Just out., June 18, 2010, Page 6, Image 6

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JUNE 18 2010
Im agine a Religion
That Stands on
the Side oi Love
Unitarian Universalists support the rights
of bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and
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Families come in many forms and we
welcome them in our churches.
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C ell
LIC*ML1056
Memorial Day Weekend Queer Bashing”]. In
your own words, “events such as those last week
are an example why newspapers and reporters
and editors are still needed and still valuable.” I
would add that the value of queer reporters and
queer editors was shown last week as well. As
one of the people attacked over Memorial Day
weekend, I do not think I can ever express fully
the appreciation I have for Erin [Rook, Associate
Editor] and her work investigating and reporting
the attack. There was the need to get information
out to the community at large about the incident.
Social media is expedient but suffers from emo­
tion, rumors and distortion. W hen you’re caught
in the whirlwind of your own and your partner’s
emotions, dealing with teaching yourself the cor­
rect reporting procedures, interviewing with po­
lice officers and detectives and the community’s
desire for information, it is very, very close to
overwhelming. Knowing there are queer allies
working the beat and critically looking at the
story, spending hours researching and interview­
ing police, witnesses and those involved in the
attack was comforting. The story would be told
as clearly as it could be; that was really important
and grounding when I was in the middle of the
storm. Having an oudet to fully trust the story
to and having it edited so cautiously provided
a deep and not soon to be forgotten emotional
support. Thank you.
James Campbell, aka Birch,
aka Itsy Von Von Bon, Portland
503 « 780»1561
Finding Pride in Unit/
It’s a beautiful thing.
rumiss
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facade. The first floor provides retail space for
local businesses, while the second and third
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Leasing Information
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shagan@windermere.com
numisspdx.com
To
th e
E
d it o r
:
I am the publisher of the Unity Portland Pag­
es, a division of Diversity Publications, Inc. Over
the last few months, our team has worked hard
to put the business directory and resource guide
together for our debut. I felt it was important to
take a moment and tell the story of Unity.
On November 5, 2008, California voters
passed Proposition 8, the California Marriage
Protection Act. The proposition passed by a
margin of 1.58 percent of the citizens o f Califor­
nia, and a margin of less than 4.5 percent of the
registered voters of California. Before this date, I
really had not given much thought to gay mar­
riage. I assumed that this being the 21st century
and in the state of California, gay marriage would
be recognized as an extension of the civil rights
movement for minorities.
In the weeks that followed, I found myself
attending protests, making calls, participating
in marches and questioning the very foundation
of my friendships and business relationships. I
searched public records of who contributed to the
43.3 million dollar campaign to defeat a civil right.
I was shocked to find that businesses I had long
patronized, including restaurants, gas stations,
and movie theaters, had supported this measure. I
no longer frequent these establishments because
they used money to deny a civil right.
As the election results were revealed, it became
apparent that there was a lack of communication
between different minority groups who have all
suffered from discrimination. Furthermore, I
realized there was a gap between these groups
and the larger community around them .... 1 felt
there had to be a way to bridge the gapi>etween
minorities, nonprofits, businesses and consum­
ers. My friend, William Smith, the graphic
designer for a minority publication in Portland
for over nine years, had expressed his desire to do
something new and meaningful for the Portland
community. We put his knowledge of publishing
and the Portland community together with my
mission to connect these unique communities.
Hence, Unity Portland Pages was born.
At its core, Unity is a semi-annual print and
web directory and resource guide for businesses,
nonprofits and consumers. But it is much more
than that; it is a spark for creative advertising and
a way to bring true community to Portland.
It is my hope that Unity Portland Pages will
unite businesses, nonprofits and consumers by
building strong relationships in and out of our
directory.
As you read and use our directory, please let
me know any feedback you may have, and what
you would like to see in future editions....
Most importantly, let our advertisers and
nonprofits know you found them in UNITY
PORTLAND PAGES!
Thank you to my staff, and our supporters!
Tom LaVoie, CEO/Publisher
tom@portlandunity.com, Portland
Pride in (Counter)
Protest
To
th e
E
d it o r
:
I am glad Just Out has provided coverage
[Vol. 27, No. 12, Page 3, “The Toddlers are
Coming!” and Vol. 27, No. 12, p. 5, Northwest
News in Brief, “Hundreds Come O ut in Unity
Against Westboro Baptist Church Picket at
Grant High”] but I think that by not taking a
stand against groups such as the W BC sends the
wrong message to the kids that are going to [be]
witnessing and processing the hate mongering
taking place in front of their school. Not many
high-school students, unless they are currently
members o f the LGBT community, are going
to read Just Out, but they are going to see what
is [in] front o f th em .... How awesome and in­
spiring would it be for these kids to witness the
power of one progressive movement, united in a
nonviolent sit-in, demonstrating that as a whole,
we cannot be broken? The voices o f the people
o f the W BC have been heard by members o f the
LGBT community before.... Coming together
to confront the demons that have haunted them
in [the] past will only aid in extinguishing them
in the future, not just for themselves but for every
single student who may question their sexuality,
skin color, ethnicity or any other discriminatory
facet that exists in society. I t’s about civil rights
and letting everyone know that you are not only
accepted but wanted by more people than those
few who spread disillusions of fear and hate
to make themselves feel better. Portland has a
Gay Pride parade, but where is that pride when
confronted with opposition? Are you not ques­
tioning the [W BC] principals’ motives in not
wanting counter-protesters? I don’t know what
he said to your magazine nor what he has to the
community at large, but what matters is what
the students are hearing. ... If you have pride,
now is the time to show it.
Jake Rossman
Portland