Q+A
EMILY PONASKI
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY? Lesbian
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
I am full time environmental engineering stu-
dent. I choose to wait tables to pay the bills.
WHAT DO YOU
PORTLAND?
LOVE/HATE
ABOUT
I moved to Portland from Montana in the summer
of 2009. I love the bridges, sustainable practices,
trees, bicycling, and culinary options. However,
as green as Portland seems, I hate the amount of
waste accumulated by the food cart phenomenon
and to-go coffee cup/dining culture.
WHAT’S YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MO-
MENT OR A PASSION YOU HAVE THAT NO
ONE WOULD GUESS?
Most people wouldn't guess that I would rather
do homework than go out dancing on a Friday
night. I love numbers, fantasy, unicorns, dragons,
and equations.
WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO OR REVERE
IN THE GAY COMMUNITY OR HISTORI-
CALLY?
Sally Ride, Frida Khalo, Daenerys Targaryen
Stormborn the rightful heir to the Iron Throne,
Joan Jett, Ani DiFranco, Rainbow Brite.
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED GAY
BASHING?
I haven't experienced gay bashing on a personal
level, but in Montana I was exposed to it more so
than in Portland.
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINA-
TION WITHIN THE QUEER COMMUNITY?
Photo by Horace Long
I recently came out, so the discrimination I have
faced hasn't necessarily been exclusive to the
queer community.
WHAT'S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT THE
LGBT COMMUNITY SHOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT AND ISN'T?
I think the LGBT label is a vague representation
of a dynamic community, and even though we are
all fighting for equality together, it only represents
a portion of what kind of a person someone is. §
November 2012
JustOut.com
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