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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2003)
TO THE EDITOR BY SALLY SHEKLOW Happy Sodomy! Check off another item on the homo to-do list. H appy sodomy, everybody! A stunning victory, isn’t it? And what a relief— especially for all the lovers in Texas and Georgia and the 11 other Not tonight dear, it’s a felony states. Now everybody’s right to privacy is protected and the sodomy laws are gone at last. My wife and I are going all out to com- memorate the sodomy decision. I hope everybody is. You can bet they’re feeling especially festive over in the per- sonal lubricant industry. On with fulfilling Justice Scalia’s prophecy. Time to dig out those dusty old Homosexual Agendas of ours, sharpen our pencils and start checking our progress. We used to deny such an agenda ever existed; we’d say we’re busy making a living, cleaning house and doing laundry just like everyone else. But big boy Antonin got it right — we do have an agenda, and it’s huge. I, for one, am glad to get the big honking thing out of my closet. Happily, we can begin marking off our Homo To-Do list with the Supremes’ ruling in favor of justice and dignity. ✔ Abolish sodomy laws. The fight’s still on, but equal marriage rights appear more imminent every day. So far, same-sex couples can legally marry in Denmark, Belgium, Ontario and most recently, British Columbia. By October, our northern neighbors are expected to rule marriage discrimination unconstitutional throughout Canada. Lesbian and gay committed unions will be legal on this side of the border very soon, fire and brimstone notwithstanding. Granted, a constitu- tional amendment to prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage is afoot in the U.S. House of Representatives—what a bunch of dinosaurs. But I’m not very worried, that amendment will soon be extinct, too. Everybody say “Pursuit of Happiness” (and drop Pete a line at www.house.gov/defazio/ContactMe.shtml). ✔ Progress toward coupled queers’ right to legally tie the knot.. You think you’re sweating bullets now, Justices Scalia, Rehnquist and Thomas? Wait till all the laws and policies that were kept afloat by your now- overturned ruling evaporate and your worst fears come true. Yes, we’re going after the children and we’re bringing them home. The end of discrimi- nation in adoption, foster care, and custody will be checked off our agendas faster than you can say “Daddy’s Roommate.” ✔ Fight for equality for all parents and families. While your honors are facing the truth of our lives, check out this chal- lenge to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. An ex-general was discharged for being gay under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (where sodomy remains a court- martial offense). He’s citing the new law of the land and challenging the con- stitutionality of the code. The ban on gays in the military is slipping into the backwaters of history. Long live Margarethe Camermeyer! ✔ Attack the ban on serving with honor. Another hottie on our agenda: the high school Gay-Straight Alliance. Principals and school boards have barred those support groups from meet- ing on campuses for years. But young queers and their schoolmate allies are fighting back, wielding the Supremes’ ruling. Without a constitutional leg to stand on, those policies will soon collapse and students can meet and greet to their hearts’ content. I predict we’ll be checking that item off our list be- fore Prom Night. ✔ Create a safe, supportive school environment for queer youth. haps no one has really explored what this means. If women’s sports were put to rest it would result in lost hope for millions of dreaming girls. It would be stripping these amazing athletes of their right to play and show off their talent. It would be taking away everything these girls have worked hard to accomplish. It hurts to know that the future of women’s sports lays in the hands of men. These men do not need the money they may possibly be losing on the sport. These peo- ple need to open up their eyes and realize that sometimes it’s not all about the money, but about hard work and dreams. Please — let’s not ruin dreams and put talent to rest. Instead, let’s support women’s sports. I suggest — no, I challenge you to watch a women’s sport. Maybe you’ll even enjoy it. Let’s do the work and watch women’s sports flourish. Kyra Rose Buckley Eugene LEARN FROM PAST I recently re-read the Declaration of Independence with a certain amount of trepidation in that I genuinely felt this docu- ment was antiquated and not applicable to today’s needs or concerns. Boy, was I wrong! After plowing through the first six para- graphs, where the founding fathers elabo- rate upon the abuses imposed upon the colonies by King George, I became sicken- ingly aware of the similarities between then and now. I was further shocked at what the writers of this document so articulately stated: “… and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” In plain lan- guage, we become comfortably complacent with bad government, even though it is de- stroying our very lives. Virtually every statement after the sixth paragraph perfectly describes the current condition of our government. As I read fur- ther, I wondered to myself, how did we manage to get ourselves into this quagmire, without so much as a lost step toward a march to the past? King George of England represented a monarchy whose reign and power was only limited by his ability to control the wealth of his empire. He used taxation and military power to dominate his citizens and the rest of the world. Today, our own King George Jr., represents not a monarchy, but a corpo- cracy, that is principally identical to that of King George’s. Hey folks, it’s time to wake up! William A. Fleenor, Ph.D. Mapleton EMOTION IN MOTION While I can certainly understand Brian Ellis’s concern over protecting our children from violence in the media, I must take issue with his assessment of the film Hulk (“Angry Green Giant” 7/3), and in fact question whether he has actually seen the We have an excellent selection of Tempurpedic & 521 Main St., Springfield, OR 97477 • 744-3343 2085 NW Buchanan Ave., Corvallis • (541) 757-2445 Supple-pedic Bedframes! www.michaelsfutons.com Financing Available OAC • 90 Days Same As Cash! • VISA/MC/DISC health & fitness I S S U E coming august 21st W e’re seeing more victories every day. Despite the hate crimes, AIDS, and nasty attitudes that still befall us, we are making incredible progress on The Homosexual Agenda. We’re not through, not by a long shot. But thanks to Justice Scalia’s reminder, we’re hip to the list and we’re proud to be checking it twice. On a more personal note, I am searching the Supremes’ ruling for its do- mestic implications. Now that the robed ones have ruled nobody has any business knowing what I do behind closed doors, maybe I can tackle my own agenda: ✔ Clean the bug carcasses out of the bedroom light fixture, AND ✔ Mate my socks. Sally Sheklow’s Living Out, which began in EW in 1999, recently won a Houston Press 2003 Lone Star Awards trophy. reserve your ad space early 484-0519 6 JULY 17, 2003
