NOVEMBER 2.2007 iUStOUt
outstanding
Have you experienced discrimination
or negative consequences in Portland
because of your sexual orientation or
gender identity?
A Perfect FIT
ast month Jackie Thomas was spotted in a powdered wig
and pink hali gown, hosting Basic Rights Oregon’s mas
querade gala.
However, she is more comfortable sporting the Nike
logo. She was recruited to Portland by Nike and works as
a marketing executive in its Beaverton headquarters.
Prior to her relocation to the Northwest, Thomas, who is
Jamaican, was training top athletes in San Francisco at her Focus
on Individual Training (FIT) Gym.
She has trained the Stanford womens basketball team and the
U.S. women’s national basketball team, which became the
Olympic team in 1996.
Thomas and her partner, DeeAnn McCoy, live in the hills of
Southwest Portland. They keep active by snowshoeing, hiking
and playing golf in town, central Oregon and Palm Springs, Calif.
A aron R idings
Research and Development
Coordinator, Equity Foundation
“I’ve experienced gay-bashing
directly and indirectly in Portland
for the last 10 years. Mostly slurs
and verbal insults and threats of,
or actual, violence."
A rielle W hite
Cat Tamer
My name is Jackie Thomas.
1 am known as a passionate and driven person who is not
afraid to tackle the tough issues.
“We get lots of gross comments
from guys saying we need a man
somewhere. Other than that,
people are nice.”
My cause is, like any gixxl black female lesbian, social justice
and equality for everybody.
I am 43 years old. 1 feel 43 years old. 1 think 43 is fabulous.
1 have a lot more wisdom. I’m definitely not 20 anymore, because
my body does not recover the way it used to.
S inead P ullen
Library Worker
Right now I’m m my office, lixrking out at the lake and trees.
It’s times like these I’m reminded why Oregon is so special.
My childhood ambition was, like every good young black kid, Nike brought Jackie Thomas to Oregon 12 years ago.
to be a doctor. I wanted to be Marcus Welby, M.D.
My first same-sex crush was on the bionic woman, Jamie
Sommers.
My first job was when I was in college, making sandwiches at
the Solano Deli in Berkeley.
“People talk about diversity until
it’s in their face. Even with the
laws as they are here, I’m still met
with de facto discrimination.
I’d hate to see du jour
discrimination.”
My vice is a great single malt scotch and a great Oregon pinot.
I like to spend my down time curled up on a sofa relaxing
with some kind of home design magazine.
♦
My proudest moment was receiving a scholarship to go to
boarding school in Danville, Calif., outside of San Francisco.
It fundamentally transformed my whole life.
My biggest challenge is making time for all the things I have
a passion for and finding some balance to find some quiet time for
myself and for my partner.
A perfect day in Portland would be spent playing golf with
DeeAnn out at Pumpkin Ridge on a sunny day.
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The last queer or philanthropic event I participated in was
the Basic Rights Oregon masquerade 25th anniversary dinner.
“At my old job at the Gay and
Lesbian Yellow Pages, 1 called
a woman who owned a funeral
home who was confused that we
had our own pages. She asked if it
was a secret society and said we are
going to hell. I said, ‘The Bible says
those who judge are condemned.’
She apologized and signed up.”
My highest hope for the cause is that my sexuality ceases to be
a topic of conversation. I resent the fact that we have to write
a check to keep hateful things off the ballot. I’d rather spend my
money helping homeless kids or the Humane Society or to endow
a scholarship in my parents’ name at an educational institution. ©
—J ay mee R. Cuti
Jnietwi Ji Fxteùwt
Sxxasivies of the
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