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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2009)
O REGO N S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE AUGUST 7 2009 2 U G PERSONALITIES A CH RIS NEEDS P R IM ER In \X /ales-an d most other c o u n tn e s -N e e d s is o n e of the most fam o u s c e le b ritie s on B B C R a d io his nightly rad io p ro gram The F rie n d ly G a rd e n re a c h e s a b o u t 8 m illion listeners w o rld w id e He w as a w a rd e d a M em b e r ship of the O rd er of the British Em p ire p e rso n a lly from Q u e e n E liz a b e th of E n g la n d for his ch a rity work a n d he is a n autho r, a c to r a n d m u sicia n who p la y e d k e y b o a rd for B o n n ie Tyler (b elo w ) music. The show can go from hilarious to depressing to heartwarming and back again within the span o f three hours. Needs acknowledges that his time slot has much to do with the intimacy o f his program, and perhaps directly to do with the intimacy o f his relationship to his listeners. “[My listeners are] in bed with their problems or their loneliness, or whatever,” explains Needs, who identifies as a gay man. “They tell me the most intimate things, and they forget they’re on the radio. They tell me things about very awkward places o f their bodies where they’ve had operations, or they tell me secrets about him or her and his or her boyfriend have split up over this and that, and I’m going, ‘My God, do they realize they’re on the radio, not just on the phone?!’ I think they forget.” Needs’most recent book, TheJenkins’s ’s sss, aims an animated spotlight on the misad-, ventures o f “a dysfunctional family in Wales, the ones who are always claiming social security and benefits; the only ones on their street with a Jacuzzi, a sports car, they’re all sort o f fiddling the system,” says Needs. The book was recently turned into a film, which won the Best Animated/CGI award at this year’s Swansea Bay Film Festival. Needs will introduce the movie at a U.S. premiere screening as part o f a presentation on next year’s Americymru International Film Fes tival; the event will be held in Portland in August 2010 as a celebration o f Welsh- and Celtic-inspired film and filmmakers. Armed with a legion o f loyal followers, the head lettuce in the Friendly Garden is setting his sights on Portland— not to con Vino. Pasta. Vino. Repeat. 1 7 0 8 E. BURNSIDE AVE, SO I 2 IO 9 4 6 4 422S N. INTERSTATE AVE 5 0 1 -2 8 0 -9 4 6 4 quer yet another demographic, but to expand the world’s scope on Welsh culture. “There are Welsh people all over the world, hundreds and hundreds of Welsh so cieties,” says Needs. “We’ve got something to shout about, because we love what we are. We like our music, we love our language. We’re taking home abroad. It’s like Mardi Gras, but this is for the Welsh, not for the gay. It’ll probably be for both, actually.” For good measure, “It’s like a make be lieve cuckoo land,” explains Needs. “But [my listeners] feel included. It’s a big comfort zone, but because it’s screaming, screaming gay— I mean absolutely as gay as you can get it— nobody is threatened by it really.” Get ready, Portland! Cuckoo Land comes west! For more information on the Left Coast Eisteddfod , visit www.americymru.ning.com. For more information on Chris Needs and the Friendly Garden Association , visit www.bbc. co. uk/wales/radiowales. * WINGS « SALADS « « SÁNDWICHES « VEGETARIAN FARE LIVE MUSIC A MORE! MiKfiO Simple Italian Food In the Beaverton Round 503.646.6464 mingowest.com LIVE DINE DRINK r A o o # SJfor mi Y\o 7 > ^ [t a p ia l 4 6 3 5 S E Hawthorne Blvd 503.954.3133 3524 N. Mississippi Ave 503.467.4149 p o r q u e n o ta flo s .c a m Cafe Nell Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Weekend Brunch • Happy Hour NW 20th & Kearney Parking on premise! Celene8.com 503 295-6487 CAFE C from scratch including the'ketchup! • sw 12th & ¡efferson st i FRANCIS E S T A U R A N j 503.227.8189 1 R «i V f) I ¡fxM happy hour food monday-saturday -7 and 9 to close T T ue* & Thum - SAME SEX COUPLE DAYS BUY 1 MEAL, GET 1 AT f t OFF! (may require L C B T public ditplay of affection) VF-GAN & GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS 2338 ME AILrla 5 0 3 - 2 8 8 -8 2 9 9 w w w .fpancism ltiuranfurom •sisaag B S k~ a i e ? B a ic i tu I t " r - l i t u Ki i niwhard jf [" ffr est.com www.wes jp e p d x com live jazz 7-9:30pm every 2nd & 4th Saturday
