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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2011)
OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE AUGUST 5, ZOÌ1 just out Mayor May Not VOL. 28. NO. 17 Reacting to the news that Sam Adams won’t run for re-election In the later hours o f Friday afternoon, July 2 9 ,1 was out and about tending to my daily assortment o f Just Out tasks. As I pulled into the post office my phone chirped, reminding me I had emails that hadn’t been checked for at least 45 seconds. Safely off the street, in a parked car with the ignition off, I hit the email feature. As per the previous 143 times that day, I was rewarded with a variety o f in vites to a host o f fundraisers, combined with the never-ending, ever-thoughtful offers from folks concerned about the size o f my penis and its performance. As I deleted my way through this messy morass, my eyes focused in on one jarring subject line from Sam Adams, “Portland’s future— and mine.” Good gawd almighty, Portland Mayor Sam Adams had just announced that he was not going to run for a second term. I did not see that coming. For months I had assumed that Sam would run for office again. M y speculation was never on “if ” but only on “when.” I knew he couldn’t put off the decision much longer, mid to late August at the latest. I knew a run for re-election would be hard. The biggest challenge, to my mind and to many others gathered around the proverbial water cooler the last few weeks, would be his ability to raise money. Money, as in who would give it to him and could he possibly bring in enough to mount a successful campaign. On Friday afternoon, July 29, raising money ceased to be a concern. As I read and reread the email, I was filled with a myriad o f emotions— each with a life span o f about four seconds, one quickly re placed by the next. First, o f course, was the sheer surprise o f it all. Then came sadness, which I’ll explain later, then relief, which I’ll also explain later, all accompanied by a jumble o f questions. As o f today, one week later, I have not spoken personally to the mayor about his decision. Amanda Schurr had a brief phone conversation with him on Tuesday, a conver sation from which we garnered, as expected, nothing that hadn’t already been asked and answered by the mainstream media. She re ports on her conversation on p. 5. There’s a lot I’d like to ask the mayor, but I don’t think Portland is going to see much more in the next 17 months than a heavily focused and concentrated effort on getting the work done. At this point in time, Sam Adams doesn’t re ally have to answer any more questions. As the word started to spread via electronic messengers, my next emotion was again surprise— surprise at how little reaction there was on the blogs and Facebook. Granted, it was Friday afternoon, it was sunny, everyone was at Sauvie Island or hiking in the Gorge, but it’s not like we’re ever completely turned off from the news. And yet there it was, pretty much nothing. One or two mentions on Fa cebook and that was about the sum o f it. As soon as the word went up on OregonLive, its readers crawled out from under their rocks to comment, but other than that... The average cute kitten video would have received more attention than the news that the first gay mayor o f a major American city would not be seeking a second term. Why did I feel sadness? Why did I feel relief? The sadness is simple. I feel pain and empathy— and sadness for the promise lost. I was among the most ardent support ers o f Sam Adams as he transitioned from city hall staffer to city commissioner and then to mayor. In this very space some years back, I outlined my vision for his future. A term, maybe two, as commissioner. A term, maybe two, as mayor. A term, maybe two, as governor, followed by years o f remarkable statesmanlike leadership as the U.S. Senator from the State o f Oregon. And then, gray ing, aging and ready to be home, I had him retiring to his Oregon coast sanctuary with his cats and his longtime partner. But here’s the good news in all o f this: Sam will still have a rewarding career and a fine life. Retir ing to the coast with a loving partner, likely legal husband by then, is still on the table. The trip may have encountered a detour, but the journey, and the adventures, are far from over for Sam Adams. Why did I feel relief at the news o f Adams not seeking a second term? Well, because it wasn’t all going to be fun. And lord knows I’m all about the fun. As the publisher o f this paper, it’s my job to lead the endorse ment process for local races. Just Out would, will endorse a candidate for the office o f Portland mayor in 2012. Had Adams run it would have been 17 months o f hell. Adams would have been beaten up daily. So would I. Am I a coward to admit I wasn’t looking forward to this? So be it. Reactions to the word that Adams wouldn’t run brought comments like, “Now what will Marty Davis bitch about? I am sure she’ll find another male to hate.” And 17 months o f this? As a comic says, “You just can’t fix stupid.” And that’s what this race would have likely turned out to be, 17 months o f contentious name-calling, nastiness and mean-spiritedness. And that, folks, would have just been the LG BTQ _ community. So yeah, I’m not sorry we’re not going to have to go through that. Would Just Out have endorsed Adams? I have no idea. We would have evaluated his performance as current mayor and, yes, we would have posed a few other questions, too. It was not a given that we would have endorsed him, it was not a given that we would not have. Now, with Adams out o f the ra ce,Just Out will turn its attention to the other candidates. We’ll ask where they stand on our issues, where they’ve been in the past and what can we expect from them in the future. It’s busi ness as usual here JM PARTNER! /O i.S B g P O im e/ess tr e a su r e s viniaae ¡eu>e/ry No Medical Exam s, No U A s, No Blood Drawn! Call 503.516.8793 to see if you qualify. AUGUST 5. 2011 INSIDE: » N E W S & C O M M U N IT Y 5 NORTHWEST NEWS IN BRIEF 10 LAST CALL Two LGBTQJandmarks shut down, tear down 12 HATS OFF! PA BA celebrates scholars with festive brunch 13 FARM-FRESH FUNDRAISING l IRC Portland channels Portlandia with second annual gala 18 A GOOD FIT Finding the right school for children in L G B T Q jarnilies » L IF E & C U L T U R E 14 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE The “ Nuns ‘N Roses” Sisters o f Perpetual Indulgence International Conclave invades Portland 21 OUT & ABOUT 28 ALL FIRED UP Just when you thought Pride was over... 30 TO LEATHER, WITH LOVE Oregon Leather Pride 2011 is back in black 32 DANCIN’ IN THE STREET Crush celebrates 10th anniversary in block party style » C O L U M N IS T S 25 LIVING OUT LOUD 26 FROM HALF A LIFE TO WHOLE 27 LADY ABOUT TOWN 34 THE SASSY GARDENER 35 REMEMBER TO BREATHE provides therapy education and to help children through all phases and adoption PROTECT YOUR Up to $400K in Life Insurance 3 jK nthy Shea Designer fjO jJ 5 2 2 —4<$9<$ tvww. tim e/essireasuresby JCathys ^)/iea com REMEMBER, fresh news daily at justout.com
