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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2009)
OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE JULY 17. 2009 7 . TRANSITIONS » BONNIE TINKER. 1948-2009 A Publisher Remembers on Iconic Communit/ Activist BY MARTY DAVIS Late in the afternoon on July 2, Portland’s gay, lesbian, bi and trans community lost a friend and leader with the passing o f activist Bonnie Tinker, 61. Tinker was a co-founder o f Bradley-Angle house, a shelter for female victims o f domestic violence. To many, she was best known as the founder and executive director o f Love Makes a Family. Just Out staff was putting the final touches on its July 3 issue when word came via Face- book messages that Tinker had tied. My immediate thought was heart attack. A quick jump to the OregonLive link revealed even worse news - Tinker’s death was the result o f a horrific accident. While attending a con ference on the Virginia Tech campus, Tinker went for a bike ride - and a collision with a truck ended her life. A woman o f incredible energy, vision and accomplishment was taken that afternoon. Tinker did not always march hand-in-hand with other leaders and activists in our com munity. Oh, no. This was a woman with a mission, and zeal. Her passions were marriage equality and peace activism, combined with a strong desire to see reform in the Portland A c tiv is t a n d ic o n B o n n ie T inker, rig h t, w ith p a rtn e r Sara G ra h a m Police Department. When not raising hell with local leaders and authorities, Tinker could be found kicking up her heels at square dances with the Rose City Ramblers. My first joint project with Tinker came during the tumultuous days o f Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeger. After Kroeger’s anti-gay slurs were discovered - and the community was in an uproar - Tinker assisted me in put ting on a community forum where Kroeger showed up to address the public’s concerns. It was quite an evening and Tinker taught me valuable lessons in community activism and leadership. On another occasion I bemoaned to Tinker my discomfort with the increasingly prevalent use o f the word “queer.” I remem bered the term as a hateful slur and voiced my objections to its now popular usage. Her sage advice about my predicament - Get over it. That was many years ago, and those words have stayed with me. Get over it. Keep mov ing, forge ahead. Stay focused. Get over it. Those are my memories o f Tinker. That, and her seemingly relentless ability to usurp the spotlight at public events and press confer ences. Damn, she was good. Tinker was a woman with a message and she’d pass up no opportunity to be heard. Tinker’s methodology in obtaining her goals raised hackles on occasion, and com munity concerns and questions about Love Makes A Family practices were addressed in Just Out's pages. That’s one reason why I am writing this piece; Tinker and I butted heads, Tinker rose to her own message, as noted above. We got over it. Tinker’s Facebook page has become a tribute to the role she played in the lives o f so many people, as has Just Out's initial blog posting about Tinker’s passing. Here are a few o f the memories and thoughts shared by Just Out readers. “This news about Bonnie’s death is hor rible. She was a wonderful advocate for social justice, especially G L B T justice. I’ll miss her, especially the spirited debates and her strong hugs afterward. My deepest condolences for her family, and also for all of us whom she touched.” W D on’t he fooled. Who you partner with in real estate does make a difference! 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I just hope our commu nity will honor this amazing woman for all she has given and shared, by getting involved and making a difference ...ju st as Bonnie has done.” “I last saw her two weeks ago, drum ming up support for the new Black/African American PFLA G chapter - she needed people to staff the Love Makes a Family table at the Oregon State Fair: Now is everyone’s chance to help by signing up for a block of time there!” I greatly admired Tinker and L M A F ’s annual stint at the Oregon State Fair: what better place to take your message to people who likely need to hear it most. At the State Fair, the state comes to you .Just Out will be following up with Love Makes a Family re garding plans for staffing this year. There’s been talk of hosting a tribute for Tinker at the Q_Center. But the tribute I bet Tinker would most appreciate is an outpour ing o f support to continue to her work at the Oregon State Fair later this summer. We’ll keep you posted o f plans. Tinker’s family has scheduled a memorial service for 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25. The ser vice will be held at Portland’s First Congrega tional Church, 1137 SW Broadway. Arrive early; the place will be packed. J K ( 503 ) 484.3166 email: RonM illlgan@ Rem ax.net 2717 NE Broadway Portland, OR 97232 (5031 282.4000 xl 43 (5031282.8558 (fox) Committed to client success since 1987 Financial Planning Strategist Retirement Income Distribution Strategist Floreid Walker* is an Investment Representative offering securities and investment advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. member F1N R A /SIPC and a registered investment advisor. Willamette Financial Group L LC is nor affiliated with SagrPoint Financial, Inc. or registered as a bn>kcr-dealer or investment advisor.
