Street Roots •
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tim e to b e re le a se d , I d id n ’t w a n t to go
b ack h o m e .” S h e w as re a d m itte d tw o y e a rs
o
Alicia Rose Monaron
C E N T R A L C IT Y
C O FFE E
BY HELEN HILL
Sourcing & roasting craft coffee to
benefit programs at Central City Concern.
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
licia R ose M o n aro n w as b o rn w ith
an e x tra “X” c h ro m o so m e, also
know n as K lin efelter’s S yn d ro m e, a t
C am p L ejeu n e M ilitary B ase in N o rth
C arolina. F ro m b irth , th e d o c to rs told h e r
A
IN STORES
New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front
Cooperative Grocery, Green Zebra, Chuck s
Produce, Food Fight!, Cherry Sprout Produce, and
Know Thy Food.
AT YOUR OFFICE
p a re n ts th a t sh e h ad th e e x tra
c h ro m o so m e, b u t h e r p a re n ts k e p t th is
from h e r for th e n e x t 25 y e a rs an d ra ise d
interested in serving Central City Coffee at your
office? Get in touch with us and we can help you
make that happen. 503.226.7387
ON OUR WEBSITE
h e r as a boy.
Alicia knew sh e w a sn ’t a boy, how ever,
and sh e w a sn ’t willing to act, d re s s o r
b ehave like one. F o r h e r fo rth rig h tn e s s,
sh e w as b e a te n by h e r b ro th e rs a t h o m e
and bullied by stu d e n ts an d te a c h e rs a t
school. “I g o t into so m an y fig h ts in school
b e c a u se of w ho and w h a t I w as, an d b ein g
o p e n a b o u t it. I told th e m , I feel fem ale. I
feel like a girl. I d o n ’t know w hy I ’m n o t
y o u r boy, b u t I ’m n o t w ho you th in k I am .
M y life, m y body, m y w h o le b e in g is th a t of
a fem ale, th e r e is n o th in g m ale a b o u t m e .”
A t age 10, Alicia w as s e n t for h e r first
s tin t to A le x a n d e r’s C h ild ren C e n te r, a
re sid e n tia l tr e a tm e n t c e n te r in C h a rlo tte, j
N .C., for ch ild ren w ith se rio u s e m o tio n al
d istu rb a n c e s. S h e sta y ed for tw o y e a rs, and
re m e m b e rs th a t sh e w as tr e a te d well
th e r e . “I t felt like h o m e. T h a t w as w h e re I
s ta r te d clarifying w h a t w as h o m e to m e.
Buy Central City Coffee online and have it
shipped directly to you or a friend.
AT KASBAH MOROCCAN CAFE
Get your espresso favorites at Old Town's
newest spot (201 NW Davis Street), featuring
Central City Coffee!
Follow our Facebook page for updates and specials.
centralcitycoffee.org facebook.com/CentralCityCoffee coffee@ccconcern.org
Answers to Page 15 Puzzles
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la te r w h e n sh e tu rn e d 14.
A few y e a rs ago, h e r p a re n ts finally to ld
h e r a b o u t th e e x tra c h ro m o so m e th e y h ad
always know n about. S h e w as stu n n e d . I
ask ed m y p a re n ts, ‘W hy did I go th ro u g h
th is? W hy d id n ’t I g e t help? W hy d id n ’t you
tell m e w h a t I w as b o rn as?’ T h ey d id n ’t
w a n t to deal w ith w h a t I w as going th ro u g h ,
th e y w e re dealing w ith th e ir own m e n ta l
issu e s a ro u n d m e b ein g b o rn w ith XXY
c h ro m o so m e s.”
Alicia m oved h e re from th e S o u th to b e
w ith h e r p a rtn e r, T ina, th is p a s t year. T h e y
re c e n tly to o k a m o m e n to u s ste p and
su ccessfu lly filed th e p a p e rw o rk fo r a
n a m e an d g e n d e r ch an g e a t
M u ltn o m ah C o u n ty C o u rth o u se .
O n D ec. 1, sh e officially b e c a m e
Alicia R o se M o n aro n , fem ale.
“I feel like th is is m y rea l
b irth d ay . D ec. 1 is th e day I
will c e le b ra te fro m now on. 1
feel like a w h o le n ew
p e rs o n , re b o rn in to th e
p e rs o n I w as m e a n t to be.
O u r w orld h a s o p e n e d up
to a b e tte r life, w e
c o u ld n ’t have ask ed
. . . ... . .-.vx-.
fo r a b e tte r o u tco m e.
Alicia sells S tr e e t R o o ts o u tsid e th e
dow ntow n C ity T a rg e t o n S o u th w e st N in th
an d M o rriso n S tr e e t b e tw e e n 2 p.m . an d 5
p m . m o s t days. T in a sells a b lo ck aw ay at
N o rd stro m . T h e m o n e y th e y m ak e selling
th e p a p e r h e lp s th e m g e t by, b u t ev en
m o re th a n th e m oney, Alicia a n d T in a value
th e c o m m u n ity th e y ’v e fo u n d a t S tre e t
R oots. “S tr e e t R o o ts h a s h e lp e d m e find a
n ew family, g o o d frie n d s, a n ew w ay of life,”
sh e said. “S in ce I ’ve m o v ed to P o rtlan d ,
S tr e e t R o o ts h a s given m e a fre e d o m to do
a s I w ish, selling, g e ttin g m e o u t an d
socializing, m e e tin g n e w p e o p le .”
Alicia loves e v e ry th in g a b o u t h e r new
h o m le e. . “I love th e w e a th e r h e re , it’s
beautiful! A nd th e tr e a tm e n t I ’ve
g o tte n in P o rtla n d is th e b e s t I
co u ld h av e a sk ed for. B eing
tr e a te d a s th e fem ale I am is
an a b so lu te d elig h t. I t’s how
I sh o u ld h av e b e e n tre a te d
fro m th e b e g in n in g .”
Alicia an d T in a have an
a p a r tm e n t now, b u t sh e
h a s e x p e rie n c e d
h o m e le s s n e s s o n and off
fo r th e p a s t five y ears.
“I know w h a t p eo p le
o n th e s tr e e ts are
going th ro u g h . If I
h a d to give up m y
h o m e to
so m e o n e e lse, I
w ould. I can
easily give th e
s h irt off m y
b ack an d n o t
w orry about
it.”
by Elizabeth Considine