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
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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
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