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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
february 1.2002 ■ ^[i] ¡i i ; iv j m m ew s l \Y i(fu m c ttc ^()u(fcy ‘A V iífum cttc C()u ííc y ‘AYiífam cttc ^()uíícy «S T W lS iP IS iP P S s* TH « W lUfiM rtt» V «lt«y Mta«d GALA CHorv» Freedom Come Corvallis health center makes big strides in short time Celebrating Struggle and Survivorship by H eath er H y b arger http://www.confluencechorus.org/ • confluence@aol.com I imilimili....... in m . . ■ ■ . I , im . i „ ,. m i , rn m ttrm Confluence Chorus with guests Satori Men’s Chorus ÉÊtKf O ver the R ainbow t started with a want ad. Christopher Gray says he simply saw the ad, applied and got the job, but it didn’t take long to turn his position as a Benton County health promo tion specialist into so much more. He is the director of the Rainbow Health Resource Center in Corvallis, which works to promote the well being of sexual minorities and the general population. The facility opened its doors in August 2001, just two short months after its advisory com mittee was formed. “We wanted to offer a safe, anonymous environment where people could get any kind of information about any thing,” says Beth Rink, Com munity Health Division pro Christopher Gray helped open the facility just two months gram manager. "Some people after its advisory committee was formed can get intimidated with a back information from those meetings to us. more traditional clinical kind of setting. Here, The members.. .have made a concerted effort in what you see is what you get.” The small office is nestled in a shopping cen a small community where there are few resources.” ter adjacent to City Hall and a Baptist church. This particular group of people have a lot of All of the furniture and equipment in the center ideas and have proven to work together co was donated: desk, computer, refrigerator and hesively toward a common goal. two couches. “My job is to represent businesses in the Gray and the committee quickly came up community and get a feel for which businesses with a statement of intent and faced the tedious are supportive,” says Patrick Magee, owner of process of educating Benton County about Burst’s Candies. “Part of hav A ID S prevention head-on. ing a business is being invest They distributed condoms in "The members. ..h ave ed in the community. It’s a area bars and coffeehouses. good way to help people.” They also began circulating made a concerted effort Although the space is coupons for needle-free HIV in a small community small, the center accom testing— a $24 value— and plishes a lot. It plays host to promoting the anonymous ser where there are few one of the area’s few support vice. groups for HIV-positive Before they knew it, Dec. 1 resources" men. In addition to counsel was around the comer. It took — Christopher Gray ing and testing services, the only a month to plan the center is expanding to offer county’s first-ever community hepatitis A and B vaccinations. It also pro wide World AIDS Day events, which included a vides meeting space for a gay Alcoholics silent art auction, a poetry recital and a concert Anonymous group. featuring Confluence, Tone Sharks and Tirade. Gray is the first to admit he faces hurdles in A total of 204 people came, and $1,179 was educating a small community about HIV and raised. AIDS. Although the free condoms are getting How did all of this happen so fast? A capable picked up, safe sex is still a taboo subject of con leader and an involved community. versation for many, and a lot of misinformation ‘•‘I am from the Caribbean,” Gray says. “I lost is circulating. two cousins from HIV/AIDS and have far too “In bigger cities and towns there is more many friends living with the disease. There are awareness,” Rink says. “We hear a lot about how so many gtxxl people HIV has taken away. This [HIV/AIDS] ‘doesn’t happen to people here.’ has given me an opportunity to participate in We are starting from the beginning with the the community. I felt I could contribute to the whole education process.” development of programs that are community- The Rainbow Health Resource Center is full centered.” Gray is accessible, caring and encouraging of steam ahead for 2002. It plans to be an active part of summer events including da Vinci Days, the ideas generated by the advisory committee. Members include representatives from various Capitol Pride and National Testing Day. “We’ve had to do outreach in baby stages,” organizations: Corvallis Gay/Bisexual Men’s Rink says. “What is so magnificent is that in a Group; Out ’n’ About; AFTTR 8; Rainbow short period of time we have done a lot." JT1 Continuum; Oregon State University Queer Resource Center; Valley A ID S Information Network; Parents, Families and Friends of Les The R a i n b o w H e a l t h R e s o u r c e C e n t e r is located at 500 Madison Ave. in ConaUis and can bians and Gays; the business community; and be reached at 541-766-6242. Benton County at large. "Board members go out and share informa H e a t h e r H y b a r g e r works hard for her money so tion about the center with their organizations at their meetings,” Gray says. “They also bring you better treat her right 17 Saturday, February 16th at 8 p .m . 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