Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013, October 06, 2000, Page 25, Image 25

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    October 6. 2000 ' J u s t o u t
maintaining separate corporations weren’t
warranted," Watson says.
ful things.”
The foundation provided the basis for the
birth of Cascade AIDS Project back when
everyone
thought AIDS wasn’t going to affect
The decision
many people, Sheperd recollects. “(Phoenix Ris­
ing] had tremendous vision,” she says.
) hoenix Risings board was faced with three
Jerry Weller was also around during the
choices: Look for another partner, quickly
1970s when the initial Phoenix Rising pro­
raise the money to cover the projected deficit, or gram was part of the Town Council Founda­
become a program of Network Behavioral
tion, for which he served as the first executive
HealthCare Inc.
director. “To me, it’s very sad,” he says, “hut it
Watson says the final decision was made
is an indication of what’s going on in Oregon
after considerable soul searching and discussion.
gay politics.”
The bottom line, she says, was that the services
Weller sees a lack of motivation and com­
to Portland’s gay community had to survive.
mitment to support organizations like Phoenix
On July 26, 2000, Phoenix Rising’s board Rising. He says other small groups are facing
decided to close the door on a long tradition in an similar struggles.
attempt to keep ser­
“If I win the lottery,
vices available to its
I’d get this stuff up
clients. The vote was
and going again,”
unanimous.
Sheperd
says,
The change was
although she admits
contingent on con­
she’s
not
close
tinued United Way
enough to the situa­
funding and approval
tion now to know
by Network’s board
what services are
of directors. Both
available in the wake
contingencies were
of the foundation’s
satisfied,
leaving
closing.
leaders the burden of
Nelson served on
telling the communi­
Phoenix
Rising’s
ty and walking away
board of directors for
from 20 years of ser­
four years during the
vice.
1990s. He says the
"To
me,
it's
very
sad,
but
it
is
an
Although public
board was focused on
perception might be
accessibility
and
indication of what's going on in
that Phoenix Rising’s
wanted to keep the
Oregon gay politics. "
organization afloat
ultimate fall stemmed
from the embezzle­
because of the sliding
—
Jerry Weller
scale issue.
ment and financial
mismanag e m e n t ,
The big players
in managed care weren’t interested in working
Watson wants the community to understand
with the small foundation, Nelson says. With­
many other important factors were at work. She
says that youth services weren’t adequately out being on a managed care panel, the foun­
funded from Day One, that grant money wasn’t dation would have a difficult if not impossible
coming in and that donor appeal letters were time staying alive, he explains.
yielding little.
Not only that, the growth of gay-friendly
But most significantly, Watson says, few mental health services in the area ironically con­
tributed to the financial problems at Phoenix
small organizations can survive the complexity
of managed care while offering a sliding scale to Rising. “Mental health has been very gixxl about
clients. The combination of these things, she getting our issues," Nelson says. The growing
number of mental health professionals who offer
insists, brought Phoenix Rising down.
queer-specific services gives clients options, and
many stopped seeking out Phoenix Rising.
Sadness is the common reaction
Weller agrees. Gay counseling services were
needed in the 1970s, but these days people are
more comfortable going to mainstream organi­
* * T ’m anguished,” says co-founder Susie Shep-
zations
instead, he says. “It may mean there is no
,1 erd, who thinks the organization was one
of the most needed services to the entire com­ need for this anymore.”
munity— especially for younger people.
“Phoenix Rising just did monumentally wonder­
Continued on Page 26
i
How I t A ll B egan
1
The foundation was laid for Phoenix Rising
more than two decades ago by Pat Y o u n g
s the Phoenix Rising
because he knew three people who
Foundation closes its
had committed suicide because they
doors, it leaves be­
were gay.
hind a rich history
Organizers agreed on a counsel­
along with years of
ing service, but opinions differed
service to the community.
regarding the infrastructure. Some
Its roots lie in the Portland Town
women wanted it to be run by vol­
Giuncil— the main gay organization during the
unteers, while the men wanted to have a paid
mid-to-late 1970s. As former executive director staff and a qualified professional as the director.
Jerry Weller recalls, the group followed the
The men prevailed. In December 1980,
example of the American Civil Liberties Union,
Cherry Hartman was hired as the head of coun­
which separated political and nonpolitical
seling.
activities.
“They hoped to hire one
Thus, the Town Council Foundation
man and one woman to he
was established for non­
co-directors, but they never
political issues such
found a man they liked,”
as a speakers bureau,
she says with a laugh. “So
legal referrals and
they hired me instead....
education.
Board
The women were thrilled
members, hoping to
when I was hired but dis­
increase
donations,
illusioned when I didn’t
wanted the group to be
take their side on every­
tax-exempt, but the
thing.”
Internal Revenue Ser­
The
foundation’s
vice
wasn’t exactly
counseling program
inclusive.
was
known
as
“Slowly, the idea came
Phoenix Rising. By
to sue the IRS, which was
1983, counseling had
not giving tax-exempt sta­
become the main
tus to gay organizations,”
focus of the Town
Weller explains. “But after
Council Founda­
President Carter was elected,
tion, so it adopted
that all changed. And then
Phoenix Rising as
six gay groups across the
the name of the
nation finally received their
organization.
tax-exempt status.”
“The counsel­
The Town Council Founda
ing program just
tion incorporated as a nonprofit
erupted,” Hart­
agency in 1978 with Weller as
man says of the
executive director. Then came
early
days.
the
fund
raising.
“My
“The timing
partner...received a bonus at
was right. It
work and gave the entire thing
was fairly easy
It wasn’t
to the foundation,” Warren
to get a lot of
all serious business at
James says of Jack Abele, an
clientele since
Phoenix Rising— there were dances,
orthopedic physician.
there was a real
weekend retreats and other fun events
Weller notes, “Getting the
need out there.”
$30,000 was a complete shock.”
As Hartman
Back then, $30,000 was a lot of money—so explains, people were uncomfortable coming
much, in fact, that the foundation held several out to straight counselors. “A lot of counselors
meetings to determine the best way to use it.
either didn’t know what they were doing or were
Setting up a counseling service was one of kind of freaked out and would send (clients) to
the main uses for the funds. Warren recalls that
Abele especially was pleased with the decision
Continued on Page 2 7
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