___________________________________________ JULY 8.2007 jUStjOUtJ 7 outstanding just asking Opening Up with Jill Nelson With the announcement that state Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland, will not return to the Oregon Legislature next session, Just Out asked readers, "What should Kate Brown do next?" s pastor for Metropolitan Com­ munity Church in Salem, Jill Nelson leads her fellowship in faith, providing them with guid­ ance for a life lived in accordance with God. In private practice she works as a life coach, helping people achieve their hopes and dreams. Nelson is a new mother to a baby girl at 48 years old. She spoke with Just Out about her busy present and future aspirations. My biggest challenge is figuring out what 1 really want to do, because I cannot do it all. 1 see so much potential in the world and so much possibility for people that I just want to be there for everybody, but I can’t. I cannot volunteer for every organization, participate in every march, show up for every vigil and write every letter. perfect day in Portland would be spent hanging out at the Grotto. I would have a nice, long walk with my partner, a picnic with my daughter, some fun in the park, then I’d relax and have a massage. My name is Jill Nelson. I am known for a lot of things. 1 have worked as a consultant, run businesses, con­ ducted training programs. I am an ordained minister and the interim pastor for the Metropolitan Community Church in Salem. 1 am also known as a life coach. As a life coach 1 help people discover who they are, determine what they want in life and then help them to achieve their goals. This is similar to what 1 do as a minister, only 1 do it one-on-one. 1 help people bring their lives into a balanced sense of wholeness. 1 give people a safe place where they can be introspective, work through their difficulties and discover who they want to become. I give them the support and encour­ agement they need to get there. My cause is to bring joy to the world. I am 48 years old. But 1 don’t feel like it. It’s not the years, it’s the mileage—and I’ve had some really good miles. I feel very young and very invigorated. It sometimes surprises me to say that I’m 48.1 feel the same way 1 did when I was 36, just a little bit smarter. Right now I am settled here in Portland. 1 live with my partner, Susan Van Houten, who is a schoolteacher, and with our 3 1/2- year-old daughter, Kristina, who is one of the joys in my life. 1 am really at a great place in my life. My childhood ambition was, 1 had so many. There were times in my life when 1 wanted to grow up to live in the wilderness. There were other times when I wanted to Life coach Jill Nelson helps people discover their path. run a large corporation. In high school, I was very active in Junior Achievement, ]which led me to believe] that 1 would make a really great boss. I strived to be the best at whatever 1 was doing, and 1 had no qualms with telling people what to do. There has always been a part of me that wanted to change people and help make the world a better place. I was a first-class Girl Scout, and I became the president of my company. My first same-sex crush was on my fourth-grade schl teacher. 1 remember she drove a really cute little blue sports car. She was an assertive, capable woman. 1 remember her getting really upset with how messy my desk was one day, so she picked it up with one hand and shook it clean. 1 was amazed by her strength. My proudest moment was holding my daughter for the first time. I never expected to have a child at 40-something years old, but 1 was very blessed to be in a relationship with someone who really wanted a child. Susan wasn’t sure that she would be able to have a child at her age, but she was able to conceive on the first try. I was in the deliv­ ery room when Kristina was bom and was the first person to hold her beside the doc­ tors. Spending the evening in the hospital with just the two of them was wonderful. It was the most amazing moment of my life, and it changed me forever. My first job was detasseling corn. 1 grew up in Iowa, where 14-year-old kids can work in the summers. Kids head out to the corn­ fields where farmers are genetically altering corn via cross-pollination. In order for the cross-pollination to be successful, the tassels have to be removed from the corn, and that’s what I did. The next year 1 was a checker, running my own crews and inspecting the work of others. A nne V iola Caregiver “Perhaps governor, because it would say a lot about our ¿tare to have a woman in the highest office. Because she has integrity and has been successful, it’s almost a natural progression for her.” P eter L ewis Manager, Old Wives’ Tales “She should stay in public office, working her way to being the second woman president.” My vice is convincing myself. I am very persuasive, and 1 have a lot of self-confidence. My inspiration is Jesus. I think Jesus is a really cool guy. Jesus embodies what I admire; so does Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. These were people who were willing to risk their lives for what they believed in and managed to transform the world. Troy Perry, founder of the MCC, has been another huge inspiration. He single-handedly brought gay rights to the forefront of public attention. The last queer or philanthropic event 1 participated in was the fund-raiser for the Elevation band at MCC Portland. I donated my services, free coaching sessions, for the auction. My highest hope for the cause is that there will be a day that we all have real equality. 1 would like to see a society of peace and justice, in which the cause of gay rights is a nonissue. © —Evan Nehring B eth A llen Partner, Allen" Law * “I suggest that she come work for our law firm, because we could use another smart, savvy, fun and fantastic attorney. Besides, we don’t have any bisexuals yet.” P atrick L ee Local Loudmouth “She should become an MC at Darcelle’s, because I’m sure she has all kinds of fabulosity and everyone loves her.”