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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2001)
MUSIC ................. w ................. Young star makes a huge impact esbians and gay men in Eugene know about her already. She is the proud, coura geous young girl who belted out “We’re l Here and We’re Queer” for them at last summer’s Lane County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual by H e r o n and Transgender Pride Celebration. Coordinator Amber Lunch still is excited about the performance. “Packed with passion and a political sophistication way beyond her years, her lyrics truly touched the crowd,” she recalls. “Her voice moves from delicate and almost tearful-sounding to strong and hard- edged. After her short set and standing ova tion, she was mobbed backstage by teens want ing autographs and folks wanting to book her elsewhere. Definitely someone to watch.” So who is this singing phenom? Jordan Blumberg-Enge, 13, is all of the things young girls usually are: giddy, giggly, emotional, full of energy. And she’s a lesbian. She remembers feeling different from other kids as far back as the fifth grade. “1 wanted to he more macho than being attracted to it,” she asserts. “1 was always a tomboy, and I was not attracted to guys but to girls.” Those were really scary and confusing times, and she recalls feeling mixed-up inside. "Why was 1 having these strange feelings around girls?” she asks with remembered pain “ I write my own songs and guitar pieces,” Blumberg-Enge says. “ I sing about being queer and in her voice. being a woman.” Then she laughs and answers her own ques queer youth and straight kids who accepted could. “Mom had experimented when she tion. “Girls are beautiful!” them made an enormous difference in her life. was young— you know, with a girl. She Blumberg-Enge was having a lot of trouble She found new friends and started seeing her explained everything clearly. Mom was total with her classmates’ taunts and ridicule. “I felt self as part of a healthy minority. ly supportive. I’m really lucky. She said 1 very singled out, for sure,” she says. “People “Then I felt proud of my G ./. Jane walk, shouldn’t be scared. She assured me that started calling me names like ‘dyke’ and and 1 started doing better in school. I was a lot things would get better.” ‘butchie.’ ” happier. Thank G od!” And they did. “1 found Youth for Justice," She couldn’t understand what was hap Last month Blumberg-Enge start Blumberg-Enge recalls. That was the summer pening to her or to the other girls. Puberty is ed school at South High in Eugene. between fifth and sixth grades, and for the difficult for everyone, but she knew what she She is happier this school year because first time she met people like herself. was experiencing She remembers her first gathering. she knows she’s not the only gay or was different. lesbian student there. “ I was so surprised just to look at “Other girls were “There are others,” she notes. the other members," she gasps at trying to show as ‘Tve already met some of them the memory. “1 was not the only much cleavage as through Youth for Justice." one! The first time 1 went, before 1 they could, but even spoke to anyone, 1 thought, not me.” outh for Justice is a ‘Oh boy, just to see them (makes] That she was recent spinoff group from me so happy!’ ” unlike her peers the Community Alliance But things also got worse in was obvious to of Lane County, a nonprofit school. Blumberg-Enge had no friends them as well. organization doing all kinds of anti at all in the sixth grade. That year, “Kids made fun of bigotry work, fighting discrimination kids mocked everything about her— the way 1 walked. I based on race, religion, class and her clothes, her hair, her walk. didn’t shake my sexual orientation. “That was really hard," she ass like the other Co-coordinator Elly Maloney, an girls,” she sums up. Wowing the crowd at Eugene Pride sighs. “There was no support in 18-year-old freshman at University school at all. I felt like I was the Scared and of Oregon, describes the organiza only one. 1 felt totally isolated.” lonely, Blumberg-Enge went to her mother for tion. “We are a group of young peo She credits the contacts she made at Youth advice. “Mom was great,” she says. ple who dismantle oppressions, fight for Justice for helping her survive those hard She was lucky enough to have a mother bigotry and fight social injustice.” times. Getting to know and understand other who gave her all of the loving support she Teen singer and songwriter is already out and about Y Coventry Cycle (V W orks 4 4 4 4 4 41 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 , ! eß w *note 'W Jii^cUfle Comfortable Bikes Recumbents a Specialty! u n d . iv 12 3 borne Non-triditional Jewelry and Art 1434 SE 37th Avenue Portland. OR 97214 503.232 6069 |erry®thegolddoor com But when encouraged, she shares her dreams. “A career in music would be great. Or politics would be cool." She plans to go to college but doesn’t know which one. “ I see myself doing politics in col * lege. Or maybe music and politics.” She enjoyed singing at Lane County Pride, claiming she felt no fear while performing for the crowd of 600. “It was fun!” she recalls. Her act even attracted the attention of Portland talent scouts. After her performance, Pride Northwest entertainment chair Misha Rockafeller asked her to sing at Pride 2002. So now the Eugene prodigy eagerly is look ing forward to playing for a really J- big crowd. “We are always looking for exceptional talent to display at Pride, but it’s a true treat when we find gems like Jordan who are so incredibly talented at a young age,” Rockafeller says. “We will be fortu nate to have her with us at our celebration next year.” And « o doubt 5 Jordan Blumberg-Enge 3 will collect hordes of | new fans. in | HERON is a Portland 1— 'lance writer and artist. Below Cost Framing ¿g* •>* GO LD D O O R A For a convenient appointment can (503) 232-9115 712 SE H a w th o rn e Blvd Portland, OR 972 14 > t first, Blumberg-Enge has some difficulty thinking of her future after high school. _____ ÜÜ Outstanding Service Outstanding Quality Outstanding Price Professional Service Members range from eighth-graders through high schoolers. Maloney points out that Blum berg-Enge now shares a leadership role in the organization. She also uses her music as a political tool. She writes her own lyrics, often providing a personal-as-political message. “1 started singing a really long time ago, and I’ve played guitar for six years,” she says. “1 write my own songs and guitar pieces. I sing about being queer and being a woman.” She adds, sounding more like her age, “1 sing about how stuff sometimes turns out being pretty cool." Blumberg-Enge describes her unique sound. “My style is folk/rock. My guitar is acoustic, so everything turns out sounding like folk,” she laughs. But she has plans for other genres. “When I get an amp, I’ll try rock.” She has performed at Saturday Market in Portland as well as the Holiday Market and Cafe Paradiso in Eugene. Clogs V More Q uality European Footwear Two Locations to Serve You 717 SW Alder Street Portland, OR 97205 503-279 9358 3439 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97215 503-232-7007 Hundreds of Clogs to Choose From www.dog$nmore.com
