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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2007)
Ut er FEBRUARY 16. 2007 eatingout eatingout eatingout eatingout culture Coming Together > Gay men's wellness movement takes off in Portland by Malka Geffen Eat the Crêpes, Drink the Wine, Read the Magazines...Repeat. Serving Lunch, Brunch, Dinner & More 2621 SE Clinton St. 233-5656 DINE + DRINK Lunch. Dinner. Cocktails. Seasonally inspired and made with the finest Northwest ingredients. The only thing missing is you. breakfast & lunch » "No one is an 'expert' here; everyone is going through the same process, and by working together, we can each reach the goats we want." NW Couch at 10th in the Pearl MonSat: 11am-11pm Sunday: 5 pm’11pm Happy Hour Weekdays 4pm-6pm 503 230 0463 503.226.DINE ten-01.com M on -F ri • 7AM-2PM S at -S un • BAM-3PM 1 ilR. l?LVP <=>Ce Idiôtro W/ontaÿ 301 4' 4 4 4 4è Wìorrióon *503.234.1324 ntaaeportLuid. com cJLunck ou’re tired of the Bar scene. You aren’t to be the gifted leaders, healers and artists our looking for sex right now’ hut still desire community so urgently needs.” touch. You haven’t been feeling great, Q-LAND’s peer support groups draw larger hut you think men shouldn’t look for numbers of participants. The Men’s Dating Lab, help unless it’s serious. You hate your which is held on first and third Thursdays, plays job and the ways you’ve tried dating, but you have host to a multigenerational group of men. “It’s no idea how to make a change. fascinating to hear people in their 50s who have January marked the third anniversary of Queer been working their whole lives and are now Love Action Network for Discovery, a nonprofit making intimacy a priority and have no idea how organization that empowers diverse men in the to date and younger men with a whole different Portland area to discover and manifest their worldview find shared interests, figure what they individual and collective potential for wellness, want, meet like-minded people and learn how they community, friendship/intimacy, spirituality, structure their intimacy,” Church says. service and play. Wayne Bund, a 25-year-old gay man who According to program coordinator Bart recently moved back to Portland from New York, Church, Q-LAND helps men live and love well was looking for a supportive and welcoming through a variety of affordable, volunteer-driven, community of queer men when he ran across the peer-led programs. Men of all sizes, ages, back Q-LAND Web site. “1 was intrigued by a leadership grounds, colors, incomes and orientations (includ training program they were implementing [now ing trans men or anyone called the Wellness Allies who identifies as male) Network] and called the partake in yoga and medi organization to ask some tation classes, healing questions. After a lengthy touch events, wellness and conversation with Bart career coaching, as well as Church, 1 decided to attend arts and social events, to one of the events on contact name a few. improv/motion massage. Church estimates that From there, 1 began regular of the 2,000 men in the ly attending other events Portland metro area (with such as the yoga class, plan some in Eugene and ning sessions and a Labor Salem) who have attended Day Retreat,” he says. Bund — Wayne Bund Q-LAND events, 220 are wanted to become a stake considered core members holder in the queer commu who show ongoing interest and come to multiple nity and joined the Q-LAND board of directors. events. “They tend to be men 25 to 65 who are A kindergarten teacher who is also a writer and tired of bars and online hookups and are looking photographer, Bund saw a need for a positive and for other ways to connect that-don’t involve drugs, healthy space for Portland’s men to talk about alcohol or smoking,” he says. “Our folks identify as intimacy and co-created Q-LAND’s Men’s Dating queer, gay, some as bi and married, and a few who Lab. “Most men don’t make intimacy a priority in are just tired of labels. We don’t ask, and we’re very their lives, and the dating lab is a venue where men careful not to because we want to encourage men’s can value intimacy in a supportive, peer-led community. We’re queer-identified as an organiza environment. The dating lab does this by helping tion but serve all men.” men to articulate their intimacy vision, identify the Q-LAND’s mission states that when men are challenges stopping them from achieving this empowered to be well in mind, body and spirit and vision and then highlighting their strengths, skills to help others be well, they are able to give their and interests as a way to take next steps. Each man most important gifts fully. “When we empower is then supported by another man who will check men to heal from the challenges of sexism, homo in with him in the following weeks. No one is an phobia, isolation and chronic illness, we free them ‘expert’ here; everyone is going through the same process, and by working together, we can each reach the goals we want,” Bund explains. Brian Taylor, a 53-year-old gay man, attended his first Q-LAND event—a therapeutic yoga class—in January 2005. “I joined in hopes of help ing with some back and mobility problems,” he says. “I found much more: a group of gay men who were committed to helping other gay men find healthy alternative answers to important life issues.” The lead nurse for the Multnomah County HIV Health Services Center, Taylor joined the board of directors to contribute his knowledge of the gay and HIV communities he has been close to Bart Church (center) says Q-LAND draws men for the past 25 years. He facilitates Beat the Blues, "who are tired of bars and online hookups and a depression support group that meets first and are looking for other ways to connect that don't involve drugs, alcohol or smoking.** third Sundays. “1 have battled depression for many 1/:30-2 ßar now open around tke corner!
