O REGO N S GAY/LE SB IAN/Bl/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
JULY 3. 2009
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L E T T E R S T O T H E E D IT O R
"Please consider this from a voice in what is
supposed to be OUR oommunit/“
...W hen I attended the Pride festival in
Portland I was disappointed that the festival
committee has learned nothing about dis
crimination. I can only imagine that all of
the times that we have heard that gays and
lesbians could not marry their lover because
as George Idiot Bush put it, “B E C A U SE H E
IS A G A IN ST IT.” The PDX pride commit
tee [had its] own “I am against it” moment
and created a policy regarding smoking at
the festival. Setting aside for a moment that
the festival is outdoors, these self-appointed
guardians o f my health have crossed a line.. .so
far back behind us the line itself needs to be
repainted! I am a member o f this community.
What gives these people the right to treat
me differently? Before you respond with “If
you don’t like it quit smoking,” consider this.
“Sam A d a m s is in c h a r g e of th e Portland
Bureau of Transportation."
How did you feel when you were told that
you could marry but you just have to become
something you are not in order to do it?
...For a human rights organization to
treat one group differently is hypocrisy.
Pure and simple.... For members o f a com
munity to be deprived the joy o f being
proud o f being just the way God made us
[is] beyond sad.... In the name o f Rosa
[Parks], I am not riding at the back o f the
bus. IT SE E M S T O M E T H A T W E HAVE
ENO UGH
D ISC R IM IN A TIO N
TO
CO M BA T W IT H O U T G E T T IN G IT
FRO M O U R OW N B R O T H E R S A N D
SIST E R S. Portland gay pride? SH A M E!!
J a im e L a F leur
Vancouver ; Washington
“Portland Pride 2009“
On Sunday, June 14, 2009, at a special
9:30 am worship service at First Congrega
tional United Church o f Christ (FC /U C C ),
I shared memories o f Portland’s first Gay
Pride celebration in 1978. Two hundred o f us
marched up SW Broadway and veered off to
the downtown waterfront....
[This year, on] Saturday evening, [June 13]
my sister Teresa and I were able to attend the
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus (PG M C ) con
cert at the beautiful historic Arlene Schnitzer
Concert H all.... When P G M C had their first
rehearsal in March, 1980 in the sanctuary of
Metropolitan Community Church o f Port
land (M CCP), I was working in the church
office. Twenty-three men were in attendance.
Listening to them blessed my soul. In June
1980, P G M C had their first concert with
about 200 in attendance. There were only
three other choruses in other cities.
Today, there are gay men’s choruses in 200
cities worldwide. Portland’s chorus has about
125 members.... P G M C audiences range
anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 people. 65% o f
the audience is heterosexual....
Come Sunday, following the 9:30 am
service, I took [my visiting friend] Ken and
his friend’s daughter for a tour o f downtown
TH E B
Portland’s beautiful historic First Baptist
Church (F B C )....
Later in the afternoon, Susie Shepherd
picked me up and we drove to the English 6c
M etcalf (E & M ) law firm reunion. In 1980,
E & M was Portland’s first openly gay law firm
- and I was their first secretary.
In 1977, Bill and Ann Shepherd started
“Parents o f Gays” in Portand. Today, this has
evolved into an international organization
called PFLA G (Parents and Friends o f Les
bians 6c Gays).
Going back to Portland’s first Gay Pride
in 1978 - the G L B T community was on the
cutting edge of so many wonderful things, too
numerous to list here.
At M C C P ’s 30th Anniversary in [a] 2006
slide presentation, a photo o f me from 1980
was displayed. I was holding up a sign that
said “O U T O F T H E C L O S E T T O STAY.”
The word PR ID E means: No longer do
G L B T people have to be ashamed o f who
they are. As the Gaither Gospel Chorus says:
W E A R E FR E E T O LO V E EA CH
O T H E R , W E A R E LO VED.
S is t e r P aula N ie l se n
Portland
DHI T R EE “
a healing ]place
o
Chiropractic
Acupuncture
N atu ro p ath y
M assag e
5 JW
“
Athena Zahn, D C
Ani McManus, LAc
Sharon Griffin, N D
Jami Adcock, LM T
Becky Morrison, LM T
Shanta Prescott, LM T
As o f July 1,2009, hourly parking meter
rates will jump to $1.50 per hour. Adams
himself has stated that he will make an ex
emption to having to pay-to-park on Sun
day mornings, “...to avoid charging people
coming downtown for church.”
Adams is in direct conflict with sepa
ration o f church and state.... H e’s dis
criminating against people who worship at
night...or another time and day o f the week
that’s not Sunday morning. And Adams is
discriminating against those who do not
worship.
That said, I am not able to marry my
boyfriend.
In large part this is because o f some...
not all...but some very vocal religious or
ganizations that actively fight and finance
constitutional amendments to keep me...
A N D Sam Adams...second-class citizens.
Some o f the same religious organizations
that Adams [are] now giving a pass to have
previously called for his resignation or
recall.
They have suddenly fallen silent. It
doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put 2+2
together.
I have long said to my boyfriend that
Adams is one o f the shrewdest politicians
I’ve seen. I’ve been used. Adams has chosen
to partner with some o f the same people
who actively fight to deny me full equality.
To borrow a term from these people Adams
has now “converted” me.
He has converted me from a man who
has called him on numerous occasions to
offer him my support, encouragement,
and advice...to a man who will now...with
deep regret and sadness...sign the recall
petition.
P e t e C o lt
Portland
T R A N S IT IO N S
The Board, Titleholders and Members o f the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court o f Oregon
are saddened to announce the passing of Rose Empress XVIII Mona Greer. Planning is
underway for a memorial in Portland. Details will be posted at www.rosecourt.org as soon as
they are finalized, and Just Out will feature a full-length Transition in its July 17 issue.
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