Just out., June 16, 2000, Page 25, Image 25

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P at J eung
L
earning to survive as a chameleon is the story of Pat
Jeung’s life. Like the animal that changes color to adapt to
its surroundings, Jeung learned as a child to adjust to a
succession of new cultures.
Bom to Chinese parents, he grew up first in Thailand, then
in Laos, learning a new language with each move. In 1980, on
the brink of entering high school, Jeung immigrated to the
U nited States with five of his eight
siblings. Sponsored by friends, they
landed in Portland, where Jeung
"When I
attended David Douglas High School.
“For the first two years I carried
turned 30,
around a Thai-English dictionary and
I came out
did a lot of pointing,” he recalls, now
relieved that he speaks three languages
to myself
fluently.
In his 20s Jeung sacrificed his per­
and found
sonal life for a career and took on the
new friends
colors of a mainstream workaholic,
opening his first restaurant at the age
who were
of 22, selling it six years later.
m"
“I was burnt out from working six or seven days a week,
doing lunch and dinner," he remembers vividly.
After time out to renew himself with travel, Jeung once
again revealed new colors. “Being gay was more of a fantasy
than a reality back then," he recalls. “W hen 1 turned 30,1 came
out to myself and found new friends who were gay."
Before long, a dream of owning a different kind of restaurant
emerged, one where he could express his true culinary creativity
and his emerging identity as a gay man with a high degree of
artistic flair.
In 1996, when he finally found the perfect spot in the Holly­
wood district and bought the building for his new restaurant,
what to name it was obvious: Chameleon.
“T he name reflects my eclectic blend of Asian and European
The Class of 2000
Jusí Huí surveys I hi 1 ninny fa irs and ways of lift 1 in nur proud i (immunity
generous in hosting many fund-raisers that benefit the gay com­
munity. O ur House of Portland is a favorite recipient of his
goodwill, and once again this year he will participate in the
care facility’s home-cooked dinner series.
“My goal is to have a very nice restaurant, but w ithout the
attitude,” he says with a laugh. “You will be treated the same
whether you come in wearing sequins or jeans.”
—Oriana Green
F elcome to Portland
Pride 2000, the first of
several pride events to
be held around our
region in coming weeks and months.
From Vancouver, Wash., to Ashland,
Ore., from large parades to small com­
munity gatherings, gay men, lesbians,
bisexuals and trans people will be com­
ing together to celebrate friendships,
community, summer fun and gav pride
as reflected in the unique and individual
wavs we choose to live our lives.
Our community is rich in its peoples—
and in their stories and in their lives.
While we aren’t able to showcase each
and every one of you, all of our friends,
all of our neighbors, we hope that you
will find a reflection of yourself in the
following faces of our community. And
perhaps even more importantly, let us
view and celebrate the differences in all
of us. Let’s celebrate our sameness, let’s
celebrate our differences. Let’s celebrate!
fcxxls,” Jeung explains late one night while sipping a cosmopoli­
tan.
“Everything I do here is my own creation," he says proudly,
adding that he designed the interior and the furnishings.
You may never complain about grocery shopping again when
you learn that Jeung shops five days a week! “I want the food to
be fresh every day,” he says, adding that he also loves gardening.
“I grow my own tomatoes, lettuces and herbs.”
This year he’s trying a new African basil, and the spectacular
flowers that enhance his restaurant are also home-grown.
Now well-established, thanks to Jeung’s prowess in the
kitchen and genial manner with his diverse clientele,
Cham eleon is fulfilling his vision. A sophisticated, urbane mood
prevails, and Jeung keeps things lively by turning the place into
a cabaret and presenting all manner of queer-tinged entertain­
ment, including a recent performance by Amaldo, a drag
chanteuse from Seattle.
Now single, Jeung also loves to party. After waiting so long
to come out, h e’s making up for lost time. Cham eleon is the site
of many celebrations throughout the year, and Jeung is very
S andy C abot
andy C abot’s pride can be seen flying proudly in the wind
for several hundred feet up and down N ortheast Broad­
way. Her pride is expressed by the large rainbow banner
flying over her new business, Broadway Bento.
“It’s the biggest one that I could find,” comments the proud
new business owner.
S
For Cabot, the flag acts as a
large bright beacon to mem­
beacon is reflected
bers of the gay and lesbian
in the countless
community as they pass
through the Broadway busi­
"I saw your flag"
ness area. The effectiveness of
comments that
this beacon is reflected in the
countless “I saw your flag"
come from new
comments that come from
new customers and friends as
customers and
they enter the sparkling-clean
friends as they
cafe.
But the flag is not just
enter the sparkling-
about bringing in new cus­
clean cafe.
tomers. For Cabot, it’s about
signaling who she is and what
people can expect from her.
Cabot is fiercely proud to be out and lesbian, and she has set a
life path for herself of being a positive influence on other
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