AUGUST 1, 2008
outstanding
just asking
Stirring the Pot
ortland Mercury news editor Amy Ruiz took City
Hall by storm when she burst onto the politi
cal beat last November, after covering Portland
neighborhood news since 2005. Ruiz took the
position after working for sex columnist and
then editor in chief Dan Savage at The Stranger in Seattle,
also covering the Emerald City’s neighborhoods. “I cov
ered goofy civic activism and density issues,” said Ruiz. “If
it was NIMBY, I was on it.”
In Portland, Ruiz took pride in her coverage of the
César Chavez street renaming controversy and her exten
sive coverage of candidates running for City Council.
When Ruiz married her partner, Sonia Ruiz, last year in
Canada, it was actually her second marriage. In a political
move, rabble-rousers Savage and Ruiz married publicly to
bring attention to same-sex marriage, which was sweeping
the West Coast without any movement in Seattle.
At the request of Savage’s partner, Terry Miller, the
marriage license was never filed, but the stunt did spark
a lawsuit filed by several same-sex couples for the right to
marry.
Despite Ruiz’s dedication to covering politics, her nat
ural inclination is to stay home. “I’m such a homebtxly.
I started a vegetable garden, and I’d like to get chickens.
1 bake and cook. I’m into sewing my own clothes.”
Ruiz’s challenge of
the moment is cooking
without recipes and being
more seasonal.
Just Out asked gay skaters, "Where is your
favorite place to vacation in Oregon?
Right now, I’m taking a break from City Hall.
My childhood ambition was to be a teacher.
My first queer crush was on Lydia Sifferlin. She was a
high schixd friend who came out to me as bisexual, which
I had never heard of before, and 1 was fascinated. Talking
to her made so many things make sense. I was in love with
her and never told her.
ewport. I’m from there, and there’s
a gtxxl nightlife with bars and a
dance club. And they’re very accepting.
I went back in drag and got hit on by the
popular guy from high schtxtl.”
I like to spend my down time at home catching up on
my crafty projects.
S teven M osier
aka
My proudest moment was buying our house last year.
The reason we moved to Portland was to have a home,
have a garden and the cute little life we wanted.
My biggest challenge is trying to cover the entire city
with a news staff of two people.
A perfect day in Portland would be spent biking to the
[Portland State University] farmers market on a sunny day,
hanging out in my yard and having friends over for dinner.
want to go to Fossil, Ore., because
1 like to dig up stuff from the past.
It’s one of the few adventures I haven’t
done yet. It’s on my summer agenda.”
S nickers L a B arr
Cable Access Queen
My first job was as the only girl buser at Awada’s
Lebanese/American restaurant
when 1 was 14-
I am known as news
editor of The Portland
Mercury.
hen I first came to Portland,
1 wanted to see the Oregon coast.
The place 1 remember best is Ecola State
Park. Standing on the cliffs and watching
the waves crash is very peaceful.”
My vice is ice cream—
homemade mascarpone, black
berry, it’s always something
different. You put me in the ice
cream aisle, it’s a disaster.
W ayne M ija
My inspiration is all the
people in Portland who are
making the city happen.
My cause is informing
people, whether it’s in the
news that 1 do or teach
ing a friend a skill that I
have.
The last queer or philan
thropic event I participated in
Bites for Rights. Me and my les
bian troupe had a lot of mojitos
at Trebol.
Our House of Portland
Executive Director
’m going on a camping trip to Pau
lina Lake in Central Oregon. It’s very
wtxxisy, and I love being in the outdoors.”
E ar i N otz
Energetic
Amy Ruiz covers politics for The Portland Mercury.
My highest hope for the
cause is that people want to
learn and be engaged.
—faymee R. Cuti ©
DOGGY DELIGHT
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< k
S vetlana H art
Miss Sweetheart of Portland XX
My name is Amy Ruiz.
I am 28 years old.
I feel 40 years old, in a
gtxxl way—I feel pretty
grounded. The craziness of
my youth has gone away.
I’m a more serious person.
iustiout 7
Vv
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