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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2002)
2. 2002 Halfway between Portland and San Francisco appears welcome relief in Ashland by Timothy Krause ith the natural beauty of the Rogue Valley, the sophisticated culture of professional theater and the academic resources of higher education, Ashland residents say life in their small town is just dandy. The warm climate is comfortable. The daily pace is relaxed. Just as many faces on Main Street are friends as strangers. Not only has this small, rural community become a haven for the artsy and a retreat for the retired, hut Ashland also offers a refuge for sexual minorities in search of a place to fit in among the rough-and-tumble hills of the Rogue Valley. In fact, the city of 20,000 is one of the few in Oregon that recognizes same-sex domestic partnerships. “It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous. It’s a pocket of PHOTOS BV MARTY DAVIS W cultural diversity,” proclaims Deanna Leitner, president of Southern Oregon University’s Les bian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Allies Student Union. “It’s not so rush- rush. You don’t have the high pressure. And there’s not nearly as much rain.” Yet, as inviting and accommodating as Ash land is, within such isola tion lie challenges to everyday life for sexual minorities. “Being young, single and gay in this area is an extreme chal lenge,” says Ed Bums, co- chairman of the Abdill- Ellis Community Center, a queer resource facility. Because employment and education al opportuni ties are limit ed, young peo ple tend to leave the area, at least for a time. It’s not uncommon to grow up in Ashland, move to a larger city such as Portland, then return to the Rogue Valley upon middle age or retirement. Bums suggests the same pattern holds true for the less-than-straight set, but with a twist. “It doesn’t matter what peoples ages are. It’s more in terms of their coming-out process,” he theorizes. “If they are just coming out, they are still in that perception where they need to go to a bigger city, where it’s more acceptable and there are more opportunities. Then, once life settles down, they return.” But often not alone. When David Drey- foos, producing direc tor of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, moved to Ashland some five years ago, he observed that many gay men and lesbians in the area are part nered or have sought solitude in the seclu sion of the country side. While numerous businesses are gay- owned or gay-friendly, without the typical gay scene such as bars and nightclubs, vaca tioners and newcom ers alike find that net working among family, friends and colleagues is vital when opportu nities to meet socially are limited. Beyond city limits, however, the landscape turns more stark. “How you act in Medford is entirely differ ent than how you would act in Ashland. We gather 99 percent of the time in Ashland because everybody feels more comfortable here,” relates Les Krambeal, co-chairman of the haven't you always wanted to grow p888lon flow er HO GAN K NANDI RSON CISTUS DESIGN NURSERY ’ ll \ \ \ 1.11111 n \ in ’ \ I « ' \i \ il i ' t \ M ’ every sleeping beauty needs beauty sleep • • • • • is a free-lance uniter and editor in Portland. Contact him at timkra@millenicom.com. TIMOTHY KRAUSE . i £hocol«tcs t s More Than Candy... Hardware Pet Food & Supplies Gardening Tools & Supplies Down-to-Earth Products U-Haul Trailers & Trucks 52567 Columbia River Hwy Scappoose, OR 503/543-3066 M ention th is ad for 10% discount 10920 NW St. Helens Road (503) 286-1291/Fax: (503) 286-9592 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus of Southern Oregon. Bums elaborates: “Ashland is unique in the area because it has a reputation of being rather progressive and very enlightened. It attracts those kinds of people, and yet it sits right in the middle of redneck country. It’s kind of an oasis in the middle of a vast wasteland.” Just Out recently journeyed to Ashland to learn how four key organizations— university, community center, theater and political cau cus— make this gay, lesbian, hi and trans oasis more than a mere mirage. j n -■ Panache Espresso™ Tillam ook Ice Cream™ Cards & Gifts S 1560 Columbia Blvd. St. Helens (503) 366-9602 Ml
