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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2003)
12 J*»*t o u t « decombei 19.2003 Inews I’m, AVAILABLE,,, when ^OWare! (C t 5 A W ork in P rogress Careful and energetic handling of all your home fin an cin g needs Southern Oregon trons woman begins her life anew by M ichael B u rd ic k 6700SW I05lh Aw.. Suite 200 Rcavviton. ( )R 07005 loll Free (877) K^MKNN) Fax (.'>05) ‘*>7-0821 E-Mail: (olleeinv^int^.Klu nates.« > iii www.mlgaclvix.ilcs.tom C o lle e n W eed O ffice 503 * 297*9900 Cell 503 * 780*1561 It’s a you parade. Chris Mercer/George Kettner Heizgg-Meier 5 0 3 -6 4 4 -9 1 2 1 D rivers wanted. ((>!(/ {¡fL ) Snuggtekitties Cat Sitting Shelley M. Jones O w ner/O perator 503-785-0469 • www.snugglekitties.com • snugglekitties@att.net PO Box 82410 • Portland, OR 97232-0410 • Bonded A Insured Hi tm ltt *t Pti SiU m ) nit mat it nut 1 2 .0 0 0 S quare F eet M ichael L ambert W hat M ore Do You N eed ? Fi ne Ame r i c a n Craf t D o w n to w n P o r tla n d 901 SW Y amhill • 503.223.9510 W a s h in g t o n S q u a r e 503.620.2243 www.thereaImothergoose.com P o r t l a n d A ir p o r t 503.284.9929 E ven as a tixldler, Liura Calvo knew she was different. But the Catholic tradition she grew up in did not allow deviation from the rules. “You’re scripted into meeting certain expecta tions despite yourself. I’m left-handed, and they gave me hell for that," she says. Calvo, a trans woman and horseshoer living in Medford, is serving as chairwoman of the 2004 Lambda Awards Celebra tion, which will he held Jan. 10. She lives as a woman only part of the time, still using the name Logan when identifying as a man. To all appearances, Calvo lived until 1995 as a typical American male. Having worked as a Josephine County sheriff for 16 years, Calvo had chalked up a gleaming record of public service, even serving George Bush. "1 was on his presidential security detail when he was vice president. 1 t(x>k him fishing. I was there when Gerald Ford was shot at in San Francisco, part of that Laura Calvo is busy planning the 2004 Lambda Awards detail as a paramedic.” Celebration, which will be held Jan. 10 in Medford As a submachine gun Calvos wife had accidentally discovered instructor, Calvo was on the the secret earlier. Though it was hard tin the cover of National Tactical Officers Association magazine, perched outside a family, she has been supportive throughout the coming-out process. “We still have ups flying helicopter. “I’ve done every macho thing and downs, we have to balance a marriage, there was." balance finding out who the hell I am. We Then a storage unit was broken into, start definitely want to stay married. At this point ing a chain of events that would transform Calvo’s life. The unit contained clothes, pic- I in life I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’d like to stay this way for as long as I can.” tures and other personal effects she secretly A year ago, Calvo began her life anew and kept and used from time to time to express has not looked hack. “I’m not gonna hide the female aspects of her identity. “I kept coining hack to it, then kept trying anymore, I’m not hurting anyone...! just to get rid of it. You throw everything away. It’s want to live my life. So I started to get more involved with support groups, rebuilding my called purging. People will purge, try to life." repress it for periods of time. 1 got tired of In May, Calvo heard about a Basic Rights doing that— having to start all over again. 1 got a storage unit in a different county, in a lature to protect queer people from job dis different city. 1 figured I’d be steps ahead with crimination. She contacted the organization the storage unit." with her story. "Before I knew it, I got a letter There was a call from the police. “They from BRO saying they’d really like me to said they’d found my things. I said, ‘When come testify in person. I talked it over with can I pick them upT ” my wife, decided it was right thing to do." But it wasn’t that simple. Calvo was told Calvo had no idea how much attention not to come hack to work. “They set up a psy her testimony would generate. “I figured chiatric review board. They refused to give there’d he press on it, hut it’s just a little rule me my property. They investigated me for crimes." And firing a person purely for being committee thing. I figured I’d he lost in the crowd. Unfortunately that was not the case— tmns was perfectly legal. well, fortunately. 1 came home Sunday after Calvo was discouraged by the whole affair noon and my message machine was overflow- and remained in the closet to everyone hut her wife and a few close friends for five more phone call from my sister who never talks to years. “I kind of went underground again, me. On the Internet my e-mail is overflow thinking, ‘God this is horrible!’ About a year ing. The Associated Press had picked it up, ago I suddenly had an epiphany: This is just me, so now I’ve got to do something about it. So I started the prtKess of coming out.” PHOTO BY JIM MORTGAGE 4 Advocates