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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2000)
aprii 21 ,2ÛÛÛ v Into the heartland Notes on m oving from a large AIDS organization to a ru ral com m unity fter six years with the Speak to Your ately accelerated and drew alongside. The dri Brothers program at Cascade A ID S Pro ver was a nice-looking guy in his late 30s. He ject, I took a job in a rural community an turned his head and our eyes met. I nodded hour north of Portland. I was seeking the and smiled— in place of honking and waving American heartland, my own version of Our and pointing wildly to myself. He smiled back Town. (Thornton Wilder was gay, you know.) I and we went our separate ways. (Note for wanted to get away from big city anonymity chance encounter ad: You were driving a and live and work in a rural setting, where 1 brown Honda Civic. I was in a red Subaru Impreza...) could find a true sense of community; where everybody knows your name (and probably And I expected that I might encounter your income, marital problems, sex some homophobia. I had been open in my ual proclivities...); where there is a interview. If being gay was going to be an issue, basic salt-of-the-earth, bone-deep I wanted it to be an issue then, not after I was I decency about the people. Pleas - hired. I’m sure everyone in the two-county area antville, but in color. I wanted to knows by now. The Internet is still light years get back to those core values that away ffom the speed of word-of-mouth in a small community. once made America great. 1 expected there would be But what I wasn’t expecting occurred with adjustments. Music would be coun in the first month at my new job. I had been try western rather than classical, spending time with each of my staff, becoming bluegrass rather than the blues. acquainted with them and their programs. I was finishing up with an older woman on our There would probably be a lot team when she said abruptly, “I hear you fewer penis jokes. I would miss the worked with AIDS people.” She was the first office conversations and joking we person there to make any mention of this. enjoyed at CAP, which might have (AIDS people. Tsk, tsk, my politically been considered sexual correct mind chuffed. It sound harassment anywhere ed too much like the Pod else. I would miss the pe0ple, or the Sand Peo unique office decora V _»4 ■ja'v >> ple.) She was staring at tions: Brian’s collection me. *v» * of dildos lined up across his desk, “Yes, I have,” I said. standing erect like little toy soldiers; There followed an awk or Geoffrey’s safer sex poster ffom ward silence. To fill it, 1 Germany, depicting two guys doing offered a nutshell ver it doggy-style (oh, those Europeans!) sion of my prevention with the stirring HIV prevention work in Australia and message “Sicker sex fuer schwule at CAP, thinking it maennerl" which roughly translates V better to leave out the into something like “Germans do it parts about staging better.” 1 knew I would miss those safer sex demon vi strations in the ; bathhouse. Then ,; I sat there, wait ing, bracing myself. Was she . going to give me a piece of her mind I about “those peo y -1 ple” ? She lowered her eyes and her ,; voice dropped almost to a whis per. “My son has AIDS.” I felt a chill pass through me. I got up and closed the Heated arguments among our prevention team office door, and sat back down. “Would you about the merits of different flavored condoms, like to tell me about it?” I asked. and discussing really important questions, such Quietly, hesitantly, she began telling me as why, amidst banana, chocolate, strawberry about her son. I listened, and as I listened, I and grape, are there no semen-flavored con realized how easily, how casually I speak of doms. A ID S and HIV. Over the years they have I expected I would feel some isolation. become part of my daily vocabulary, and I Although first impressions could lead one to suddenly understood what it’s like for most assume that there’s a considerable lesbian pop people, who do not speak about AIDS every ulation up here— it’s something to do with the day, and when they do it’s in hushed tones, way the women dress, wear their hair, their probably only within the family, and for swagger— I found this assumption to be an whom it’s a taboo word, full of shame and fear error, and possibly dangerous to my health. and sorrow. By the second week, I was missing gay peo And as I sat there listening to her story, l ple in my life. By the third week, I was becom thought: Welcome to the heartland. ing desperate. WKilc driving to work one jn°tning, I saw a car sporting a rainbow ■ A lan R ose is a member of Portland Gay bumper sticker proclaiming “Celebrate diversi Men Writing. To learn more about the group, fy I became unusually aroused and hoped it contact Patrick at (503) 2 3 1 -8866. Wasn t just a tourist passing through. I immedi- Quietly hesitantly she began telling me about her son listened and as I listened I realized how easily how casually I speak of AIDS and HIV. PORTLAND BAROQUE ORCHESTRA MONICA HUGGETT / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR v i i A? >>, V iv a ld i’s H a rm o n ic S p irit PBO presents selections from Vivaldis exhuberant concerto collection, L’Estro Armotiico, featuring artistic director Monica Huggett on violin, Richard Savino on lute, Sarah Freiberg on cello and Rob Diggins on viola d’amore. Fri. & Sat., April 28 & 29, 8 p.m . Sun., A pril 30, 3 p.m . SAVE 5 0% A ll C oncerts at Trinity C athedral Free lecture one hour before each concert: "Vivaldi: A royal gift o f rare timbres,” presented by world-renowned Baroque guitarist and lutenist Richard Savino. (5 0 3 )2 2 2 -6 0 0 0 w w w .p b o .o r g p O a Saturday Night Ticket Special Buy one Saturday night ticket at the regular price and get a second ticket o f equal value at half price. Call today! Season Sponsor CERAMIC SHOWCAS O regon P otters A ssociation 18 th R nnorl S how & S a le MAY 5, 6, 7 FRIDAY & SA TU RD A Y 1 0 A M - 9 PM iff SU N D A Y 1 0 A M - 5 PM FREE A D M IS S IO N L inda B ourne F aith R ahill Cooking Demonstration with CAPRIAL Sunday, May 7 2:30-4:00 pm Over 200 Artists O regon C onvention C enter
