n ’ iiiiïTTTW+cîinews
igh-tech Internet surveys, emo
tional community forums and
official endorsements by key
organizations illustrate how a
new attempt to establish a queer
community center in Portland is both grass
roots and professional, serious in its intent to
be inclusive, and comprehensive in its assess
ment of feasibility.
Earlier this year, an informal group of leaders
from among Portlands sexual minorities and
idvocates was called together by Sam Adams,
Mayor Vera Katz’s chief of staff. The gay man
wanted to help launch a diverse exploratory
committee to expand on work initiated by the
Queer Committee, an offshixit of Outside In.
The consensus was to gather input to determine
whether and how to proceed with a queer com
munity center.
“For me it’s an open question,” Adams says.
“ Half my brain thinks it’s time for Portland to
have one, but at the same time I’ve been
involved in public policy enough to know that
you have to do a certain amount of outreach and
study to make sure that it really is going to help.
It’s all in how you do it.”
So far, the "how” has been methodical, com
prehensive and consensus-driven. A series of
five meetings has led to the establishment of the
Community Center Fund, a temporary but for
mal nonprofit organization charged with direct
ing the research necessary for future develop
ment of the facility.
Actively involved have been representatives
from organizations such as Basic Rights Oregon,
Brother to Brother, the Burnside Triangle Advi
sory Group, Cascade A ID S Project, It’s Time
Oregon!, the Lesbian Community Project, the
Northwest Gender Alliance, the Portland Gay
Men’s Choms and Vanguard Youth Services.
After preparing a budget that takes advantage
of numerous in-kind donations— as well as a
$5,000 kick start from the city’s Bureau of Hous
ing and Community Development— Adams’
“fire starter” leadership role stx>n will diminish as
an interim board begins directing a series of pub
lic Speak Out Forums, a comprehensive survey
and a professional feasibility study.
Mike Pina (inset) suggests this vacant space
at 1025 S.W. Washington St. in the
Burnside Triangle would be suitable to
develop into a queer community center
M m g. 2003»
B reaking
C ommon
G round
A new grassroots effort
explores the feasibility
of a queer community center
in Portland
by T im oth y K rau se
Multiple forums. Nearly 50 people attend
ed the first forum held May 29 at Central
Library. Many offered personal stories that testi
fied to the need or benefit of having a queer
community center, especially as a refuge and
resource for those growing up or coming out.
Individuals offered ideas about what the center
might be like, addressing location, services,
amenities and organizational structure. The
forums continue throughout the summer.
30,000 surveys. A confidential survey titled
“Out With It! 2003: What Have You Got to
Say?” will be distributed at the forums, in Just
Out, on the Web, at Portland Pride 2003 and at
other IcKations. Building on the polling experi
ence of the Burnside Triangle Advisory Group
and others, questions range from general demo
graphics to what people would like to see in a
center to how Portland queers feel about the
community in which they live.
“The survey will help more than just the
community center project," Adams says. “It will
help those of us in government to have a better
understanding of the state of the local commu
nity. It will help the nonprofit organizations that
have as part of their mission the support and
adv(x:acy of the LGBTQ community. And it
will help the for-profit businesses that want to
help the LG BTQ community.”
Feasibility study. Quantitative data from
the survey and qualitative data from the forums
then will be used to prepare a formal feasibility
study. The report will focus on what kind of
organization and facility would work best to
address needs and wants of community mem
bers. The evaluation will include what is prac
tical in terms of not only a capital campaign
but also ongoing financial stability. Results will
be released by Oct. 1, after which the Commu
nity Center Fund will determine whether to
establish a new nonprofit organization that
would actually develop and run the facility.
At several meetings Adams acknowledged
that some participants will think the process
moves tix) fast, while others will find the process
moving ttx) slowly.
Brother to Brother representative Andre
Pruitt, for example, expressed concern that
queers of color might be left out of the process if
it moves tcx) swiftly and does not actively seek
their input in an accessible manner.
Mike Pifia, Burnside Triangle
Advisory Group member and busi
ness owner, says the contingent
should push ahead to seize immedi
ate opportunities. The group’s
research already has demonstrated
the need, he contends, and a group
o f anonymous but high-profile
donors are interested in providing
funds to lease a building available in the his
torically gay Burnside Triangle.
“The establishment of a gay community cen
ter is an important milestone in the maturity of
our community, and the quicker we establish
I
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For
Markie
Acevedo, a center
represents a more
personal connec-
tion. “I came out
late in my life, at
45 years old, and
the San Diego
Communitv Cen
ter helped me to
plug into the
community,” she
says. “I also iden
tify as bisexual,
and bisexuals are
a minority within
sexual minorities.
But I was able to
find community
through a bi group
T he Queer Com m ittee’s John Coom ler (left) consults with Sam A dam s
at
the community
during the Speak O ut Forum held May 2 9 at Central Library
center. Plus, it is a
great place for people to find job postings,
i that, the quicker we can mature the services
queer-friendly housing, support groups and
| offered,” Pina wrote in an e-mail to Just Out.
He also suggests that acquiring the down counseling.”
Although vice chairman Kaelin Bowers
town lcKation now would do more than cushion
wishes the process would move faster, he
the center’s startup and effectively launch its
fund-raising campaign. Pina says siting a queer
understands the importance of ensuring that
every community is included in decision
community center in the Burnside Triangle
making. The key, he says, is to put aside differ
would help ensure that the area’s inevitable gen-
ences, “Situations and discussions might
trification is gay-friendly. Furthermore, the
building is in a usable state, central to trans become volatile and stressful, but I hope that
the outcome of these situations ends up pro
portation connections and offered at a below-
moting the most important goal of creating
market rate.
But interim board member and co-chair the community center.”
Jacob Brostoff adds: “It’s high time Port
woman Gwenn Baldwin, who ran the Los
land had a place where all Portlanders can cel
Angeles Gay &. Lesbian Community Center
ebrate their diversity, identities and the city
before returning to Portland last summer, offers
they love. A L G B T Q community center is a
caution.
reflection of our com m unities’ pride, visibility
“I’ve seen firsthand what a wonderful and
powerful asset a center can be for a community. I and success!”
If realized, a queer community center in
always thought that Portland needed a way for
Portland would join more than 139 centers or
queer people to come together.” But, she says, “It
is sometimes tempting to jump ahead and
similar sites that operate in 36 states and serve
more than 1 million clients
declare there will be a center
without having determined
annually,
according to the
"Every city is different,
the right center for the com
National Association of Les
munity— or even if one is and we need to know w hat bian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender Community
needed at all. Every city is
is needed and what
different, and we need to
Centers. Once established,
know what is needed and is pos:
ossible before we start however, operations can be
challenging. For example, a
what is possible before we
}
e
signing
buildings.
We
m
i
t
start designing buildings. We
San Francisco center that
can t assume’ anything, and (O n 't OSSUOie a n y th in g , a n d opened only last year report
ed in May an operating
we need to build ownership
j . i wj
/ .
broadly for any outcome.”
I / WeA tO ¡HUM OWHerShip deficit of $642,000 and bank
debt of more than $2 mil
r,ñai Ktoup of potential
f0 f Q p y
"
lion, according to Bay Area
donors, who also expressed
•
'
concern about a political con-
— G w 6M1 Baldwin Reporter. And Oregon’s only
such facility, the Abdill-Ellis
flict of interest should Adams
have remained involved with the project, is expect- ¡ Center in Ashland, nearly closed two years ago
ed to create a separate endowment fund earmarked
because of community apathy and leadership
for a queer community center. Shixild a formal
conflicts.
organization be established, funding then could be
“Many times we are in a reactionary mixie,
sought from the endowment specifically for “bricks whether it’s a crisis or emergency," notes David
and mortar” projects. This wixild allow Kith a thor- Martinez, co-chairman of the Portland effort,
ough prtx:ess of discovery and the immediate “In this case, we are bringing the community
momentum of fund raising to pnx:eed in parallel together to get a sense of where we are, where
efforts toward a common goal.
we want to go and how a community center can
Although various parties have attempted to support our endeavors. Whatever the outcome,
the discussions, connections and collaKiration
ignite a sustainable interest for a Portland center
among
the diverse groups in our community
in the past, motivation waned when leaders
throughout this process will benefit everyone.”
burned out, had too few resources or lacked
Baldwin concurs, saying, “If we continue this
enough broad-based support from a diverse rep
study inclusively and deliberately, I think we
resentation of the community.
will create something truly important for Ore
Members of the Community Center Fund’s
gon’s queer community.’
| temporary board of directors, however, are
optimistic.
The next S peak O u r F orum will he held at
CM Hall, for instance, envisions a place that
6.30 p.m. June 29. For location call 503-535'3815,
is supportive for youth and elders. “Something
email portlandqueercenterQyahoo. com or wnte to
that can bring together diverse factions, bridge
different minorities within the LG BTQ com PO. Box 1682, Portland, OR 97207. To complete
the online version of the queer community center
munity and offer a safe meeting place for these
survey, visit www nutu*thil2003 .com.
groups,” she remarks.
’in
15