OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
just out
Forty Years Ago
Looking Back on Stonewall, and Ahead To Our Next Fight
As the nation celebrates June, and Pride
month, there will be many references to the
40th anniversary of Stonewall. Journalists,
bloggers, Pride organizers, all will toss about
the reference with ease - assuming, perhaps,
that everyone knows exactly what Stonewall
is, and what happened there that people still
talk about 40 years later.
The thing is, many, if not most people*
attending Pride celebrations now are far
younger than 40, 50 or 60 years old. And in
today’s world of internet news - reported
instantaneously - and forgotten just as
quickly, 40-year-old events are ancient his
tory. That said, Stonewall is a lesson that
bears repeating.
What happened at the Stonewall Inn
in New York’s Greenwich Village on June
27, 1969 is very well documented. There
are countless books, articles and even films
detailing and analyzing the events of that
night. Ihe most concise versions usually be
gin by describing an event that many younger
.people can’t imagine happening today. Gay
life 40 years ago was quite different than it
is now. Today, in 2009, in Portland, Oregon,
our mayor is likely to appear at an event in a
gay bar. Not so, then.
Forty years ago, in June 1969, the New
York police raided a gay bar. It happened a lot
in those days. On that particular night, how
ever, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn and,
eventually, many hundreds of their friends,
decided that enough was enough. That eve
ning, the gays, the lesbians, the queens, they
all fought back. On that night, gay politics,
activism and culture were changed forever.
On that night, and the four to follow, the
nation and the world saw the birth of the
modern gay rights movement.
That evening saw brave men and women
stand up and fight back against the oppres
sion that most had known all their lives.
That night saw brave men and women stand
up and fight back so that 40 years later, we
can march with pride and assurance through
the streets of downtown Portland. While the
frontline battle for many today is marriage
equality, a scant 40 years ago people quite
the same as us today were fighting for the
right to simply be.
And that, in the proverbial nutshell, is
the story of the 40th anniversary of Stone
wall - and why it matters to us today.
On a personal note, I’d like to con
gratulate Darcelle XV, Portland’s legendary
personality, for being named by the Na
tional Gay and Lesbian Task Force as one
of‘Stonewall’s 40 Trans Heroes.’ Further de
tails on this award are found on page 8, but
I want to acknowledge here the magnificent
work of Portland’s own Stonewall Hero.
Today, as noted, the gay rights agenda has
turned mainly to marriage equality. For peo
ple living in places like Central and Eastern
Oregon, people who still face and fear oppres
sion due merely to their sexual orientation or
identity, same-sex marriage might seem like
tomorrow’s problem. Nevertheless, marriage
equality is where the focus of activism has
come to rest today. As such, on the heels of
discontent over the passage and upholding of
California’s Proposition 8, banning same-sex
marriage in that state, the call has again been
heard for a national gay, lesbian, bi and trans
march on Washington, D.C.
Organizers of the “National March for
Equality” have selected Sunday, October 11,
2009 as the date to gather in the nation’s
capital to show elected leaders that we de
mand full, equal rights for gay, lesbian, bi
and trans people. And beyond what I’ve just
written, I don’t have much more to tell you.
Questions, yes, I’ve got questions. Answers,
not so many. Not yet, anyway.
There is a Web site, of course, www.
nationalmarchforequality.com. Once there
you will be asked to sign up to receive ad
ditional information. October 11 - also
National Coming Out Day - is not that far
away. To stage an event sufficient in size to
garner national attention will require a great
deal of work, money and organization. And
if there’s anything that people have to spare
right now, it’s money. Just saying.
B
15 Years Ago in Just Out I volume II. number 16. June 17. 1994
and extra-special rites, featuring Carol Steinel
and Howie Baggadonutz. The duo will perform
a variety of topical skits and solo work for three
nights only.
■ Dr. Mary Ann Humphrey, author of My Country.
My Right to Serve and co-host of Nightscene,
gives a call to action and video presentation on
Wednesday. May 29.
■ The Metropolitan Human Rights Commission
is soliciting applicants for appointments to
the commission. Appointments are made by
Mdyor Vera Katz and County Chairwoman
Beverly Stein for three-year terms, beginning
in September. The mission of the 15-member
commission is to foster mutual understanding
and respect, and to protect the human rights
of all persons in the city of Portland and
Multnomah County.
■ An original and eloquent voice for change was stilled with
the death of filmmaker Marlon Riggs, from complications of
AIDS, in April of this year. Riggs achieved, in his films, a rare
and compelling blend of artistic and political expression.
JUNE 12. 2009
INSIDE»
» FEATURE
22
WHAT MAKES US CLICK
Just Out proudly presents the winners
of the 2009 Amateur Photo Contest
» NEWS
5
LETTERS
8
NORTHWEST BRIEFS
16
PROFILE
For travel writer Andrew Collins, there’s
no place like home
19
YOUTH
Christine Jarlstrom is an activist
to watch—and look to for inspiration
21
COMMUNITY
Pride Build breaks ground for Portland
Habitat for Humanity
ack to Pride, Just Out will be
headed to the Waterfront Festival
for Portland Pride, where we look
forward to meeting and greeting just about
31
every one of you. And if we miss you in
44
Portland, there’s always Vancouver, Salem,
Eugene, Bend, Lincoln City, Corvallis and
who-knows-where else. Just Out staffers
46
will drag themselves home from Portland
49
Pride on Sunday evening, and then we take
a
you-have-no-idea-how-well-deserved
week off. We’ll return in print on July 3
with pages and pages of photo memories
from all the Portland Pride activities. Our
July 17 issue will feature the history of
36
Portland’s Q_ Center, as the community
41
unites in July to celebrate the grand move
43
to the center’s new location.
We have much to celebrate this 40th an
niversary of Stonewall. Let’s do it together.
We ll see you at Pride.
60
REFLECTIONS
■ The Portland City Council has taken one more step toward
the enactment of civil rights for all persons. They just passed
a resolution that gives unmarried domestic partners health
benefits comparable to those of married employees.
■ The Church of Scotland said May 26 that it still considers
queer sex "contrary to God s will for humankind." The
announcement followed heavy debate at the church’s General
Assembly. However, attendees did agree that gay men and
lesbians should not be discriminated against.
■ Over 300 grassroots AIDS activists came to Washington. D.C.
May 22 to 24. from 40 states across the country, to lobby for
increased funding for AIDS. AIDSWATCH ’94 was a coalition
effort of 20 national and local organizations, with principal
coordination by the National Association of People with AIDS.
■ In the Life is the first national gay and lesbian series to
run on the Public Broadcasting System. The program is now
being shown on over 60 PBS stations around the country. On
Wednesday. June 22. OPB plans to air one episode of the
series, at 10:30 pm. following a documentary on Stonewall. OPB
currently has no plans to run the programs on a regular basis.
■ Just in time for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots,
it’s Unnatural Acts, an evening of original comedy and music
i VOL 26 NO. 16
» ARTS 8 CULTURE
OUT 8 ABOUT
BUSINESS
Bites for Rights fills stomachs while
raising funds for Basic Rights Oregon
NIGHTLIFE DIRECTORY
MUSIC
Portland s own Logan Lynn is making
some of the best music out there
» COLUMNISTS
LIVING OUT LOUD
SASSY GARDENER
NW OUT TRAVELER
New column! Eric Olson does 48 hours
in and around Olympic National Park
MS. BEHAVIOR