JANUARY 23, 2009
, 5
letters
Flawed Decision
administration. Does Portland really want to crawl
than what Sam has displayed and to hold him ac
man who regularly has sex with a partner 20 years
To the E ditor :.
back into the caves dank of deceit just because
countable. And yet in the community 1 most of
younger. After many years living in the closet
The decision by Just Out to demand the resig
many people think it’s cool to have a gay mayor?
ten find myself—under 45, gay, male—I fear that
because of prejudice and ignorance, 1 learned to
nation of Sam Adams is flawed. There are very few
Both of us have had the joy of working in the gay,
I am standing by myself. There appears to be this
lie when questioned. It is a natural response. Does
among us who has not deceived someone by our
lesbian, bisexual, trans civil rights movement here
delusion that since all gay men are expected to
that make me immoral? Is that violating the law?
words and deeds. This includes trying to kx>k young
in Oregon practically since its inception. The very
have no sexual boundaries, there should be a pass
1 don’t think so. If 1 were asked about my personal
er, saying we are a certain age, to dress to kxik hip, to
essence of pride, as we know it, is the honesty of
given to Sam; after all, he’s just doing what comes
sex life in the public eye, 1 too would lie. It is sim
color hair, to get cosrpetic surgery or to lie about our
coming out of the closet, of being truthful about
natural to gay men: lying and having sex inappro
ply not open to discussion.
sexual orientation or preferences in the hedrixim.
the persons Gixl made us to be. There is no pride
priately with whomever finds you attractive—the
I believe the community expresses latent
Deception in the animal kingdom is all around
in Sam Adams’ attempts to conceal the truth,
younger, the better. Some of my pals have argued
homophobia by its reaction. Sam is being held
us. It is part of survival. And Mr. Adams made
and there is no pride in Portland’s first gay mayor.
with me that Sam is the victim in this mayhem.
up to a higher standard than the average person
that political survival decision to lie. We don’t
Sam Adams should resign, and allow our wonder
This is very disturbing.
because he is gay. Will we hold Obama to a higher
hire saints to do public work. That is part of the
ful city, like our country, the pride of returning to
reason that we have a system of checks and bal
a government of true transparency.
ances, so that the natural occurrences of lying,
So thank you for reassuring me that, at least
standard because he is black ?The real issue here for
in the greater GLBT community, 1 am not fully
most critics is that same-sex relations are immoral.
alone.
Have we not evolved beyond the witch hunt?
cheating and stealing can be discovered early and
S usan M. “S usie ” S hepherd
protect the public.
K aite C hase
H ank H arris
hard-working public servant. His personal life has
Portland
Portland
not hindered his fine work with the city.
Sam Adams, like all of us, is human. We should
Sam has proven himself as a strong, dedicated,
be concerned when it affects his actions on his job,
not his personal life. I hope the mayor stays in his
Courageous Decision
Portland Needs to Evolve
B jorn O lson
job and does the job he was elected to do.
To the E ditor :
To the E ditor :
Portland
Thank you for your courageous decision to call
O tte B oersma
for Sam’s resignation.
Portland
Portland needs to evolve from exclusive and
intolerant values. Sam Adams did not violate the
1 have been absolutely sickened these last
law. Sam had consensual sex with another adult.
three days, not only with Sam’s wholly reprehen
When questions regarding his personal sexual life
Adams Should Resign
sible conduct but, more painfully, the “I’m with
are inappropriately asked, the answer should be,
To the E ditor :
Sam” mania that seems to be rampant in the
“That is none of your business.” An exception
One of the great joys of Jan. 20’s inauguration
gay male community. I don’t understand at all
would be if he had sex with a minor. Many have
was the throwing off of the cloak of secrecy and
why there’s question that we would demand our
written that it is inappropriate to have sex with
lies that wrapped itself around the Bush/Cheney
leader to maintain a higher standard of integrity
someone 20 years younger. I am a 58-year-old gay
Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, 1943-2009
Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield died in a drowning accident
Jan. 6 in Mexico. He was 65.
force for peace within the interfaith movement through
March 19, 1943, and raised Orthodox in the Bronx,
of Oregon and Rabbis for Human Rights. Hirschfield
but he rejected Judaism at an early age. He moved
actively engaged in conversation and dialogue with
to San Francisco in the 1960s and followed other
Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Native Americans.
spiritual paths. But on Yom Kippur 1973, the day
He and his congregation created a welcoming home to
Egypt attacked Israel, he followed an impulse to fast,
many in the sexual minorities community, and he was
and found his way to Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s House
an equal rights activist.
Hirschfield is survived by his wife, Beth, and sons,
Jonathan, Aviel and 7-year-old twins Dov and Elisha.
Hirschfield was ordained as a rabbi in 1985 and
A funeral was held Jan. 12 at Congregation
went on to found two congregations, Havurah Shir
Neveh Shalom in Portland. Donations to support
Hadash in Ashland in 1985, then P’nai Or in Portland
the continuity ot P’nai Or can be sent to 9750 S.
in 1996, which he led until his death.
W. Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, OR 97219. Checks
11 irschf ie Id’s influence reached we 11 beyond the borders
of the Jewish community as he worked to build bridges
CLICK ON THE READER
SUBMISSIONS BUTTON.
and cultural backgrounds. He was an active voice and
numerous organizations, such as Ecumenical Ministries
awakening.
www.justout.com
of understanding between communities of diverse faith
Hirschfield, the son of a religious mother, was born
of Love and Prayer, where he experienced a spiritual
Submit your letters to the editor,
commitment announcements, transitions
or list your events online at
should be made out to “P’nai Or of Portland” and
specify “Reb Aryeh Legacy Fund."
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