november 1 .2QÛ2 *
rarWITTlnews
Eric Brown
A B ittersweet V ictory
Does the financial
j
world have you
a little crazy?
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Ay left Wright sees the lasting impact of Measure 9 in Bend schools
by T om Stev en so n
L
on M abon might have
failed two years ago to
convince Oregon voters
to pass Measure 9. Still,
according to a bi Bend
woman, a great deal of damage was
done, at least in some areas of the
state.
Aylett Wright, education and
training coordinator for Planned Par
enthood of the Columbia-Willamette
Central Oregon Health Center, was
approached about four years ago by a
group of young people who wanted to
move away from having individual
gay-straight alliances in different
schools and instead have one that was
communitywide. Because her job
includes various aspects of sexuality
education, she agreed to get involved.
“We always had a lot of kids
attending,” she says. “I was able to
write a small grant to support the
group’s activities for quite a while.
We used money to take kids to train
ing, publish a ’zine and resource
guide the kids prepared, purchase
wonderful resources for a library and
participate in community gather Aylett Wright also serves as a board member of the
ings. The members did great things Central Oregon Human Dignity Coalition
for N ational Com ing Out Day,
National Day of Silence...all of which had
approach is respectful of nearly all community
norms, including encouraging young people to
many participants and were a great success.”
abstain from intercourse until they know what
But two years ago, when the Oregon Citizens
they need to know and have made a thoughtful,
Alliance pushed the Student Protection Act,
well-informed decision."
Wright says she saw a dramatic change. School
Wright has a long background in working
administrators and teachers who had been open
and welcoming became distant and quietly with with the queer community. The formerly mar
drew because they were “afraid to show support.”
ried mother of two sons says she got “radical
ized” in the early 1980s while living in Mis
“Measure 9 passed in Deschutes County, and
1 believe this was unbelievable and frightening
soula, Mont.
. to the kids who watched this happen,” Wright
“I had two friends die in the first wave of the
HIV pandemic,” she says. “Still in school [at
says. “A t that time I began to observe change in
G S A attendance: The last couple of years we
University of Montana], I began to study human
sexuality and developed a philosophy about
typically had three to six kids per meeting,
teaching and talking openly about it. I did an
sometimes more, sometimes none. All of these
internship with the health department’s
kids hear anti-gay rhetoric and name calling in
the schools and communities, even from adults
HIV/AIDS program and began to do health
who work with them. Many have experienced
education.”
some degree of harassment or violence but are
Wright eventually began training HIV edu
cators for the state and in 1991 became educa
afraid to ask for help. Lon Mabon has succeeded
tion director for Planned Parenthood of Mis
in some not-so-subtle ways.”
soula. “I was able to go to groups and individu
This year, Wright says, no new students have
als of all kinds, colors, ages and orientations,”
stepped forward, and the other members have
she says. “ I taught about contraception, STDs,
moved on. She has not lost hope, however, and
HIV/AIDS and other topics around healthy,
has plans to revamp the program.
Wright is no stranger to feeling heat regard whole-person sexuality.”
Wright’s job eventually was downsized, so
ing her job. When she started working at
she went to work as a private contractor and
Planned Parenthood, it just had opened the
consultant. But more importantly to her, she
health center and met with strong resistance
decided to stop drinking around that time. “I am
from some members of the community.
a recovering alcoholic with 4 1/2 years of sobri
In her sexuality education work, Wright
ety,” she says.
deals with people of all ages but takes great
This is also when her daughter-in-law told
delight in working with kids. “1 do programs for
her about the Bend job. She applied, was inter
nearly all agencies and organizations serving
viewed by phone and was hired. It has been a
high-risk youth,” she says.
Wright finds that the kids in alternative pro perfect fit. Her work, especially with at-risk
youth, has been extraordinarily rewarding.
grams “tend to receive a far more open and in-
“I was a high-risk kid,” she says. “I survived
depth sex education than most in public schools
and have gone on to do my sacred work. Maybe
in Oregon.” Slowly, she is seeing the rewards
from the hard work of everyone involved in something I say one day will make a difference
in the lives of one of these kids. ” j n
Planned Parenthood.
“1 am beginning to make inroads to the
T o m STEVENSON is a Portland free-lance writer
school districts and more mainstream programs,
and a full-time Portland State University student
but it has tnily been a challenge,” she says.
“Some folks are beginning to realize that our who can be reached at ntraltom @ yahoo.com .
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Saturday, November 9th
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