wjustput JUNE 13, 2008
Join us for a GIBT Pride Celebration
Out of Oregon
Beaverton refugee trots globe, makes it big
ollywood doesn’t make our films.
I figure I have to make our films
and put myself in them.”
That strategy seems to be
working for Beaverton native Jesse
Archer, a delightfully outspoken actor who co
wrote and stars in A Four Letter Word, in which
he reprises the flamboyant role of Luke, last seen
in 2OO4’s Slutty Summer. The film opens June 20
at Living Room Theaters.
Saturday in the Park
July 12, 2003
father Short Park • Vancouver, WA
The Broadway Musical
KELLER. AUDITORIUM
I. IVEVi
KATU¿J
Jim Radosta: What was it like growing up
in Oregon?
Jesse Archer: I wasn’t out at all. 1 didn’t have
many role models. 1 went to USC in California,
and 1 came back in summers. At that point I was
out, and I was frequently going out to The City
Nightclub in its heyday, which was just fantastic.
I think I have yet to be in a club that has as much
personality and dirty, scary fun.
I still wish I bought a T-shirt that said, “I had
sex in The City Nightclub bathroom.” They’re
probably on eBay for thousands of dollars.
JR: You wrote a column in Out about being
called a “fruit” at Fowler Middle School.
JA: Everybody knew except me. My family
actually had to move from Tigard to Beaverton
because I was beat up so much. Rough trade
in Tigard!
It was the most difficult time of my life, and it
affects me every single day, actually. I just try to
make it affect me in a good, positive, creative way.
JR: Tell me about your “adventure memoir,”
You Can Run: Qay, Qlam and Gritty Travels in
South America.
JA: The book comes from two years I spent
down in South America with my at-the-time
boyfriend. We had a really horribly codependent,
dramatic relationship. He’s from Newport. I went
to a Pride parade in Buenos Aires; the only peo
ple marching are some teenage runaways and a
couple punks and mostly trannies—really boda-
cious trannies.
It’s these types of
outrageous queens in
our subculture that
are always leading
the way for us. We
tend to forget these
people and margin
alize them once we
get larger ac
ceptance,
and that’s
part of
what
A Four
Letter
Word is
trying
to say,
too: The
queens
went first—
leave
’em
alone!
O Fidelity
Jesse Archer, 33, lives in New York City.
Jim's Closet
BY JIM RADOSTA
It’s about the slut who falls for a hustler—
it happens every day! Luke gets called a “gay
cliché,” but he thought of himself as more of this
sparkly nightlife disco ball of a person. At the end,
I think we realize that, no matter who you are, it’s
great to be true to yourself.
JR: The film addresses sex in a candid way
that’s been missing since Queer as Folk went off
the air. Was that the idea?
JA: Well, that and also getting people
in the seats. TLA Releasing told the direc
tor, “If you wanna earn the nickel, you gotta
show the pickle!”
I think we wanted to throw people off; if
that’s all you want to see—this slutty, smutty
sex and flesh—then that’s all you’ll see, but
if you want to explore deeper, there’s defi
nitely themes of addiction, alienation and
identity, but you have to read between the
lines to see it.
And we wanted to explore this as a main
character because I don’t think it has been done
before: All characters that are like Luke have
been sideline characters, sort of punch lines, and
we wanted to show that he’s a person, too, with
something to say.
JR: I loved your column that tore apart men
who write “no fems” in their personal ads.
JA: It’s just a lot of internalized homopho
bia. I think it’s the greatest threat to the gay
community, frankly. It manifests itself in so
many insidious ways—the gay manager who
won’t let his gay actor take gay roles because he
thinks he’ll be stereotyped. Really disgusting.
I find that even sometimes our national gay
publications don’t put gay people on the cover
or feature us as much as they feature, like, some
one from Gossip Girl or this singer that’s dating
Jessica Simpson or even people like Heath Led
ger. Are we only allowed to put people like that
on the cover of our magazines and say: “Thank-
you for not calling us faggots! You’re our hero!”?
Why can’t we have gay people playing our roles?
It’s bizarre to me.
The straight actors say, “When I’m really
courageous, I’ll play a gay role.” I’m like: “You
know what? When I’m feeling really courageous,
1’11 play a straight role.” It’s just not something
that interests me. I’m much more interested in
being myself and who I am and exploring facets
of that. •
Arts and Culture Editor J im R adosta needs your
feedback. E-mail him at jim@justout.com.