• letters&babies
OCTOBER 21, 2011
An appreciation I expect our community to
honor. Today, Portland disappointed me.
My boyfriend is Christian, a difficult area
of our relationship we struggle with daily. He
wanted to attend the new Mars Hill Church.
I went with him because I strive to know a
whole person, to understand differences in or
der to appreciate the strengths. So, I went.
The church was welcoming and non-pre-
sumptive. The primary message of the sermon
was to connect to and understand the city, and
to be good community members. Pastor Tim
praised Mayor Adams for meeting with the
church and honoring it as part of the Portland
community. I was happy to see this; I was
pleased the focus was on community and re
spect for one another.
When we left the church, there was a small
group of protestors outside. They cursed as
people exited and chanted “pro-choice, pro
queer, homophobes get outta here.’’They wore
bandanas over their faces as they shouted at
families. As they shouted and cursed at me.
I am pro-choice. I am pro-queer. I am not
a homophobe. Some of my closest friends are
lesbian. This summer I had the joy of wit
nessing two of them unite in marriage. My
boyfriend attended their ceremony, too. We
also attend events in support of Gay Pride.
Yet, here 1 was labeled and discriminated
against for simply being inside of that church.
For taking the time to understand a different
perspective. There was nothing in the sermon
W W W .JUSTOUT.CO M
[that was] the slightest bit anti-gay or anti
Portland. It is a shame that none of the people
protesting took the time to figure that out.
We cannot claim to be diverse, open-mind
ed people, and then selectively discriminate. It
is the greatest of hypocrisies. Portland should
be a great community because people can
safely and peacefully express their beliefs and
lifestyles no matter what they might be.
There is an appropriate platform for de
bating conflicting beliefs. Shouting slurs at
people to protest a different set of slurs is not
that platform. It only stands to perpetuate the
negativity that exists. To those who protested,
you did more harm than good for your cause.
You showed hate for another group of people.
You treated others as you would not want to
be treated. I shook my head as I walked out,
because I knew that those actions would not
help my gay friends in their mission to find
equality in the world. I try to live by Gandhi’s
words, “Be the change you wish to see in this
world.” Condemning others will not free you
from condemnation.
As we walked away, I overheard a mother
talking to her son. He asked why people had
to be angry. Her reply, “People should be nice
to each other, no matter what they believe.”
It only everyone in our community would
follow that edict.
RITA RAE LUNDÒUIST HALL
i«e_i
Just Out's art director, Aimee Genter-Gilmore (left) and her partner, Natalie Genter-
Gilmore (right) are bursting with excitement to announce the birth of their son,
Oscar Rocket Genter-Gilmore, born October 6. Welcome to the family, Oscar!
Elbe Prpich
Portland
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Both Allen I .ivv
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Rights Oregon Superhero Award. Selected as a 2010
Oregon Super Lawyer. Founding member of the
BRO Legal Group; author of Same Sex Marriage: a
Conflicts o f Law Analysis for Oregon ; frequent local,
state and national speaker on marriage equality.
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