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
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