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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2009)
OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE JUNE 12 2009 a Submit /our letters to the editor, commitment announcements, transitions or list your events online at ww justout com. CLICK ON THE READER SUBMISSIONS BUTTON LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What does “United We Stand" mean in the age of the Som Adams administration? Color Guards at gay pride parades are filled with those who've served many flags avoid any appearance of impropriety. We are ing letter from Katharine English, the former those who believe a man’s personal life is his judge and an iconic Oregon activist for gay, own so long as it does not impede the ex lesbian, bi and trans rights profiled in the ecution of his responsibilities to the people he serves. We are those who support a gay May 29 issue. "The interview [with Just OutJ had man because his struggles have been great. its repercussions, * she prefaced. T have been We are those who believe support must be thinking about the 'movement'for days now. earned for other reasons as well. We are old, I have been concerned about the divisiveness young, passionate, unsure, scared, or confi the Sam Adams events [have] caused, and this dent. We don’t want to do wrong. We want year's PRIDE theme. So Ijotted my notes in a to do right. We may not all believe the same about Letter to the Editor. ’ We have reprinted her thoughts in their what should transpire now, but we likely all believe that Sam Adams deserves to entirety, below. be treated equally under the law, that he What does “United We Stand” mean in deserves the right to follow his own con sidered path in this matter, and that we can the face of the Sam Adams debacle? When we first began our struggle against form and hold our own opinions, but that the Oregon Citizens Alliance over twenty we must continue to lock arms in the walk years ago, we were a community of enclaves,- for the equal justice for ourselves that we closets, bars, embryonic institutions, and must grant Sam. Without our union together over the skirmishing political warriors. The fight against the OCA’s cruel and dangerous mea past two decades, our contemporary inde sures drew us together, and by the defeat of pendence and our liberty of being would Measure Nine in 1992, we had blazed forth never have progressed so far. Our continu in victory and all our glory, coming out, ing peace and progress depend upon our speaking out, organizing and triumphing. continued union in support of our cause: Today, our primary political [goal] re true freedom and equality. How we address mains the same: equal rights for all persons this crisis will reflect on the wisdom we regardless of sexual orientation. We are all have gained from those who fought before LGBT individuals, likely living in houses us, and will set the path we travel for those with those whose values we share, houses in who come after us. a fairly homogenous neighborhood, neigh “United we stand” means we stand borhoods in a diverse city, in cities from one united in the belief that each GLBT mem end of the social and political scale to the ber of our communities everywhere has other in a state similar and vastly different the right to his/her own opinion, that each to other states. This does not change that opinion may be expressed with fervor, but “united we stand, and must” if we are to ac with respect for an opposing view, that each complish our primary goal. opinion may be reasonable and of value. We Then, and now, we are the Log Cabin must, ultimately, believe in each other, in the Republicans and the Obama Devotees, righteousness of our motivations, the devo MCCers and the Mormons, gay men and tion to our cause, and the deepest goodness lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals, sadists of our hearts. and masochists, socialists and capitalists, laborers and white-collar government work K atharine E nglish ers. We are those who believe that a man formerly Portland, now Utah - who holds public office should be held to where unity is stillfar, far away high standards of personal behavior and D ear J ust O ut : E d . N ote : Just Out received the follow Many moons ago, the Editor of Just Out wrote what I paraphrase here: “It could be the Hamburger Relish parade, and I would still get emotional, watching the Color Guard go by.” I know that perspective so well. I have organized and participated in the Color Guard for the Portland Pride Parade each year since 1996. I continue to be joyfully awestruck as so many parade watchers each year gaze at our Color Guard, with that look of wonder crossing their faces, as they seem to be thinking, “That flag belongs to me too!” Margaret Thatcher said, “No one can exercise a right unless someone else has previously carried out an obligation.”This applies equally to those brave souls in the year 1215 who signed the Magna Carta, and to those brave souls in 1969 who stood up to the police raids at the Stonewall Inn, and to us today as our parade shines the light of liberty on the pathway to freedom for those around the world. As various movements and ideas have reinvented themselves across the cavalcade of human history, we have also seen our parade transform through the years from a protest, to “We’re Here, We’re Queer,” to a celebration of joy, self-actualization, and achievement. As we now celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, many may ask: What does the GLBT community of fer to the larger society, nationwide and worldwide? My answer: We offer our abil ity to mix so well, to create social cohe sion and civil society, conveying the spirit of joy, across so many races, cultures, and continents. The Color Guards at various gay pride parades around the world are filled with military veterans who have served many flags and who have stood guard at free dom’s farthest flung frontiers. Military, veteran, or civilian, the GLBT community is striving to push back the barriers to freedom. Incrementally, we shall win new free doms for ourselves, and guard the free doms of others. Hand in hand, we shall move the parade of humanity forward into the future. Our cause is just. Our cause is love. 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