HIPFiSHmonthly

Q f LGBTQ news and culturefor the lower columbia pacificFolkPFLAG Booth at the Astoria Bicentennial FairLend Your Voice!by Dinah UrellProudly, PFLAG Oregon North Coast , Astoria-based, will participatein the Bicentennial Heritage Fair on May 21, 2011 – joining inthe celebration of the rich diversity this historic port city was builtupon.PFLAG, (Parents and Friends of the Lesbians, Gay, Bi, and TransgenderPeople) is a national organization begun in the 70’s. Hundreds ofPFLAG groups exist now across the nation, each state with a centralorganizing board and chapters serving their own regions throughout.PFLAG groups are volunteer and made up of people in their communitieswho love and support their gay and lesbian friends andfamily members, in addition to official representatives, such as clergyand councilors who work in the field of human dignity related issues.2011 has marked a stellar year for a North Coast PFLAG. Over thecourse of the last five years the start up of a North Coast chapter hashad some stumbling blocks along the way, due mainly to the timeand dedication, like any citizen-run volunteer group, it takes to get aPFLAG rolling.PFLAG ONC lead organizer Drew Herzig has found a great partnerin the Astoria Arts & Cultural Exchange, a non-profit space dedicatedto providing art and cultural workshops, art therapy, special eventsand exhibits for community members of all ages, levels of ability, andincome. PFLAG meets once a month at the Arts & Cultural Exchange– sponsoring guest speakers, planning community out reach events,and providing a meeting ground for LGBT issues.The PFLAG Booth at the Heritage Fair will be displaying “VOICES.”Currently they are reaching out to the Columbia Pacific/Astoria communityfor individuals to submit a brief contribution, (several lines)reflecting on the LGBT experience here in Astoria, as it has touchedlife, indirectly or directly.Herzig states, “Whether your family has been in Astoria for generations,or you just moved here last week, you’ve got something toshare. - And it doesn’t have to be upbeat. Bad times are as much apart of our experience as good times. - Just share a little bit of yourself with the community. Speak your truth.”The various “voices” will become part of a display. To makea contribution to this significant display contact: drewherzig@yaooo.comWhen I returned in the mid 90’s to live in my hometown of Astoria,I came home to a region that had responded in strong organizationto the anti-gay initiatives that began challenging the values ofOregon voters in the early 90’s. Good Neighbors was a long list ofcoastal residents that banned together to bring awareness to thesediscrimination campaigns and measures (all failing to pass) thatsought to make inequality into laws.The North Coast Pride Network, representing the LGBT communityhad then sprung up from the Good Neighbors group andorganizing around the initiatives. A monthly film night, a newsletter,distribution of Just Out (Portland’s bimonthly queer newspaper),potlucks, and queer community from the Washington Peninsula toTillamook and Astoria; getting together, politically, socially, like family.It was the seed for a strong core of OUT and proud queers nowpresent on these coastal shores.Pride organizing in the region ebbs and flows. There have beengatherings of hundreds to celebrate and pay attention to the progressionof rights and securities our government needs to grant us.We come together as a joyful minority, while we continue our independentintegration in our rural coastal lives. A PFLAG booth at theBicentennial Heritage Fair represents the tolerance, the brotherhoodand sisterhood we can extend to all peoples of this region, and takepride in the integrated city Astoria has become.There are no stories in history of immigration without pain, suffering,discrimination, as there are as many stories of courage, tenacityand love that helped to bridge differences to survive and come togetheras equals. I am proud to be a Finnish-Astorian LGBT memberof this community, and citizen of this funky-amazing-place-in-historyfrontier town, and run this publication that represents the spirit thatsomehow got us all here in the first place.Happy Birthday Astoria! Happy Birthday Astorians!!!!Dreams of Power ~The contribution of LGBT individualsto the history and culture of Astoria, OregonOn June 15th, 1811, Ko-come-ne-pe-ca and her wife arrived in Astoria,bearing a letter addressed to John Stuart from Finan McDonald, a traderwith the Northwest Company. This is the first recorded instance of an LGBTperson playing a part in the history of Astoria – exactly 200 years ago!Ko-come-ne-pe-ca was a Native American woman who had experienceda dream of power which prompted her to declare herself a man, living anddressing as one, and marrying another woman. In doing this, Ko-come-nepe-cawas following the Native American tradition of ‘two spirits’(directlytranslated from the Ojibwe term Niizh manidoowag) - the belief that aspirit of the opposite gender could reside in any individual, making thatindividual ‘two-spirited’.The modern term would be ‘transgendered’.Ko-come-ne-pe-ca and her wife provided valuable information to theearly Astorians, giving them a detailed description of the territory to thenorth and east, and drawing maps of the region. This information wascritical to the founding of another Pacific Fur Company trading house atOkanogan in Washington.It is believed that Ko-come-ne-pe-ca and her wife belonged to theKootenai tribe, and there are conflicting reports concerning their historyafter they traveled back to the east with David Stuart’s party.In this sense, Ko-come-ne-pe-ca’s story is representative of so manyLGBT individuals of the past who came to Astoria, or were born here. Theircontributions to the history and culture of Astoria are still with us, but thedetails of their lives have often been lost.Today, LGBT individuals are a vital part of the cultural and economiclife of Astoria – entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, musicians, actors,publishers, historians, teachers, activists – the list could go on and on.The energy that such diversity brings to any open community is apparenteverywhere one looks.PFLAG’s booth in the Heritage Fair highlights what we know about therole of LGBT individuals in Astoria’s past with the hope that current Astoriaresidents will help us fill in the gaps between the early settlers and now.What we learn will form the basis for a research project into the contributionsof LGBT individuals to Astoria, past and present.PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has a threefoldmission – support, education, and advocacy. We constantly striveto educate ourselves and others about the depth and breadth of LGBTcontributions to society. PFLAG is proud to represent the contribution ofLGBT individuals to Astoria’s history and culture, as part of the BicentennialHeritage Fair.submitted: drew herzigQ-Community EventsMonday Night Q-Mix at the VooDoo Room.The Voodoo Room located at 11th & Marine Dr. inAstoria, hosts an LGBTQ Mixer the first Monday night of themonth. Stop in, enjoy a slice of famous Voodoo pizza, relaxand schmooze and be your big gay self! 6pm on.Q-JAZZ coming in MayThe Bridgewater Bistro in Astoria begins a new offeringin May. Q-Jazz and Song Social invites the LGBTQ Communityand friends the third Thursday of each month to enjoythe Basin St. Northwest Jazz Trio, complimentary apps, andpiano bar hosted by friends and performance associatesDinah Urell and Walt Trumbull.Arrive at 8pm for complimentary appetizers and to catcha sampling of piano trio led by Chuck Wilder, and featuringguitarist Dave Drury, through 8:30. At 8:45, Dinah and Waltwill sing it up and welcome you to bring in a standard tuneand share your pipes and love for the American popularstandard, jazz or blues.“Think of it as a mixture of karaoke meets Mike Douglas.Songbooks will be available. Its all in the name of fun. Anda beautiful spot to spend an evening of socializing andsong,” says Urell.PFLAG OREGON NORTH COASTThursday, May 19th - PFLAG OREGON NORTH COASTmeeting 6:30 pm, Arts & Cultural Exchange, 120 10thStreet, Suite #2, Astoria Guest speakers: a panel of AstoriaLGBT Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Everyone welcome!More info: drewherzig@yahoo.comUnited Paws Offers New Program:“A Trip to Snip!”In addition to regular financial assistance to low-incomeresidents for their cats and dogs and to the caregivers of feralcats, United Paws of Tillamook is adding a new service thanks toa north county veterinarian. The most effective way for UnitedPaws to spend supporter donations is to have what are called“clinics,” when at least one veterinarian performs spay/neutersurgeries all day. United Paws is now able to hold such clinicsapproximately once a month for the pets of the economicallydisadvantaged and for those residents who care for feralcats. Regardless of income, anyone wishing to help feral catsmay take advantage of this service. Trapping assistance andhumane traps may be available, depending on volunteer andtrap availability. In addition, if clients cannot take their cat ordog to the clinic, because they cannot drive or do not have accessto transportation, volunteers will pick up and transport theanimals to the clinic, then back home again.Each clinic will focus on one part of the county: south,central, or north. United Paws is therefore calling upon alllow-income residents with dogs or cats in need of spaying orneutering and all residents feeding feral cats who haven’t beensterilized to call the United Paws hotline and leave a message tomake a reservation for an upcoming clinic: (503) 842-5663.Not just spay and neuterIn addition to spay/neuter surgery, cats and dogs will receivepain medication and, if necessary, antibiotics. Cats will receivemandated inoculations as well as flea and ear mite treatment;and they’ll be wormed. Dogs will receive a distemper vaccinationand will be wormed if necessary. Rabies inoculationsfor either dogs or cats are the responsibility of the owner orcaretaker.Payment“A Trip to Snip!” is not free. United Paws will work with clientsto establish an affordable fee, due when the client delivers theanimal to the clinic or when the animal is picked up by volunteers.This is to ensure appointments are kept. The veterinarianis giving up one of his free days, so United Paws must ensurehis time isn’t wasted as a result of no-shows. Another reasonUnited Paws must ask for payment toward this service is that allfunds to carry out United Paws’ programs are raised by volunteersthrough private donations from the general public, grants,fundraising events, and adoption fees. Volunteers receiveno compensation, not even for gas. United Paws receives nofinancial support from the county or any national group, andnot one cent goes to salaries. United Paws endeavors to get themost out of every dollar, and “A Trip to Snip!” guarantees that.The more clients using this service can pay, the more UnitedPaws can help others who also need the program.Successful historyUnited Paws has been operating and offering critical animalservices in Tillamook County since 2003. To date, United Pawshas spayed and neutered more than 4,650 county cats anddogs who would not otherwise have been sterilized. The grouphas thereby reduced the number of unwanted and abandonedanimals, as well as alleviated and prevented animal suffering asa result of homelessness. Since January 1, 2011, United Pawshas sterilized more than 280 cats and dogs.Emergency careIn addition to spay/neuter services, United Paws also runsAnnie’s Emergency Fund to provide veterinary care for thoseanimals in immediate need of help, such as to treat pain resultingfrom a traffic accident. In 2010, United Paws paid morethan $61,000 to local veterinarians to cover spay/neuter andemergency services.7 may11 hipfishmonthly.com