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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 2002)
|unfl 21.20Û2 » jM t a o f t j 19 i t 'm ¡ t i i i ' i ' j m ew s COSMYC T hing opment of the kids in all areas. Five of the partici pants will accompany Support group demonstrates commitment to queer youth Hopper and another Vanguard staff mem by P atricia L . M ac A odh a ber to San Francisco this summer for the Young, Loud & Proud igh school is a time for growth, that the program “provides dreaming, making friends and conference. The a safe place for all youth to C lackam as County charting a course for the future. be themselves.” delegation has been But what if you are a queer For about a year, the diligently fund raising _ k; youth living in a notoriously con Clackam as County Health to pay for the trip, servative climate? How do you get the support Departm ent has funded with events including to believe you are a worthwhile person? C O S M Y C through its a Portland Gay Men’s Fortunately for queer teen-agers growing up H IV prevention plan, Chorus performance in Clackamas County, there is a place where car later contracting with Doug Hopper (right) celebrates with CO SM YC kids during Portland Pride 2002 and a barbecue. ing people want to help them take those big steps Vanguard Youth S e rv Foglio hopes “to gain even more skills to with CO SM YC, which holds weekly meetings into the future. Almost three years ago, a group ices— the agency behind the Sexual Minority help me later in life, hopefully in the profession Youth Recreation Center— to provide staffing of concerned adults came together to address the at locations throughout the county. problems facing these kids. The result was “We work on art projects, talk about what of a social worker working with queer youth." and programming. The kids also will have opportunities to learn Clackamas County Sexual Minority Youth Con ever happens to be on the minds of the youth, Six months ago, Doug Hopper was hired to about leadership and communication. nection, which seeks to make the region “a safer facilitate CO SM YC. He had been volunteering make plans, laugh, play,” he says. C O SM Y C “CO SM YC, like any G LB TQ youth group, place for queer youth, provide HIV prevention kids also put out a ’zine that contains writing, at SM YRC at the time while attending college has so much to teach the world,” Hopper says. education and to create a safe space for queer art, photography and collages and that serves as as a journalism major. youth to express themselves, get support and “Queer youth are full of experiences that make Hopper has a personal investment in provid a resource manual about sexually transmitted them aware of the world on a level that is very meet other supportive youth in the area." ing support services to queer kids. While attend diseases, HIV prevention and testing locations. unique. Growing up in Clackamas County as a Networking is key in the lives of teens. Any ing high school in the Midwest he joined the Hopper is clearly proud of the success the Indianapolis Youth Group, which he credits thing that creates harriers to that process— health youth have made of the publication, which was G LBTQ youth is a struggle, to put it lightly.” JH with saving his life when he came out at 15. issues, lack of contact with ones peers, etc.— can sold during Portland Pride 2002 with all pro For more information contact CLACKAMAS lead to loneliness, isolation and lost opportunities. “In my four years of involvement I gained so ceeds benefiting the program. Now some of the C ounty S exual M inority Y outh C onnec COSM YC is all about networking, opening doors, kids are talking about making a movie. much,” he says. “It was so important that IYG providing a shoulder to cry on, inspiring youth to tion at 503-969-0060, cosmycyouth@yahoo.com existed. Without it, I would he a very different A large part of Hopper’s work is focused on or uww.cosmyc.org. A fund-raiser barbecue will take healthy risks and avoid unhealthy ones. person now. The sense of community and sup HIV prevention and education. “The goal is to port I received really solidified my devotion to create a safe place for G LBTQ youth to be sup be held from noon to 3 p.m. June 29 at 2100 S.E . One participant, Natalie Foglio, has found it Belmont St. The suggested donation is $5. ported and to get real information and resources to be “a wonderful group which has done won the queer community.” to take care of themselves,” he says. The long- Hopper wants to pass on the kind of help ders for queer kids living in Clackamas.” She P atricia L. M a c A odha is a Portland free-lance range value of COSMYC, however, reaches far says that the county “can be an extremely fright that was given to him in those vulnerable years. beyond health issues and education to the devel writer. E-mail her at plmacaodhal@hotmail.com. 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