Skip to main contentWhen I'm at the Pride parade this Sunday surrounded by sweaty, half-naked bodies, I'm sure my thoughts will be on last Christmas.
Thinking about Yule in June...at Gay Pride? No, I don't have my homo holidays confused. I just can't get over the fact that a group highlighted in the '02 Xmas Eve edition of Queer Window has been bestowed the honor of Grand Marshal for one of the most anticipated events of the queer year.
Last winter, I didn't think SMYRC would make it past Presidents' Day. That's because, on the night before you-know-what, I'd expressed concerns about the dire situation facing the Sexual Minority Youth Recreation Center. According to its program manager at the time, Kathy Belge, SMYRC needed to raise $35,000 just to keep its doors open through the summer.
Now, the sun's out, and although SMYRC and its services are still in jeopardy, things don't look quite as gray. It's a good thing, too: SMYRC is the only center of its kind in Oregon.
A program of Vanguard Youth Services, SMYRC is a drop-in center/hangout for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and questioning youth--and their allies--age 23 and under. Located in a nondescript office/warehouse on Southeast Belmont Street, it has a clubhouse-meets-nightclub vibe. Along with comfy couches, game tables and tons of free stuff (books, clothes, food, etc.), there is a stage for poetry readings, drag queen/ king performances, music events--or just about anything else the kids want.
"It's their show," says SMYRC's recently hired development director, Ashleigh Flynn. "This program is for, and run by, the youth that it serves."
But it's not all about snacks, being allowed to smoke and getting to pick out your own showtunes at SMYRC.
"The most important thing we offer is a safe haven for queer youth who are dealing with harassment from their peers, parents and society at large," says Flynn.
Also accomplished singer-songwriter, Flynn is certain she can cover the group's deficit in the next few months by tapping into community support in a way SMYRC has never done before. Beyond the bottom line, she has even bigger plans for the organization.
"I feel confident we can be part of the Queer Community Center," says Flynn in regard to a fairly new idea floating around that would give Portland its own queer center, much like the one in San Francisco.
Serving anywhere from a handful up to 80 queers on any given evening, SMYRC has about 30 volunteers, including the "Cookie Lady," who drops off a batch of her homemade goodies each and every weekend but refuses to come in.
"She just wants the kids to have fun," says one of SMYRC's staff members. And so does Pride. Come Sunday, watch for these comeback queers with the giant smirks on their faces. After all, not everyone in town gets a Christmas in June.
WWeek 2015