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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2009)
OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE OCTOBER It 2009 PERSONALITIES |3 Q uality Custom Furniture Fast, Friendly Customer Service K O IN -ing a n Identity Local, Family-owned Business It's Sunny Skies for O p e n ly G a y M e te o ro lo g is t Tim J o y c e B y RYAN J. P R A D O The life of a television weatherperson would seem to be an endless volley between . cloud formation diagnostics, storm front as sessments, the daily pursuit of the perfect coif, and advanced arthritis from involuntary finger-crossing that those forecasts pan out. The life of a television news reporter pings and pongs, to and fro, from fingers-on-the-pulse journalism to pinpoint accuracy and a killer smile. Put these visuals together, plus a whole lot of smarts, and you’ve got yourself a Tim Joyce. And not just a Tim Joyce — the Tim Joyce, KOIN 6’s luminous, openly gay meteorologist and environmental news reporter. Joyce was born in Chicago, and attended the University of Kansas. He’s been a weekend weatherman earned awards from the Kansas Association of with KOIN 6 in Portland since 2004, and was Broadcasters, the Northwest Chapter of the a news anchor and covered the weather out of Society of Professional Journalists and the As Eugene for almost a decade at KVAL-TV and sociated Press. KMTR-TV in Springfield, where he co-hosted Joyce’s career, he says, is “a really bizarre the region’s number one morning show. medium.” His standing as a go-to guy for daily “Most people in journalism will bounce planning in terms of the weather has made for around a lot of places,” explains Joyce over some interesting backlash—complaint emails, a maple bacon bar and java in the Brooklyn complaint calls, even stalkers. But Joyce takes District’s True Brew Espresso. “But once I it in stride. landed a job in Eugene, I was there /or nine “People think they know you,” Joyce says years. That says something, either to my insan of being invited into people’s homes via the ity, or to the fact that I really like this [region] television. “That’s where sexuality comes into a lot. This is really home to me.” play. A lot of people have no clue [I’m gay]. Joyce’s path to journalism wasn’t without its Some people say, ‘The first time I saw you, I share of cloudy days, however. He admits to totally knew.’ ” Following September’s news that KATU having first contracted the TV bug before he really had the desire to be a news reporter, but 2-TV reporter Jeff Jaeger’s contract would was stymied a bit during his forays into high not be renewed, Joyce finds himself as the school cable access. most high-profile—if not the only—openly “We had a TV studio in our high school, gay television personality in Portland. Joyce’s and I worked behind the scenes,” says Joyce. passion for playing an integral role in fair and “I got the bug to do some on-camera stuff, so accurate journalism in the office appears to I auditioned and my high school teacher ba occupy a larger part of his agenda than does sically told me I was horrible, that I had no flying a flag of sexual independence. He recalls talent whatsoever, that I was monotone and I covering the news of anti-gay ballot Measures should never ever get in front of a camera.” 36 and 9 in recent years. “[It was a benefit that] at least there was Flash forward to 2009. Joyce is one of the most accomplished meteorologists and envi someone on the inside, even as a reporter, where ronmental reporters in the Northwest. He has [I would say], ‘It’s not about gay rights, it’s B zi lì Despite being told in high school that he shouldn t be in front of a TV ca m e ra . Tim Jo y c e ca n be found ever/ w e e k end on KOIN 6 at 6 p m and II p m You ca n read his blog. G eneration G reen," by visiting the KOIN b Web site at www koinlocalfe com Trio Furniture has been a main stay in the Portland, Oregon area for over 13 years. Trio i? a family owned and operated business that specializes in the custom creation of furniture. The team at Trio Furniture average over 30 years of furniture design and building. Trio starts from the inside out and creates wood into comfort and fabric into shape. I'rio Furniture Brings Your Ideas into Reality PH O T O B Y MARTY 8235 SE 17th Ave, Portland, O R 97202 about gay equity ,’ explains Joyce. “Those subtle language things are lost on a lot of straight allies that don’t necessarily know the differ ence. But language is powerful, and on some of those subtle things, I think it’s important to have someone who’s of Hispanic descent, or African-American descent, or someone who’s differently oriented sexually to be like, ‘Hey everybody, this is kind of something that’s important.”’ When Joyce isn’t busy working on “day seven of a nine-day work week,” his focus is divided between his board position on Grow ing Gardens—a nonprofit mentorship pro gram aimed at teaching low-income families and individuals how to grow a portion of their own food, his environmental blog “Generation Green,” the toils of being a new homeowner in a very old house, his two dogs Hugo and Gladys, and the summer addition of four chickens. In short, Joyce is the kind of person whose exhaustive tendencies benefit everyone around him—and, most of the time, everyone who’ve welcomed his zeal for weather report ing into their homes. “I think if I stop to breathe, I probably would be like, “Oh my God, you’re insane, what are you doing?” he says. “I think some people look at me and think I’m crazy; and people pec who know me, know that I’m crazy. ,” j k (5 03 ) 2 3 3 .0 7 9 9 www.triofurniture.com Yöur Mom & P oppy - Ship & Copy D olí ar P roducer GAY OWNED AND OPERATED 5215N U m M Jewel A. 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