ma/cii 1?, 2000 ' J a a t M A 13
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t’s a gray Sunday in early March. An occa
sional car zips down typically bustling East
Burnside Street in Portland; the only
other sound cracking the quietness is the
funky old vacuum cleaner that Kristan
Aspen is shoving about.
“It’s seems to be spitting out as much as it’s
taking in!” she assesses but plows on, unde
terred.
Aspen is tidying up the Lesbian Community
Project’s office, a space at 10th Avenue and East
Burnside Street peppered with a mishmash of
chairs and couches, with copious windows that
make even these sunless days appear bright.
As interim staff organizer of LCP, Aspen,
along with the LCP board, is hosting communi
ty drop-in sessions at which people can pop in
and share their thoughts about the organization
and the direction they’d like to see it take.
Aspen estimates 20 to 25 folks stopped by a
drop-in session held in late February to chat
over a period of three hours. A fraction of that
number would show up on this day, March 5,
but Aspen hopes for a greater turnout March 19,
when community activist Kathleen Saadat is set
to host.
“This is a really good opportunity for people
to let us know what they want us to be,” says
Aspen.
It’s the same message she conveyed in the
group’s February newsletter: “LCP recognizes
that we do not share the same collective memo
ry or life experience. Please take the time to
communicate your vision of LCP and the com
munity you’d like it to represent with the rest of
us.... The course will not be set until the com
munity and board do the research, share person
al experiences, discuss our ‘herstory’ and devel
op a focus together.”
L istening , L earning
Lesbian Community Project seeks input that could determine its future
by Inga So ren sen
Like many community organizations, LCP
has gone through rocky times, including finan
cial woes and struggles over identity and pur
pose. Unlike many other queer organizations,
however, LCP still exists more than a decade
after its birth.
Aspen hopes that will remain the case and
J uly P ride
in V ancouver
fter a one-year hiatus, Vancouver’s pride.celebration is
back.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” says Mike Audette, ever
the booster of his southwest Washington city.
Audette has been involved in Lifeforce, an H1V/AIDS advo
cacy group, and helped establish SW Washington Gay & Les
bian Socialites, a queer social group, in January 1995.
Among other activities, the socialites have gone to comedy
clubs and hockey games.
“We have a growing gay and lesbian community here in Van
couver, and it’s nice to have a way to meet and get together," he
says.
A
says she and the board will keep soliciting com
munity input about LCP’s focus and could possi
bly have some proposals for members to ponder
at the group’s next annual meeting. (The yearly
membership meeting failed to transpire in
1999.)
“Perhaps in May,” she says.
Given his enthusiasm,
it’s no surprise Audette is
among a group of volunteers
orchestrating Saturday in
the Park 2000, a daylong gay
pride fair held in Vancouver.
Unlike Portland’s shin
dig, there is no parade or
rally, but there are entertain
ers, vendors, food booths
and a beer garden. Essential
ly, it’s a nice way to spend
the day with other queers
and their allies celebrating
pride.
“W e’ve got the date set
now—July 15,” Audette tells
Mike Audette
Just Out
T he theme for Saturday in the Park 2000 is “Generations of
After that, a full-time staff organizer could
be brought on board. (The most recent full-time
staff organizer, Deke Law, left last fall.)
For now, listening is the goal. Toward this
end, Aspen and the board are encouraging peo
ple to visit the office or give LCP a buzz.
Says Aspen: “If this could be the perfect les
bian organization, what would it be like? Even if
you personally feel you don’t need LCP, do you
think it’s important that it exist for others?
T hat’s it’s vital for lesbian visibility.7"
Aspen is also promoting the Conversations
Project, a program she developed while working
with Pride Northwest Inc.
The project, which aims to create under
standing among various communities, will now
be implemented at LCP under Aspen’s direction
and with financial support from Pride North
west.
Two conversations are in the works— one
around trans issues, the other around femi
nism.
“We want the groups to include lesbian-
supportive LG BT women of all identities and
convictions, of diverse experiences and ages,”
says Aspen, adding that the groups will start as
soon as there are 10 to 12 participants in each.
They will meet weekly with a facilitator and,
after 8 to 10 weeks, make a public presentation
to the “rest of the lesbian community about
their process and what they learned,” Aspen
explains.
■ The L esbian C ommunity P roject is located at
1001 E. Burnside St. The next Sunday Open
House C hat, from 2 to 5 p.m . M arch 19, will be
m oderated by community activist Kathleen Saadat.
To obtain a CONVERSATIONS PROJECT sign-up
form , drop by L C P or call (503) 233-3913.
Pride.” T he gathering will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. at Terminal
One, Vancouver Landing, 100 Columbia St.
Pride Northwest Inc., sponsor of Portland’s pride festival, has
provided some financial backing for the event.
Saturday in the Park 2000 organizers would like to hear from
the community about possible entertainment and activities.
Volunteers are also needed.
“All it takes is a little support from people to make this a
great pride event,” Audette says.
W atch for further details about Saturday in the Park 2000 in
future issues o f Just O u t
■ Want to get involved with S aturday in the P ark 2000? Dial
M ike Audette at (360) 735-1901 or attend the next pLmnmg m eet
ing at 4 p m . April 2 at the N orthBank Tavern, 106 W. Sixth St. in
Vancouver, Wash.
Reported by INGA SORENSEN. Got a juicy news tidbit? Send an
e-m ail to inga@justout.com or call (503) 236-1252, ext. 17.
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