hbmiry 21.2001
nrnnïWRSïineuJs
V oices
%
B obby
C olor
Continued from Page 1
F outher
A nthony Davis: How do you identify
yourself?
Bobby Fouther: The label thing just really
doesn’t function for me, because in the year
2003, there is so much that people need to get
over about life and the way people are. Humans
live on the planet; we’re all valid.
A D : W hat was your coming-out process
like in a lily-white Portland?
BF: Having been a loner and an artist, it put
me in my own world. Also, coming from parents
who were artists, it was all valid for me that how
you are and who you are is about you and how
you accept yourself and not what anyone else
thinks. So 1 never went through any processes
because 1 was always allowed to he whoever I was.
A D : Have you experienced racism in the
community?
BF: I’ve never been without the stigma of racism
in my entire life. That has very little to do with the
gay community. I do see things there that happen.
For iastance bar music, dcxir policies—hut that’s not
just in the gay clubs, it’s in every club. 1 traverse all
communities so I’m not just sitting in one.
N ic o l e A m a r is
A nthony Davis: W hat do you feel are some
of the issues that face queer women of color?
N icole A m aris: 1 d o n ’t truly identify with
th e lesbian com m unity in Portland, even
though 1 consider myself as lesbian and queer.
1 d o n ’t feel like I’m really th a t connected to
th at com m unity hy personal choice. I think
it’s such a colorless community. It’s a diverse
community, hut in my eyes it’s not just th at
open to me.
A D : N ot open how?
N A : Inclusiveness. It’s a really harsh state­
ment, hut I think it’s true.
A D : Do you feel like an outsider?
N A : In a way yes, in a way no. I feel th at
there is a com m unity here w ithin queer peo­
ple of color. T here is love, there is support,
there is room for the outsiders w ithin that
community. In th a t way I feel very lucky and
blessed to have that. My harsh words is th at I
d o n ’t feel Portland is open to supporting queer
youth of color, bridging th a t gap and opening
itself up to that.
"I've never been
without the
stigma o f racism
in m y entire life.
Jhat has very
little to do with
the gay
com m unity"
— Bobby Fouther
"I work with gay black youth,
and I see what can happen
when they get a m entor and
they are able to see exam ples
besides growing up to be the
next drag queen"
— John Garlington
A D : W hat can be done to make the com­
m unity be more open to queers of color?
N A : I would say practice what you preach. I
feel like a lot of community and youth centers
and other resources that strive to he open and
inclusive of people of color are not reaching out
in the right ways. It’s like they’re not finding the
tcxds they need to make the inclusiveness hap­
pen. I think people have high dreams and strive
for the right ideas and views and openness, hut I
don’t think they can make it happen if they are
not willing to step out of their comfort zone.
D o you feel that calling yourself
queer negates you as an African
American man?
SH: No. I think everything
we do and everything we say are
products of our environment. I
think the gay community as a
whole has been much more
accepting of me as a person than
the African American communi­
ty. So I tend to relate to a lot of
ideas, beliefs, vocabulary from
that community. It’s a communi­
ty that has supported me, so I
tend to relate to it. I don’t think
queer is a white term. Like I said,
when I’m in the African Ameri-
can community
I identify as
queer first.
AD: Do you
find homopho-
|g bia to be preva­
il lent in the
African Ameri­
can community?
SH :
Defi­
nitely. It’s some­
thing that is not
talked. Some of
the youth that I
come in contact
with will be part
of Gay Straight
Alliances at their
high schools, hut
they’re not eth ­
nically specific.
T h at
support
needs to come
from the com ­
munity. It’s not
being
offered.
— Stephan Herrera
I’ve seen several
efforts in trying
to create that support to the community only to
be unsuccessful each time.
In the African American
community, a lot o f GBLT
individuals aren't openly
gay. There is a fear that if
they come out they will
not be supported."
nity oftentimes I’m recognized because of the
color of my skin, so I’m African American first.
S tephan
■■>[ 13
H errera
A nthony Davis: How do you do you iden­
tify yourself?
Stephan H errera: A n African American
queer activist. Queer and African American
often interchange, so sometimes I’m African
American first and sometimes I’m queer first.
A D : W hen does it interchange?
SH: It depends. Sometimes in the African
American community I’m often rejected because
I’m queer. So I’m queer first. In the gay commu­
AD: W hat are your thoughts on defining
ourselves within a minority group?
SH : I think it really depends on the individ­
ual and what they feel most comfortable with. I
recently changed my identity from gay to queer.
For me queer is more encompassing of the whole
spectrum of sexuality, and it doesn’t limit me to
just guys or females or transgendered persons. It
encompass the whole community.
AD: There are those who feel the words
“queer” or “gay” are exclusively white labels.
A D : W hat are some of the solutions that
would help solve the issue of homophobia in
the community?
SH : Talking about it more. In the African
A m erican community, a lot of GBLT individ­
uals aren’t openly gay. T here is a fear th a t if
they come out they will no t be supported. A
lot of the organizations th a t are doing the
work are not being recognized and can ’t do it
alone.
in
ANTHONY D avis is a Portland free-lance uniter.