OREGON'S GAY/LESBIAN/Bl/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 70 2009
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NORTHWEST NEWS
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$ I 29 Sunday th ru
Blackout Leather Productions, Bad Girls,
Cascade AIDS Project, Pride NW and the
Imperial Sovereign Rose Court. Brown
also spent time on the Oregon Bears Board
of Directors from 2005-’08 and was named
Mr. Oregon State Leather 2007.
Today, Brown is chairman of Oregon
Leather Pride 2010, and a barista at the
Pioneer Courthouse Square Starbucks.
If juggling these duties seems a daunting
task, it doesn’t faze Brown; his passion
transcends the tireless regimen he’s made
for himself.
“The work really drives me,” explained
Brown. “It gives me a really great sense of
purpose, and it gives me an outlet for the
skills that I have.
“I’m grateful to do the work that I do
and have that opportunity.”
Perhaps the main outlet this year for
all those skills has been Brown’s organiza
tional contributions to World AIDS Day
2009 events. He, along with Ms. Oregon
Leather 2007 Coral Mallow, will host the
“Living Vigil” at 7 p.m. December 1 at the
Metropolitan Community Church (2400
NE Broadway St.).
“Coral and I purposely called it the ‘liv
ing vigil,’ because I didn’t want to mourn
the dead anymore,” said Brown. “That was
the whole point, that we have real issues
right now that we need to deal with.”
Brown’s perspective lends an added ur
gency to awareness, especially for a popu
lace who may have forgotten about the
threat that HIV transference still presents.
Assisted by Multnomah County Health
Program Manager Kim Toevs, Brown said
the number of new HIV infections has
begun to climb once again.
“We went from 40,000 to 56,000 in
new infections in a year—that’s a 40 per- .
cent increase,” reported Brown.
The absence of a clear preventative
message in the men’s community has also
prompted a “harm reduction campaign,"
to be launched next year through Brown’s
work with the Sexual Health 4 Men
Coalition.
“I t’s about identifying where high-risk
activity happens, and presenting people
with a choice,” explained Brown. “And
that’s it. No judgment, no shame.We’re
just letting people know that they’re about
to engage in risky behavior, and that there
are resources to help them get facts and get
tested.”
This spirit of leadership has thrust
Brown into a more mainstream role in the
Portland activism community. He’s finding
himself mentoring younger activists, and
with his current focus on World AIDS Day
2009, Brown will likely remain a prominent
fixture in the collective HIV/AIDS aware
ness conscious for years to come.
“It’s a very interesting transition,” said
Brown after a long sigh. “I’m comfortable
with it. I wasn’t comfortable with it five
years ago, but now I’m happy for it because j
I remember those people who were influ
ential and guiding to me.” J W
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Highlights for
World AIDS Day
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While the World AIDS Day Portland
Web site (www.worldaidsdayportland.
org. or call 503-278-3817) is the
definitive source for goings on. we've
recommended a few events, all taking
place on Tuesday. December I.
Portland Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence Walking Vigil
The Portland Sisters will embark
on a walking vigil, visiting downtown
clubs, handing out condoms,
and inviting people to write on
the “Veil of Shame." and the “Veil
of Remem brance.“ At the event's
conclusion, the “Veil of Shame.'
with its words of hate and anger,
will be destroyed. The “Veil of
Rem em brance.“ displaying messages
to loved ones lost to AIDS, will be
kept as a sacred relic of the Portland
Sisters. Walk all or part of the
evening, from 9 p.m. to I a m.
Columbia-Willamette
Woman of Vision’s AIDS Walk
for Orphans
Take 6,000 steps to raise
awareness and funds for the 6.000
children orphaned each day by
AIDS. The walk will begin at 9:30 a m.
at Pioneer Square and continue
toward the Pearl District, loop back
to PSU. and end at Pioneer Square
by 11:30 a m. Participants will receive
an orange World Vision T-shirt, and
materials will be available to carry
and distribute along the way.
- Ryan J. Prado
•Reservations required Offers valid Nov. I to 30 .
2009 based on availability, are not combmaMe and
866-459-1678 I www.bonnevilleresort.com
not vaW wtt otter offers, coupons or discounts.
H a ir R e p l a c e m e n t
S p e c ia l is t s
N ine-and-a-H alf Minutes
Campaign Events
Many HIV/AIDS service
organizations have collaborated
in an effort to mobilize schools,
faith-based groups, businesses
and community resources to raise
awareness during this year's World
AIDS Day.
- The Association of African
Students and Black Cultural Affairs
Board of Portland State University
host a fundraiser featuring a series
of skits, speakers and fashion show
with condom artwork at PSU's Smith
Union building, rooms 327 and 328.
All money raised will benefit the White
Rose Educational Fund. Tickets are
S3 for students. $5 for the general
public. The first 50 people receive a
free T-shirt. This event runs 5-8 p.m.
- The Immune Deficiency Clinic,
located at the Kaiser Permanente
East Interstate Medical Office (3550
N. Interstate Ave.) hosts a special
display in conjunction with the Nine-
a n d -a -H alf Minutes Cam paign. The
clinic will have brochures, posters
and informative talks by staffers. This
event is 8:30 a m.-5 p.m.
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