1
on
C ity H all
TH E MARK OF
Sam Adams considers running for council in 2004
SIM PLICITY.
by T im o th y K rau se
i(T
atmosphere. There was a sense of privacy in
love cit es,” Sam Adams says.
which you don’t talk about these things.”
“My passion is around city life
Adams eventually did talk about him
and making it better.”
self, coming out to his friends and family at
Adams has served as Port-
age 23.
land Mayor Vera Katz’s chief of
From his own experience, he’s learned
staff since she took office in 1992. His 10
that “when you’re raised in an environ
years as her right hand is an example of his
ment in which being gay is not a good
commitment to the city’s well-being.
thing, often the biggest obstacles are self-
Yet, this 38-year-old gay man views his
imposed: ‘I can’t do that’ or ‘1 won’t be
accomplishments at City Hall as more
accepted.’ But if you show the courage to
productive than political. “Politics are
take the risk, most of the time you find out
definitely part of what you need to get
that you can do it.”
things done,” Adams says, “but what 1
As chief of staff, Adams plays a signifi
enjoy most of my work is the public ser
cant role in municipal issues of all kinds, but
vice aspect of it."
it is always one of recommendation or
A variety of influences have con
implementation. For him, there’s a big dif
tributed to this sense of community com
ference between that and actually making
mitment, beginning with small-town life
the decisions that guide the city.
and a civic-minded family. Although bom
In some ways, his experience thus far
in rural Montana, Adams grew up in New
has been an apprenticeship for service as
port and Eugene. Through high school
an elected official. “ 1 know I have to take
and college, he was heavily involved in
on a new challenge soon,” he comments,
student government.
“and 1 know elected office would definite
A university adviser helped Adams
ly present me with a new challenge to go
set his early career goals, outlining a
the distance with public service.”
practical checklist o f political prepared
Adams tested the waters briefly this past
ness: Learn a foreign language, experi
spring when he expressed interest in the
ence a foreign country, develop critical-
City Council seat vacated by Commissioner
thinking skills, and seek real-world
Charlie Hales. But the short period until the
training. Reaching that final task— an
special election didn’t leave enough time for
internship with the Lane County Board
developing a thorough platform while rais
o f C om m issioners— also marked the
ing sufficient funds to run successfully as a
beginning of his professional career in When his busy schedule permits, Sam Adams enjoys
first-time
candidate. Instead, he has
government.
gardening, skiing, backpacking and learning to windsurf
endorsed Multnomah County Commission
There, Adam s met U .S . Rep. Peter
er
Serena
Cruz for the position.
ties
community
a
positive
one.
Both
sides,
how
DeFazio and soon lived and breathed election
Still, Adams is seriously considering
ever, must continue cooperative efforts rather
politics during campaign season. He helped
running for City Council in 2004, should a
than work on issues in isolation.
win that race and went on to serve as an aide
seat become available. A nd his platform
“Just because we have laws or ordinances on
in the congressm an’s Eugene office before
already is being developed.
accepting a position as political director of the books doesn’t mean the problem is solved
“My work has been about making positive
and we can walk away,” states Adams, who
the Oregon House Democratic Cam paign
changes on some really difficult issues,” he says.
lives in Northwest Portland with Greg Eddie,
Com m ittee.
“I have some perspective on how good Portland
his
partner
of
10
years.
“This
mayor
and
this
During his tenure at the state Capitol,
is because I haven’t always lived here. 1 also had
Adams met Katz, who was speaker of the O re
a
family that had a lot of struggles, so I know
gon House at that time. When she decided to
what that’s about. My experience, my scar tissue,
run for the Portland mayor’s seat, she asked
all
the mistakes I’ve made, the accomplishments
him to manage her campaign. And when she
I’ve had— I bring that all to the job.”
won the office, she hired him to serve as her
A dam s also would convey to the council
chief of staff.
projects specifically related to the sexual
“ 1 love involving people in the process,”
minorities community, such as ways to deal
Adams observes. “I don’t mind getting in a
with
schoolyard bullying and issues specific
room with people that really disagree with
to the workplace. He would not be afraid to
each other— and may really disagree with me.
use the role of commissioner as a kind o f
I love that kind of give-and-take because 1
bully pulpit in order to talk about important
think you can come to really good solutions.
concerns
that might fall outside the city’s
Without that kind o f interaction— that pas
authority.
sionate and thorough discussion— 1 don’t
He also would want to reach out to towns
think your solutions are as deep or meaningful
across Oregon in order to build a more statewide
council are very strong and adamant supporters
or long-lasting.”
approach to particular issues, such as discrimina
o f the rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-
One example of this process has been the
tion. To that end, he believes Portland could be
gender folks.”
overhaul o f the city’s purchasing system.
a role model in many ways, saying, “It’s just
During the Katz administration, for example,
After years o f difficult restructuring, the
unconscionable that it’s still legal in many parts
once-morihund system now includes a pro Portland’s nondiscrimination ordinance was
of the state to engage in blatant homophobic
gram providing contracting opportunities for expanded to include gender identity. Other
discrimination.”
advances
in
which
Adams
has
lent
a
hand
minorities, women and emerging small busi
But is a City Council position merely anoth
include domestic partner benefits for city
nesses. Furthermore, com panies with city
er
means
to an end, namely the mayor’s seat?
employees
as
well
as
a
domestic
partnership
reg
contracts must he equal opportunity employ
Adams brushes off such long-term specula
ers, prohibiting discrimination based on sexu istry for Multnomah County residents.
tion but does believe Portlanders are ready to
Just as his sexual orientation helps motivate
al orientation.
consider a gay mayor. They will look at a candi
his civil rights efforts, it also furnishes him with
Results such as this mark success for
insight and sensitivity to constituencies strug date’s experience and intentions first, he thinks,
Adams, who is most proud of his contributions
and sexual orientation will he way down the list
gling for inclusion.
in the civil rights arena. He serves on the
“ I can relate to people who feel like they of considerations, if at all.
boards o f Basic Rights Oregon and Cascade
don’t
belong, for whatever reason," he says,
A ID S Project.
TIMOTHY K rause is a free-lance w riter m Port
recounting his conservative childhood and lack
On the whole, he considers the relationship
land. C on tact him at tim krc@ m iUenicom .com .
between City Hall and Portland’s sexual minori of positive gay role models. “It was a very macho
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T aking
ge in a room
with people that really disagree
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kind of give-and-take because
I think you can come to
really good solutions."
— Som Adams
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