Ruby House: opening doors and minds
More than one hundred local professionals, clergy and
community leaders turned out for an open house
in May. Many of them have revisited the residence
and offered their support.
These progressive people normally do not
support projects that are initiated by gays and
n addition to providing housing for people
lesbians, and for most of them it was a first.
disabled by HIV, commonly known as
More than 100 local professionals, clergy and
AIDS, Ruby House has affected the attitudes of community leaders turned out for an open house
people in the rural community of Roseburg. It
in May. In addition to healthcare professionals,
has placed the local homophile community in a
we invited the staffs of county, state and federal
position of leadership and serves as a vehicle for
agencies, religious and civic leaders, and
addressing homophobia as well as this dreaded
community activists. Over the last few months
epidemic. By its existence Ruby House estab­
many of them have revisited the residence and
lishes common ground for the non-gay and the
offered their support. Some donated much-
gay and lesbian communities to work together.
needed supplies and furniture, others gave time
and money.
A Brownie troop from a nearby town recently
has discussed making Ruby House its troop
project. By the time this paper goes to press.
I’m optimistic we’ll have interlaced with these
young women and be on our way to merging
with this traditional element of the community.
Direct care has also played an important role
in effecting social change. Although our first
resident, a man with stage-three HIV disease
(formerly known as ARC), moved in the week
we took possession of the home, we didn’t
receive our first critically ill resident until the
middle of June. He was close to the end of his
life when he arrived in the Roseburg area with
his loving family.
Our volunteer program proved more than
adequate in meeting the needs of this family.
The 20 or so persons who gave their time and
energy included half a dozen RNs from local
institutions, homemakers, musicians, clergy, a
physical therapist, a lawyer, as well as many in
Last month we invited a sociology class that
the gay and lesbian community.
was studying AIDS as a term project to visit
In accompanying this man to death’s door,
Ruby House. A father who lost his son to AIDS,
our community expanded beyond gays and
two gay men with AIDS and myself participated
lesbians to include an equal number of non­
in the four-hour presentation. Many of the
gays, people who by providing loving care got
college students had never knowingly met a gay
their first glimpse through the gay window.
person. All but one had never met anybody with
Having a resident here also created common
AIDS. At the close of the afternoon we
ground on which to establish relationships with
challenged the class to address homophobia and
local businesses and institutions. Since Ruby
fear of AIDS in the future by admitting to their
House is situated in the town in which I live, the
tearful friends and relatives that they have met
town in which I ran for the school board as an
gay people and people with AIDS and by
openly gay candidate advocating AIDS educa­
sharing what they had learned.
tion, I know many of the people here. Certainly
The local television station, KPIC, agreed to
most of them know who I am: almost 7 percent
produce and air a series of public-service
of them voted for me.
announcements about Ruby House. Six or eight
We have also developed a good working rela­
times a day local viewers have been exposed to
tionship with the local paramedics, pharmacy,
a one-minute spot introducing them to a dozen
supermarket, mortuary and police department,
persons who volunteer at the home. To our
all of which are less than a mile away. Even our
knowledge this is the first locally produced
ten-year-old paperboy expresses his support for
AIDS PSA to be aired in Oregon. A second PSA
Ruby House. He often visits with us, intro­
is in the planning stage.
ducing us to his young friends.
Two lawyers and Le Joi restaurant hosted an
A local official best summed up the general
evening at the house for local progressives.
response to Ruby House when he dropped by
Although only 20out o f200 accepted the invita­
with the chief of police. He told me that he was
tion, they left more than $700 in contributions.
proud that I thought the residents of this small
Fifteen enthusiastic volunteers were on hand to
town were caring enough to accept a home like
show people around and to discuss our project.
this in their midst.
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