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OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
letters
“ N e w Y o r k ’s P o e t a n d
t h e J u s t if ic a t io n o f P r id e ”
To
t h e
E
d it o r
:
In 1860, Walt W hitm an seems to have
almost had a vision of full equality in New
York state, which came to pass with the gay
marriage legislation of June 24,2011. To para
phrase his poem, “So Long!”
I announce what comes after me...
...When America does what was promised,
When each part is peopled with free people, When
there is no city on earth to lead my city, the city o f
young men, the Mannahatta city...
...So long! I announce natural persons to arise,
Iannounce justice triumphant, Iannounce uncom
promising liberty and equality, I announce the jus
tification of candor, and the justification ofpride...
...I announce adhesiveness— I say it shall be
limitless, I say you shall yet fin d the friend you
was looking for...
...Do notforget me, I feel like one who has done
his work— I progress on, The unknown sphere,
more real than I dreamed, more direct, darts
awakening rays about me— So long! Remember
my words— I love you— I departfrom materials,
I am as one disembodied, triumphant, dead.
t h e
E
d it o r
JULY 1. 2011
B Y RYAN J. P R A D O
P r id e o n D is p la y ?
To
»
:
I recently encountered a window display at
Portlands downtown Nike store in support of
gay pride, which is exciting because it reflects
the company’s willingness to publicly sup
port the queer community in its fight for the
same rights, recognition and legal protections
as straight couples. However, the decision by
certain members ot the queer community to
align with Nike, a multinational corporation
that is notorious for its reliance on sweatshop
labor, may prove antithetical to the liberatory
aims of the GLBT community at large: to
construct a society in which every citizen is re
spected. Consequently, Nike’s endorsement of
gay pride primarily serves to expand their con
sumer base of goods produced within an envi
ronment of questionable working conditions,
which is not empowering for either GLBT
people or for industrial production workers.
Instead, members of the GLBT community
should seek sponsorship and alignment with
other companies that provide safe working
conditions, and good wages and benefits for
their workers.
Sincerely,
Mark C. Abell
Portland
Mitchell Santine Gould
Portland
O re g o n ia n s A s k
B la z e rs to S ta n d U p
A g a in s t H o m o p h o b ia
John Zeller, a student at Oregon State
University, has filed an online petition with
Change.org in the hopes that with enough
signatures, it will convince the Portland
Trailblazers to produce an “It Gets B etter”
video. Should the Blazers prove swayed by
the petition, they’d be the first organization
in the NBA to produce such a spot.
“Five [Major League Baseball] teams have
already made videos and I think it’s time for
the Blazers to make a statement,” Zeller said
in a press release. “Portland has such a large
LG B T community; it’d he huge for them to
come out in support o f a campaign like this.”
Traci Rose, vice president o f comm unica
tions for the Trailblazers, told Just Out that
while the organization is now aware o f
Zeller’s petition, and a similar plea from re
tired Southridge High School teacher Rich
M atkins, any move on the Blazers’ part
would likely happen closer to the opening o f
the season in October. Rose noted that high-
profile athletes are less available in the off
season to assist in getting the message to a
more widespread audience.
“W hen we go out and do a campaign, we
want to make sure we’re giving it its full re
spect,” Rose explained.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and
the Chicago Bulls’Joakim Noah were both
involved in high-profile incidences o f ho
mophobic remarks during this season’s NBA
playoffs, and were both given stiff fines. In
Major League Baseball, five teams responded
to petition-driven campaigns to produce
videos for “It G ets Better,” though as Rose
pointed out, the swiftness with which base
ball has responded makes sense considering
their league is in season.
Rose reported that discussions internally
have just begun about how best to address a
campaign against hom ophobic slurs, and
overall anti-gay sentim ent in the Blazers
►
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