The current issue of Just Out has an interesting commentary from publisher-editor Marty Davis.

It begins:

It’s June. It’s Pride. Portland, Oregon, everywhere. Pride, a time for merriment and mirth. And unfortunately, also a time that signals the arrival of the season for pissiness and pettiness on the parts of many.

Including Just Out! Just Out really, really doesn’t like the Pride haters. (In fact, you could say Just Out hates haters!)

Davis continues:

I find it even more irritating when members of our own community feel it their duty, their need, to flaunt their disapproval, while letting everyone know how meaningless all of Pride is.

Then, she throws out Exhibit A…

I’m especially intrigued by this quote, which appears in a recent issue of one of Portland’s alternative weeklies: “I find any excuse to leave town during Pride. I hate it. I find the self-congratulatory nature of it unbelievable, and I don’t feel like it’s my world at all. Even though it’s supposed to show this wide breadth of the queer community, or whatever. Just because you’re queer doesn’t mean you’re a cool person, just because people are queer doesn’t mean we have to have a party about it.”

Some of the keys on Davis’ keyboard must have been stuck, because she wasn’t able to type which paper that quote appeared in—that’d be this one, the Mercury, in our official Pride Guide. Davis also wasn’t able to name the source of that quote.

Ironically, it was Sarah Dougher—bad ass local musician, and former news editor at Just Out. Hmmm. I wonder if Dougher’s time working for Davis has influenced her opinion of “the self-congratulatory nature” of Pride?

You know, Oprah-esque “we are all part of a greater community” stuff (also from the commentary) like:

Pride is not a party, Pride is not a parade. Pride is how you live your life. Pride is not about being a cool person; it’s about being the best person you can be. Pride is taking ownership of weakness and celebration of strengths. Pride is looking beyond being gay and understanding that we are all part of a greater community. Pride is caring about our schools, our neighborhoods, our homes and our families. Pride is caring about our city, our nation and our planet.

Gag.