3
iustiout
by Marty Davis
J
Road Trip
VOL. 24 NO. 19
'NEWSMAGAZINE
AUGUST 3, 2007
Rural county adventure teaches a lesson in values
u
ou’re the first car
down this road in
five hours,” spoke
the forlorn-looking
fella, standing next
to his hood-up, equally forlorn-
looking, now lifeless truck.
Y
nd with those words, this •
dusty hackroad encounter
put into place a rural country
adventure that will linger in my
mind for some time.
Let’s leave the hrokedown
guy standing by the side for just
a hit longer, to allow me to set
the scene for you as to where
1 was and why 1 was the first car
to drive down the road that hot
afternoon in Morrow County. In
truth, it might have been in
Umatilla County, because, you
see, I had no real idea as to where 1 was. That’s the point of backroad adven­
tures. I wasn’t lost; 1 simply had no idea where I was or where 1 was going. Travel
imitating life, perhaps?
Let’s start at the beginning. I recently took a spontaneous Friday and
Saturday off and headed out to find adventure. Friday was spent gloriously
wandering the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, arriving many
happy hours later at my overnight stop in Pendleton. Folks, if you want to
truly see the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge, do it from Highway 14 on
the Washington side. It’s not a crowded freeway filled with big rigs and RVs.
There’s delightful small towns along the way—just enough, not too many. Best
of all, you’ll find much river access leading to quiet vistas, many boasting the
best blackberries on the planet.
A fine day it was indeed.
Saturday brought a simple plan. Arrive back in Portland by midnight, and
take the longest, most illogical route possible. Go where I’ve never been, see
what I’ve never seen. And, of course, find a good place for lunch.
I had never visited Heppner or Ukiah. 1 wanted to check both off my been-
to-all-Oregon-towns list, but their locations made the possibility of this seem
improbable even for me. So 1 set off for Ukiah, as this town is often mentioned
as a weather reporting station, whereas Heppner, well, Heppner is seldom
mentioned by anyone anywhere.
That decision made, I say farewell to the road to Heppner and head south,
the logical direction to return to Portland. Merrily rolling along, 1 am enjoying
sunshine, golden fields, rolling hills and the awareness that absolutely no one
else seems to be traveling this road, this day. And this, mind you, was still the
main highway south. Glorious solitude, I tell you, simply glorious.
And then out of the comer of my eye appears a dirt road leading off into the
far hills. A solitary sign indicates that this road will, eventually, emerge at the
other end and join another. I’m on it in a heartbeat. It’s a fine road: narrow,
packed dirt and gravel, the kind I grew up with, the kind I learned to drive on.
The road takes me through valleys and hills, dry streams—and then, up ahead,
a white pickup, quiet and stopped, hood raised in despair.
Journey
Through Time
FEATURE
22 BABES IN THE FIELDS
Is this a soccer festival or a radical party for
queer women?
NEWS *
8-17 NORTHWEST
Oregon Scenic
XByway
Gay-friendly commissioner will not rerun;
lesbians play ball; train for a campaign;
Men’s Wellness Center welcomes new hire;
Brother to Brother hires sister; drag queens
break world record; leadership camp has
local support; faith community supports
repeal; Merkley challenges Smith; Silverado
hints at business plans off Stark Street;
lawyers caution romantics about domestic
partnership registry; a check-in with
PFLAG leaders; is there enough
philanthropy to support two foundations?;
Tina Kotek thrives in first session
1 say, I’ll go find someone to help you. He reluctantly provides long, complicat­
ed directions, and down the road I continue. I leave him standing in the sun.
But now armed with medicine for his bee stings. 1 am prepared for all emergen­
cies. Excluding breakdowns.
18-19 NATIONAL
Hate crimes bill in limbo; Fort Lauderdale
It’s actually not difficult to find the ranch, as it’s the only one out there.
mayor
asked to resign; Massachusetts
1 realize immediately that 1 have crossed into a parallel universe and entered my
welcomes New Mexicans to marry; signature
fantasy life. Ranch house in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful white home with
scandal implicates lawmaker; Vermont to
porches and gardens. Big wood stove. 1 stifle the urge to holler, “Hi, I’m home,
study marriage; domestic partnership law
what’s for dinner?" I’m invited in by the grandmother, who chats away while we
begins in Washington
ponder what to do with brokedown fella. 1 am clearly not in Portland anymore.
20-21 WORLD
Austrian gay leader acquitted of libel; mayor
There’s a big American flag on one wall. Her son served in Afghanistan, in
blasts Budapest Pride attackers; Ireland to
the National Guard. He’s gone off to take salt to the cattle, up in the hills. He
pass civil unions; lesbian couple killed in
gave up waiting for the repairman and isn’t around to do road rescue. I arrive at
South Africa; IGLHRC denounces Iran
the conclusion that I’ve got to go back and get the driver, Don, and bring him
sodomy executions; Kathmandu police
to the ranch. As 1 start to pull out, a truck pulls in behind me, and out pile the
assault trans people; Hong Kong acquits car
sex couple
two grandsons and one bedraggled Don.
“I was coming back for you,” I try to get him to believe. He responds with
a sad, somewhat dramatic, “This is the worst day of my life.” His truck broke ARTS AND CULTURE
down, he got stung and burned, and then 1 left him there.
37 FILM
The point of all this? The contrast in values and behavior that 1 was feeling.
A flamboyant
In Portland we don’t let strangers into our homes and our cars. Out there they
farmer struggles
to save his soil
do. 1 wanted to stay in their serene home and sit down and talk. I wanted to tell
in The Real Dirt
them about Portland, and Just Out. I wanted to compare their ranch life in the
on Farmer John
country to my lesbian life in the city. I wanted to find out what we had in
38 BOOKS
common and where we were different. I wanted to set up a town hall forum in
Gay art history
these unsuspecting people’s living room. I wanted to bring in Basic Rights
collection shows
Oregon and talk about ballot measures and signature gathering. I wanted to ask
how far we
haven’t come as
them not to sign and to respect our newly won, well-deserved rights. And after
a
culture
that, well, then I wanted to unload my car, pick a room and move in.
39 DANCE
None of this happened, of course. In actuality I said goodbye, drove off and
Oregon Ballet Theatre’s founding artistic
found my way home. 1 later Googled Wasco, Morrow and Umatilla counties.
director creates new dances as an
1 learned that the three cover more than 7,500 square miles and that, with the
independent choreographer
exception of The Dalles and Pendleton, the size and the people are few and far
40 NIGHTLIFE
“You’re the first car down this road in five hours,” spoke the forlorn'looking fella, between. These people vote, however, and when added all up, they can make
Oregon Leather Pride Week is back
standing next to his hood-up, equally forlorn-looking, now lifeless truck.
a difference.
The Rural Organizing Project has a presence in eastern Oregon. According to COLUMNS
he soundtrack to the day came to a screeching halt. Ax murderer was my its Web site, the group has member organizations in all three counties. In Wasco,
14 GET DIRTY WITH DAN
immediate thought. But hey, I’m from the city; this was a normal reaction. it’s the Wasco County Citizens for Human Dignity, who recently worked to pass
Backyard Bounty
Right? Remember, I’m off on a dirt road to nowhere, no traffic of any sort to be nondiscrimination lawsin the county. In doing so, Wasco County became the 13th
33 MS. BEHAVIOR
seen, no cell phone service, and no one knows where I am. Nary a soul about Oregon community to ban discrimination in employment practices, housing and
The Old College Try
except for me and a fella who, if we were in Portland, would appear to be public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
35 OUT GOING
looking for a homeless shelter. He says he’s been standing in the heat for hours
Oregonians have differences, and we have similarities. But in each county
Kendall’s a Doll
waiting for someone to come by. He’s sunburned, bee-stung and miserable. He there are good people striving to make a difference, to do the right thing. Let’s 36 EPIQUEEREAN
was expected down the road hours ago for a repair job. Reluctantly, I start to not lose sight of the fact that “way out there” we still have allies and friends.
Lustful Libations
clear the seat so I can drive him down the road. But as he approaches the door,
And I’m betting and hoping that my new pretend family is right there with 42 JIM'S CLOSET
cowardice, common sense or a combination of both swats me in the face. Wait, the good guys. ©
What’s a “Stray”?
T