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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2008)
AUGUST i, 2008 UStOUt37 No Pro Homo Let's move beyond our queer orientation as a major defining feature of our day-to-day lives ’m no longer interested in being a profes sional gay. By “professional gay,” I mean this type: the gay person for whom their gayness is their starting and ending point; who sur rounds her/himself with mostly gay friends; who supports mostly gay causes and frequents gay busi nesses; for whom his or her queer orientation is a constant source of conversation (and maybe gos sip) among friends and colleagues. S/he thumbs dumbly through The Advocate, imbibes at certain old-school gay establishments (Starky’s, Hobo’s, Darcelle’s) and, when shaking a new acquain tance’s hand, wonders straight-away out loud if they’re homo or het. I know a few of these types—1 risk becoming one myself—and may be you do, too. Can we agree that this type of individual is very tired, and that maybe it’s time to retire the idea of “the professional gay” to the grave yard of cliched queer stereotypes of ages past? Let him rest between the fop and the dandy. It’s 2008, people—isn’t it time to move beyond our queer orientation as a major defining feature of our day- to-day lives? Haven’t some of us already? Don’t throw rocks yet: I understand the irony of this announcement. As a writer for gay newsmaga zine, blogger of gay issues and supporter of pro-gay causes and businesses, I might be perhaps the least likely person to call for a cease-queer-fire. But we’re in a time when many people—poli ticians among them—have moved beyond fram ing their identity with their minority status (black or female or gay). Sen. Barack Obama is spoken of as being a “post-race” candidate. Sen. Hillary Clinton ran “not to be a great woman president, but to be a great president.” Mayor-elect Sam Ad ams says he doesn’t want to be a gay mayor; he wants to be a good mayor. Maybe Adams is ahead of some of the rest of us in this regard, but 1 think he’s right: Shouldn’t Corner View Shouldn't we be more concerned with a person's values and beliefs than with his or her orientation? JOEL HAMLEY Broker, ABR The Real in Realtor we be more concerned with a person’s values and beliefs than with his or her orientation? In a re cent Willamette Week interview, Portland newbie queer fund-raiser Jake Reitan (he’s helping Terry Bean on Obama’s presidential bid) said this about his political ambitions: “The only reason I would talk about running for office is because I’m gay.” Sorry, Reitan, but if that’s the case then you’ve already lost my vote. I conduct lots of the challenge of keeping interviews for this close queer male friends newsmag, and have and of being “out” as a concluded that the gay businessperson, the vast majority of people joys of his open male BY STEPHEN MARC BEAUDOIN I talk with younger relationship and “giving than about 30 really have a waning interest in back to the community.” He was earnest, smart drawing any tenuous connections between their and well-spoken. But 1 ultimately found the con professional lives (be they lawyer, doctor or musi versation stifling and unrewarding. cian) and their sexual orientation (be they gay, bi, Not long after, I shared a dinner with a new queer, what have you). Many see these disparate friend, her partner and their three daughters at a facets of self not as separately checked bags, but as Tigard restaurant. The youngest of the daughters, one sleek carry-on personage. gap-toothed and smiling widely, picked at her Some, like 26-year-old music composer Nico tater tots while the oldest talked in excited tones Muhly (see Page 45), shudder at nomenclature about soccer camp. Mom 1 gently corrected her like “gay composer,” but at the same time forth youngest’s English grammar; Mom 2 cracked jokes rightly discuss their orientation and, without ap with the middle daughter about her penchant for parent irony, use words like “faggot” in the course picking fights. of a happy sentence. This might be a bit glass- It was the first time I’d ever shared a meal with closety to some: not speaking about that which what might be called a “gay family.” The girls had is readily obvious. For others, it’s simply a matter burgers and milkshakes; the moms and I talked of integrating their orientation into their whole politics and local blogging. It was a perfect human person. experience, and I never for a moment stopped to think of it as a gay one. © Several weeks ago I shared a coffee with a youngish man to discuss his trade, his life and his romantic travails. He is a member of the local gay Staff Writer S tephen M arc B eaudoin writes business alliance, and his business caters to mostly about Portland arts and queer culture at queer clients. In our hourlong conversation, the fromeverycomer.blogspot.com. He welcomes topic rarely strayed from something gay-related: feedback at stephen@justout.com. Roger Mosser CALL-CRUISE CONNECT SO MANY GUYS - Listen & Reply to Ads Real Estate Broker FREE! TMat cuctt MUf text? 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