.
T
To the E ditor :
MARTY DAVIS
I think an underlying desire of people who advocate changing Interstate
Avenue to César Chávez Boulevard is for recognition of discrimination and
racism that people of color experience on a regular basis here. What has not
been acknowledged clearly by those who oppose the name change is that the
causes Chávez fought for—an end to racism and other forms of oppression—are
still issues today.
Hearing the word “racism” at the community forums was upsetting to many
white people. Maybe they’re thinking of the Ku Klux Klan, racial epithets or
Jim Crow segregation. I think when many people of color talk about racism,
they also include more subtle forms of discrimination, underrepresentation and
stereotyping, of which many white people are unaware. 1 believe my white
neighbors are sincere in their desire to show respect for César Chávez and their
Latino neighbors. And even as many vehemently denied participating in racism,
it surfaced at the forums.
To some, these things might seem unimportant, but for others, they are
painful reminders of significant historic and current patterns of discrimination.
One white woman asked her neighbor, a woman of color, to stand next to her
as she spoke, as a representation of “the kind of diversity we value in our
neighborhood.” I think the white woman wanted to express support and
solidarity. To others, it felt like a tokenizing and objectifying display. Another
white woman said it was a form of bias that at one forum there was “ethnic food
and mariachi music.” Doesn’t all food represent someone’s ethnicity? Would it
not be biased to serve “American” fcxxl instead? But how does celebrating one
culture threaten another anyway?
Almost all those who disrespected the group process by speaking out of turn,
shouting, clapping and waving signs were white people speaking against the
/ WILL
'SER PERMANENTE» th
change. At my neighborhtxxl association meeting, three Latinos addressed
a room of more than 100 almost exclusively white people, many of whom were
palpably hostile. People laughed and cheered derisively. 1 can understand why
people have experienced racism in this prixess.
Changing the name of a major street would be a way to recognize the racism
that exists here. As opponents argue, it would be* a burden on local businesses.
It would also be a way to acknowledge the value and contributions of Latinos
in this coQimunity. For a time, it might be confusing to visitors to our neighbor-
h<xxl. It would be a new chapter in the history of Interstate Avenue, which, as
one forum participant reminded us, was once an Indian trail and later had
another name before it became Interstate. How do we want this era of North
Portland history to be marked?
White people need to acknowledge our unearned race-based privileges in
history and in the present. Our intent might not be discriminatory, but we need
to listen to the impact of our words and deeds, regardless of how we feel about
the street name.
FEATURE
22 WELCOME TO SIREN NATION
Grassroots festival celebrates women,
art and community
NEWS
8-17 NORTHWEST
Gender symposium coming to Marylhurst;
marriage ban challenged again; Edlen gives
generously to PABA; 10,000 walk for AIDS;
BRO unmasks gala results; SMYRC
y past two weeks have been filled with ongoing conversations about this
refurnished; partnership agreement signed in
name change. I’ve now moved to the middle of the debate and thank all
Gresham; loan officer becomes specialist;
the name change advocates who are patiently pulling me along in this process.
big girls have style; referenda campaign fails;
For years the gay civil rights movement has coat-tailed on the efforts, not yet
Equity Foundation director had to
over, of the black civil rights movement. As the gay, lesbian, bi and trans
reprioritize; anti-gay forces fail to submit
enough
valid signatures; activists will not
community matures and become a seasoned and knowledgeable force, 1 see that
accept ENDA-lite
it could now be our time to take the emerging Latino community under our
wing and share with them lessons learned as they, too, fight for recognition and 18-19 NATIONAL
GLAAD raises gay Asian visibility; Family
civil rights. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that as “homosexuals” we were the
Pride changes name; Wells Fargo recognized
illegals in America. What have we learned? What can we share?
for fair policies; tixldler marriage law upheld
M olly F ranks
Portlajul
M
ave you missed the “Reflections” that used to follow this column? This is
where I’d pull an archived issue of Just Out and highlight the news from five,
10, 15 or 20 years ago. This will return. It’s just that since we moved our office,
the archived copies remain snugly packed away in cardboard boxes, waiting for
me to build the shelves that will hold them. You can see these boxes for your
self, as well as the rest of our new digs, if you join us at our Open House
(Warming) and 24th Anniversary Celebration. We invite you to stop by on
Sunday aftermxin, Nov. 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. and see where we write your paper.
This open house will also be the kickoff event for our ftxxl drive, so please help
us fill bins and boxes with nonperishable ftxxJ items. Please check
www.justout.com frequently for details on the food drive and our partnerships
with community organizations and events. Last year, working together, we
amassed an amazing amount of toys. This year, 1 know we’ll work hard to fill the
shelves of Esther’s Pantry.
H
inally, a note on the billboard pictured here. For months now we’ve been
inundated with radio, television, print and billboards ads from the major
health maintenance organizations and insur
ance companies professing concern for the
great obesity epidemic sweeping America.
Mostly they’ve been benign, annoying at best.
Yes, we should eat better and exercise more.
Oh, by the way, you’re not my frigging moth
er, back off, OK?
But this billboard sends a very wrong
message. This one sets forth a standard of body
size and image, and this is not an appropriate
message to be sending to a young and impres
sionable child. Why don’t they place a waste
basket next to her as training for her bulimic
binges? I kx>k forward to these signs coming
down soon.
Obesity and hunger in the same column.
One of these we can help solve. Stop by our
offices anytime with your food donation. You’ll
be greatly thanked and appreciated.
F
in Arkansas; California property tax
protections upheld; California governor
vetoes same-sex marriage bill
20-21 WORLD
Norwegian bishops OK gay pastors; Russian
patriarch: Homosexuality like kleptomania;
EuroPride heads to Warsaw; Russian bLxxl
donation activists fined; Guatemalan hill
targets gay families; gay soccer
championship held in Buenos Aires; Saudi
men sentenced to 7,000 lashes; President
Ahmadinejad: Iran has no homosexuals
ARTS AND CULTURE
38-41 CULTURE
Gay-friendly marching band keeps Portland
weird; Super Queer Lusty Fun Xtravaganza
pushes the sex-positive envelope
42 NIGHTLIFE
Vancouver hot spot going strong
44-45 FILM
Northwest Film Center screens
Mapplethorpe, Warhol diKumentaries
COLUMNS
31 EPIQUEEREAN
Delicious Delicacies
33 MS. BEHAVIOR
Closet Case
36 OUT OF
MY MIND
Great
Expectations
37 OUT
GOING
Costume
Drama
46 JIM’S
CLOSET
Heroine Chic