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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2007)
jUStlOUt 35 ¿Tfitemattonai i fonte/t Â* 9/)qy 2007 years and saw the opportuni ty to address one symptom of my depression, isolation, and at the same time he with a group of gay men who understixxl what 1 was going through," he says. I n February 2005, Q-LAND joined with the group LoveTribe to hold a men’s pajama party. The snuggle party includes games, mas sage circles and “puppy piles” to create heartfelt connec tions between men. A recent MenSpirit event called ShadowQuest used meditation and LoveTribe founder Jas Davis other methods to help participants "develop their innate courage has identified with different and safety in dealing with repressed, shunned parts of themselves.** terms such as straight, queer and poly bisensual heteroflexible male. He experi more recent addition to the MenSpirit family enced his first “puppy pile” or snuggle at Burning is the nonprofit organization SpiritHawk. Jerry Man. “1 felt this is what we need to do to become Jensen began SpiritHawk in 2004 after meeting more sustainable as a people, to create a sense of vis some Native American artists through contacts ceral well-being from which it becomes more natu with the Grand Ronde tribe. According to Jensen, ral to share,” he says. SpiritHawk’s original goal was to provide economic LoveTribe refers to touch-positive communities opportunities for Native Americans through that provide healthy, caring and communal oppor educational, social, cultural, artistic and retail tunities to meet people’s needs for authentic con developments. nection, affection and play. Davis started the group “1 had property, the art background as a teacher in Portland five years ago, and it now has thousands at Linfield College and rhe business expertise,” of members in more than 300 cities. After the Jensen says. “The whole concept expanded when success of the first pajama party, a team of nine men I met Bart Church.” The owner of a large estate in the mountains near got together from LoveTribe and Q-LAND to cre ate MenSpirit, which Church describes as a group McMinnville and a beach house in Lincoln City, Jensen was impressed by Church’s efforts with men’s of straight and gay men who come together around healing and nurturing touch and play. wellness and decided to offer use of his properties to He is particularly excited about a recent support MenSpirit events. “1 found out about his background as an attorney and what he’s doing in Portland, and I decided to personally assist in his projects,” Jensen says. “Ultimately, I see rhe estate being utilized toward the gay, etc. com munities in Portland through SpiritHawk and Q-LAND’s supervision upon my death,” he explains. “Out of that, we will have a gixxl formula for others in rhe commu nity who wish to do Q-LAND teaches core strength and therapeutic yoga classes. same.” As he ages, Jensen has MenSpirit event called ShadowQuest. “Shadow begun to see rhe need for people who are dedicated refers to the parts of our lives or our natural gifts we to the concept of wellness in the community. “As part of the baby boomer population, those of us in put aside because people didn’t like them,” he says. The facilitators were a diverse group of men—includ the gay community who don’t have children and ing a body-centered psychotherapist, a massage ther family to help us when our health begins to fail, ask what we should do,” he says. “Therefore, when apist and an artist—who presented simple, practical methixls for connecting with and engaging the shad-' 1 talked with Barf about his program of mutual support and network of people fiKusing on well ow, such as breathing and meditation, expressive ness, it was extremely relevant.’ © ; movement, painting and drawing as well as ritual and 'DO EUCEDA A sound. The event encouraged men to “develop their innate courage and safety in dealing with repressed, shunned parts of themselves,” Church says. < SUNDAY MARCH I O A M - 4 TH 2 O O 7 4PM Keynote by Winona LaDuke Main event free, keynote $3 r4 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY SMITH MEMORIAL, 3RD FLOOR 1825 SW BROADWAY Take TriMet! www.trimet.org For more info: www.piwd.org A Portland International Women’s Day features educational workshops designed by women for women, women owned and/or operated businesses, organizations that focus on women within our community and globally, a women’s health fair, children’s events and activities, and the work of female artists and performers. As Program Director for Honor the Earth Fund, Winona LaDuke works on a national level to raise public support and to create funding for frontline native environmental groups. She is also the founding director of White Earth Land Recovery Project. Sponsored by PI WI), fine., The Women’s Resource Center at PSU, & TriMet. Official Wine Sponsor fior Pride Northwest 4 We are pleased to be the official wine sponsor for Pride Northwest for the 2nd year. Come check out Out and Proud White, Loud and Proud Red, Sappho's Sweet Delight and our other groovy wines. Pride Wines are available for purchase at the winery. Winery and Tasting Room Open Daily 11am - 6pm • 4510 SE 23RD AVE. PORTLAND • 503-234-3790 • www.hipchicksdowine.com (see our website for directions & events) For more in/ormution about M en S pirit visit uuw.qland.org and www.lovetribe.oTg/menspirit.
