___________________ January 21. 2005 *
just OUt 29
ADVICE
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SPIRITUALITY
Metro: Spirituality
Anawim Community of gay men meets weekly for
Christian meditation and prayer (7:30 pm Thursday
503-281 -0722.) (7/05)
Atkinson Memorial Church a Unitarian
Universalist church, provides a spiritual home for those
looking for a liberal-minded, supportive and caring con
gregation in Oregon City. (10 30 am Sunday 710 Sixth
St 503-656-7296) (1/05)
Bridgeport United Church of Christ is a commu
nity of progressive, political people exploring and cele
brating the Christian faith. We are sexual minority and
straight, multicultural and multiracial, and our children
are valued members. (10 30 am Sunday 621 NE 76th
Ave 503-258-0992 www bridgeportucc org.) (7/05)
holds ecumenical Sunday morning worship services at
9 and 11 am. Sunday school for children is held during
the 11 am service. (2400 NE Broadway 503-281 8868
mfo@mccportland com wwwmccportlandcom) (7/05)
classes Schedule of events available All women are
welcome. (Suite 102. 3430 SE Belmont St Mailing
address: PO Box 9246. Portland. OR 97207
503-736-3297 sistersp@teleport.com.) (7/05)
Nichiren Buddhist Temple of Portland offers
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral a welcoming and
several weekly gatherings. Everyone welcome! (10 am
Sunday. 730 am Tuesday and Thursday. 7.30 pm
Wednesday meditation 2025 SE Yamhill St
503-232-8064 www mchiren-shu org/portland) (7/05)
affirming congregation, invites all to worship services
Peace Church of the Brethren is a welcoming
congregation (11 am Sunday 12727 SE Market St.
503-254-6380.) (1/05)
Portland Center for Spiritual Growth is a center
for worship, growth and leadership that adheres to an all-
inclusive spiritual philosophy similar to 12-step, Unity and
Religious Science Impromptu wedding ceremonies avail
able. (503-777-0727 wwwportlandcenter.org.) (7705)
Portland Radical Faeries meet twice a month with
Congregation P'nai Or (Faces of Light) is a vibrant,
egalitanan, Jewish Renewal congregation in Portland
Meets several times a month at Portland State
University Campus Ministries. (PO Box 42187,
Portland. Ofí 97242-0187 503-248-4500
www.pnaiorpdx.org.) (7/05)
potlucks and circles at the full moon and the new moon.
Open to all men seeking alternative spiritual growth and
community Coffee hours start 9:30 am Saturdays at
3 Friends Coffeehouse, 201 SE 12th Ave
(503-235-0826. otter@pcez.com.) (7/05)
Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship s a support orga
Eastrose Fellowship Unitarian Universalist a
welcoming congregation, offers Sunday service and chil
dren's religious education. (10:30 am 1133NE 181st
Ave . Gresham 503-665-2628 office@eastrose org
wwweastroseorg.) (7/05)
nization for former and current Adventists who are
queer as well as their family and friends (PO Box
49375. Sarasota. Fl, 34230-6375 866 732-5677.
office@sdakinship.org. www sdakinship org) (7/05)
Soul Quest— a men's group exploring soui spirit,
Eckankar—Religion of the Light and Sound of
God holds worship services and maintains a library of
materials. Learn how the Divine Spirit works throughout
your own life in today's world (10 am Sunday 7904 SE
Milwaukie Ave 503-233-1595 wwweckankar org.) (7/05)
Enneagram Community of Portland offers men
toring, therapy, spiritual direction, classes, workshops
and retreats (enneagrampdx@aol com.
wwwenneagramportland.com.) (7/05)
Faith United Methodist Church is a welcoming
congregation that values and affirms the sacredness of
all people We invite and encourage everyone to find a
place in the family of God. (1015 am Sunday
27400 SE Stark St. Troutdale 503-661 4520.) (1/05)
First Congregational United Church of Christ is
an open and affirming congregation in the liberal Christian
tradition. Church school and nursery care. (10:25 am
Sunday. 1126 SW Park Ave 503-228- 7219.) (7/05)
First Congregational United Church of Christ
of Hillsboro is an open and affirming congregation
explicitly welcoming everyone into its Christian commu
nity. fellowship and worship. Bible and book study
groups, Sunday school and nursery care. (10:30 am
Sunday 494 E Mam St 503-648-4341
www hillsboro-ucc org.) (7/05)
First Unitarian Church of Portland is an open and
affirming liberal religious community offenng a wide
range of programs to nurture spiritual growth, communi
ty and social justice. Sunday service 9 and 11 am
(1011 SW 12th Ave 503-228-6389
www.hrstunitananportland.org.) (7/05)
inner transformation and authentic living—will meet
weekly starting this spring. (Lincoln 503-730-2347
•soulrites@yahoo.com) (7/05)
Southminster Presbyterian Church is an active
member of the Community of Welcoming
Congregations. Sunday school, nursery care, classes,
community service activities and events for all ages and
interests (9 am Sunday chapel service. 10 am Sunday
main worship service. 12250 SW Denney Road.
Beaverton 503-644-2073. staff@southmin com
www.southmin.com.) (7/05)
St. Andrew Catholic Church invites all to join a
diverse faith community for prayer and fellowship
(9 30 am Sunday: Noon Spanish language service
806 NE Alberta St 503-281 4429 ) (7/05)
St. James Lutheran Church a Reconciled in
Christ congregation, welcomes all people for traditional,
liturgical worship where we experience God's reconcil
ing love that sets all people free (9 and 11 am Sunday
1315 SW Park Ave. 503-227-2439 www stjamesluther
anportlandorg.) (7/05)
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church has been wel
coming all people since 1863. (¡2:10 pm Wednesday
and 745 and 10 am Sunday Sunday school and child
care at 10 am 1432 SW 13th Ave 503-223-6424 )
(7/05)
SisterSpirit offers women's spirituality celebrations,
discussion groups, a drumming circle, workshops and
and ongoing programs in spiritual development, commu
nity outreach, music and arts education. (8 am Sunday
Rite I chapel service 10 am Sunday Rite II cathedral
service 147 NW 19th Ave 503:222-9811.
www.trinity-episcopal.org) (7/05)
Unitarian Universalist Community Church of
Washington County is an open and affirming liberal
religious community offering a variety of ennchment pro
grams in addition to community and social action oppor
tunities. (9 and 11 am Sunday. 22785 NW Birch St..
Hillsboro 503-648-1720 www uuccwc org.) (7/05)
Waverly Heights United Church of Christ is
open and affirming with worship, children's school and
child care. (10 am summer. 11 am school year
3300 SE Woodward St. 503-238-1337.
pastor@waverlyucc org www waverlyucc org.) (7/05)
Wy'east Unitarian Universalist Congregation is
an open and liberal religious community offering inter-
generational services and religious education for youth
and adults. We welcome gay, lesbian, bi and trans mem
bers and nurture spiritual growth living by Unitarian
Universalist principles. (5 pm Sunday 3300 SE
Woodward St. 503-777-3704
www.wyeast.pnwduua.org) (7/05)
Zion United Church of Christ an open and affirm
ing congregation, is open to gay, lesbian, bi, trans and
heterosexual people who wish to worship in a Christ
centered. warm, canng. multiage/race/cultural faith
community. (11 am Sunday 110 30 am summer!
2025 NE 23rd Ave. Gresham 503-665-8741) (1/05)
Central Oregon: Spirituality
United Church of Christ Congregational is
an open and affirming congregation in The Dalles.
(9 20 am adult Sunday school, 10 30 am worship
19:30am summer!. Ill EFifth St 541 -296-2909
ucccongl@netcnct. net.
www. formimstry com/usorucofcucocc ) (7/05)
Washington: Spirituality
Abundant Life Center assists the community in
spiritual growth. (10am Sunday 111 W39th St.,
Vancouver The Rev Kathleen Vengin 360-573-2626
www abundant-lifecenter org.) (7/05)
Longview United Methodist Church is welcom
ing and reconciling. (10 am Sunday 2851 30th Ave
Longview 360 425 4927) (7/05)
Metropolitan Church of the Gentle Shepherd
in Vancouver welcomes you. (10 30 am and 6 30 pm
Sunday worship Bible study follows morning worship.
2200 Broadway St. The Rev
Harriet Barshofsky 360-695-1480.)
(7/05)
Gay and Lesbian Outreach (GALO) of St Philip
Michael Servitus Unitarian
Neri Catholic Church celebrates an affirming Mass fol
lowed by a social (7 30 pm Friday. Paulist Center.
2408 SE 16th Ave. 503-231-4955) (7/05)
Universalist Fellowship a
Welcoming Congregation, provides
a home for the liberal religious
spirit. (930 and 11 15 am Sunday
4505 E 18th St . Vancouver
360-695-1891. 7(7/05)
Integrity is a group of sexual minority Episcopalians
and friends. Various locations throughout Oregon.
(Steven Norcross or Bruce 503 286-9111 brucepdx-
or@comcast net www integrityusa org) (7/05)
Willamette Valley:
Spirituality
Interfaith Spiritual Center houses spintual direc
tors from various world religious traditions, who are
available for guidance, classes and retreats. (Second
Floor. 3910 SE 11th Ave 503-233-2026. ext 3.
www mterfaithspintualcenter com) (7/05)
First Congregational Church
United Church of Chnst is an
open and affirming congregation
offering worship and church
school. Child care provided
and wheelchair accessible
(9:30 am Sunday learning hour.
10 30 am worship 700 Marion St
NE.Salegi 503-363 3660.)(1/05)
Koinonia Catholic Community s a progressive,
small faith community that gathers weekly to celebrate
Eucharist at Bridgeport United Church of Christ A wel
coming congregation. Catholic in tradition and Ecumenical
in membership (6 pm Sunday. 621 NE 76th Ave
503-699-04 73 www koinomacommunity org.) (7/05)
Metanoia Peace Community United Methodist
Church is a “house church" that brings gay and
Metropolitan Community
straight together Daily morning prayer and Sunday
evening worship. (503-281-3697.
www tearsoup com/metanoia) (7/05)
Church Two Rivers is a
Metropolitan Community Church of Portland
Portland gay fiber artist Leroy Klausmeyer uses
barbed wire and deadly thorns to voice his feelings
about the 2004 election Feb. 1-26 at Ogle
social events Also information, referral and advocacy
services in Washington County. (Molly 503-260-5792.
mofy@prideproject.org) (7/05)
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network (GLSEN) strives to assure that each mem
ber of every school community is valued and respect
ed. reganfesa of sexual orientation or gender
identity/expression (12700 SW North Dakota St.
Suite 180fl29. Tigard. OR97223 503-525-1177
gisen@glsenoregon org. www glsenoregon org.) (1/05)
Outside In operates a cfekc for anyone who can't
qualify for the Oregon Health Plan as well as needs
exchange services that include those who inject hor
mones. Provide transition^ housing for youth 20 and
younger and for those HlV-posttw and younger than
23. Need volunteers of aS ages. (10 am-6 pm Monday-
Friday 1132 SW 13th Ave 503-535-3800
www outsidem org) (7/05)
Pride Project bangs together Washington County
(peer and questioning youth to {fen and attend monthly
Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center
(SMYRC) offers support and recreation to gay, les-
ban, bi and trans youtn 23 and younger. Drop-in com
puter access, pool tables and an informal place to hang
out. Weekly support meetings include Trans Youth
Group and the creative group Personal Deity Proxy.
(4-8 pm Monday and Wednesday. 4 pm-midnight Friday
and Saturday 2100 SE Belmont St 503-872-9664.
TTY 503-231-9286 www smyrc org.)(l/05)
Eastern Oregon: Youth
Christian church with primary
outreach in the sexual minorities
community (6 30 pm Sunday
1166 Oak St. Eugene)(1/05)
Washington: Youth
Triple Point offers education, support and advocacy
to gay. lesbian, bi, trans and questioning youth in
Vancouver. Meets every Tuesday in the basement of
Youth House. (88 pm. 1112 Columbia St John
360-695-1325.) (7/05)
Willamette Valley: Youth
Gay, Lesbian, Bl, Transgender and
Questioning Youth Group for ages 13 to 18 offers
support, information and fun in Eugene. Free confiden
tial. adult-facilitated (Drop in 46 pm Fnday Amazon
Community Center. 2700 Hiiyard St 541 -684-3466 >
(7/05)
Eastern Oregon Center for Independent
Living offers support and advocacy to gay. lesbian, bi.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Youth
trans and guestioruno youth in Eastern Oregon (1021
SW5thAve, Ontario 541889-3119or866-248-8369
eocf@eodorg www.eod.org >(7/05)
Group for ages 25 and younger meets every .Monday
kt Eugene (5 pm Koinoma Center. 1414 Kincaid St
541-346 1134)11/05)
Homocoming queen
Ex-cheerleader expects to relive
her glory days at high school reunion
D ear M s . B ehavior :
I am a lesbian
looking forward with
nervous excitement
to attending my
15-year high school
reunion. Unlike
many of my gay
friends, 1 had a great
time in high school.
1 was a cheerleader,
had boyfriends,
played sports and was
even homecoming
queen.
My girlfriend,
Margo, refuses to go
to the reunion with me. She is a bit
older and went to her reunion a long
time ago and hated it. She says my
so-Called friends will not be as perky
and happy to see me as I am to see
them. She says they are straight and
suburban and “not very imaginative.”
1 expect to connect with them
intellectually and emotionally, even
though many years have passed. But
Margo says I need to prepare myself
for disappointment, and she seems
judgmental that I want to go.
Margo wa*a bit of a stoner/
outcast in high schrxil, and I think
she still takes it all too personally.
She seems to want me to be hurt
and angry like she is. She’s told me
straight out that she’d prefer 1 stay
home with her because I’m in for a
sorry awakening.
What do you think, Ms.
Behavior? Should 1 press Margo to go
with me? Should I expect a wanr»
welcome...or should I stay home
with Margo and stew in my sour les
bian juices?
—Queen in 1989
D ear Q ueen in 1989:
If you feel compelled to attend
your high schrxtl reunion, dust off
your pompoms and go, but don’t drag
your recovering‘outcast girlfriend
with you. Let Margo stay home and
relive her unhappy high sch(x>l mem
ories, perhaps after smoking some
weed and eating a few fluffernutters.
Don’t expect your reunion to feel
like a homecoming. You may have
fond memories of wearing your tiara
and presiding over the prom, but if
you were doing the nasty with boys
back then, you probably weren’t quite
the same person you are now. Despite
your fantasy, reunions are not typical
ly a place where people connect at a
deep level. (For this experience, you
must enroll in yoga camp or a tantric
sex workshop.)
Your old friends will probably
squeal a bit and then comment on
everyone’s hair and weight and chil
dren, but you probably won’t get much
intellectual or spiritual camaraderie
from your old pals. Try not to be
crushed if people don’t remember you,
perhaps because you used to pluck
your eyebrows and don’t anymore.
If you do have a lousy time, you
can praise Margo for being right.
Then, as a healing exercise, you can I
write a little essay in
your blog about visit
ing the foreign land of
your somber adoles
cent past. Aching dis
appointment and hazy
adolescent memories
are the stuff that blogs
and memoirs are
made of.
D ear M s . B ehavior :
My girlfriend
Andrea left me a few
months ago because
I’m ready to have a
baby and she’s not. It
wasn’t an impulsive decision; we’ve
discussed it endlessly, and we’re just
in different places. I’m sad about los
ing Andrea, but I understand how
she feels. We ended it well, for what
that’s worth.
Now I’ve lined up a sperm donor
(through a sperm bank), and I’ve
changed my job enough to accommo
date child care. I’m a little apprehen
sive about doing it alone—this isn’t
exactly what I’d imagined—but I’m
Jsasically ready.
The problem is that I’m suddenly
meeting all kinds of resistance from
my mother and my friends, who are
begging me not to rush—as if 1 am
25 and haven’t spent the past 10
years talking about having a baby—
and warning me that a baby will put
the kibosh on any romantic possibili
ty 1 might have for the future. I hope
that’s not true. But if 1 were pushed
to make a choice, I’d probably
ch<x)se the haby over some theoreti
cal girlfriend.
Am I crazy? Should I listen to my
mother and wait a few months?
—Nervous
D ear N ervous :
Ifon’t let your mother’s spinster
fears influence your decision. Your
plan hardly sounds impulsive, and
you can’t exactly put your life on
hold while waiting for a new partner
to ring your buzzer.
Besides, a baby isn’t quite the
scourge on a relationship that some
people like to imagine. Many of your
luscious lesbian dates will actually
find your bouncy, drooly infant rather
alluring. Some even welcome the
idea of a ready-made family.
Of course, having a baby does
reduce your mean number of relation
ship prospects, but that’s not necessar
ily a bad thing because you wouldn’t
have wanted to be with someone who
loathes little ones, anyway. The trick
will be finding someone sane and
lovely and crazy about babies, who’d
he delighted with the package deal of
you and your spawn.
M eryl C ohn is the author of
Do What I Say: Ms. Behavior’s
Guide to Gay and Lesbian
Etiquette. Signed copies are available
directly from the author. Send
questions or correspondence to
msbehavu rr@aol. com.