STEVEN HENSEN is so angry, he is willing to risk his life. He has quit taking his anti-retro-viral medication–prescribed to prolong his life with HIV–in protest of a change the state made last week. The decision, made on December 21, was made by Mark Wasserman, head of the Oregon Health Department, who announced that he […]
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Tent City
Activists Propose a New Kind of Encampment for the Homeless
JACK TAFARI speaks English, Dutch, Jamaican Creole, some Hindi, and some Russian. He has lived in various parts of the U.S., Europe, Canada, and India. And he is homeless, an identity he claims every time he speaks. But, as of last Saturday, he may be on the road to a home–or, at least a permanent […]
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Developers in the ‘Hood
Company Accused of Brokering Low-Income Neighborhoods
ON THE CORNER of SE Madison and Grand Avenue, a mustard-yellow sign belonging to Phoenix Redevelopment serves as the backdrop where droves of lower middle class people wait for a bus on a cold, clear evening. The sign’s simple message, “Phoenix buys houses. All cash–any condition” is delivered in blocked, bold capital letters and beams […]
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The Name Reporting Game
Health Department Moves Against Wishes of Advocacy Groups
NEXT WEEK, the Oregon Health Department (OHD) will make one of its most controversial decisions in three years: whether or not patients who test positive for HIV will be required to report their names to the state. Virtually all of Oregon’s AIDS/HIV advocacy groups are adamant in their opposition to the so-called “name reporting” requirement, […]
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Wheeled Warriors
Will Skating Become a Crime?
ZACH ZERFLU and Nancy Hartman don’t have much in common. Hartman is a 5′ 4” blonde mother of two who enjoys making soap and keeping in shape. Zerflu is a towering 6’3”, has a shaved head, a knack for Web design, and happily swills Pabst Blue Ribbon. They both, however, prefer riding skates to driving–Hartman […]
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Survival Sex
Why Many Homeless Youth Barter Sex for Necessities
CHARLIE (not his real name) is 24 years old and often sleeps under the bridges in Portland. His last claim to a residence was where he squatted for five months in an abandoned building, Charlie is one of Portland’s many homeless youth who live from day to day panhandling–or whatever it takes–for their next meal. […]
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Drive My Car
The Unlikely Concept of Car Sharing Actually Works!
KNOWN FOR taking pride in their rides, Americans spend big dollars on chrome rims, stereo speakers, and cowhide seat covers. They treat their cars like children and use them as an extension of their identity. So, in 1998, when CarSharing Portland introduced the concept of vehicle sharing, people were quick to scoff. Few believed that […]
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Jesus Wore a Skirt!
Mayor Katz Plans to Expand Civil Rights Laws to Protect Transsexuals
IF VERA KATZ has her way, transsexual females will finally be able to wear skirts to work and use the bathrooms they want to; Katz is working with commissioner Dan Saltzman to change Portland’s civil rights ordinance in order to protect transgendered and transsexual people. Under the new law, employers must allow people to dress […]
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Genetics Out of Our Tomatoes
Protesting Against Genetically Tampered Produce
STANDING OUTSIDE Hawthorne Boulevard’s Fred Meyer, about twenty-five protestors carried signs that read “Hey WaitThere’s Fish DNA In My Tomatoes!” Part of a fledging group called NW Resistance Against Genetic Engineering (NW RAGE), the activists had gathered on a sunny, crisp morning in mid-November to protest the sale of genetically engineered foods. “We demand the […]
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Dog Eat Dog
Animal Rights Groups Want to Put the Brakes on Dog Racing
ONLY A DECADE AGO, greyhound racing was the sixth most popular spectator sport in the nation. But mounting opposition and complaints from animal rights advocates may just break the back of the industry. Regulated state-by-state, greyhound racing has already been banned in adjacent Idaho and Washington, leaving the sport legal in only 16 states, including […]
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Gay vs. Gay
Portland Lacks Services for Dealing with Gay Violence
THERE IS A GROWING mountain of data and anecdotes that suggest that gay men are victims of domestic violence just as often as people in heterosexual relationships. However, Portland still lacks services, such as shelters or crisis lines, to deal directly with the problem. Pointing out that this dearth of resources is a self-perpetuating dilemma, […]
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Voices from the Air
Pirate Radio for the Homeless
“We’re trying to give a voice to the invisible,” says Genny Nelson, founder of Portland’s Sisters of the Road Café. Nelson sits in a loft above a busy diner where about two dozen homeless men and women gather for lunch. Six years ago, Nelson came up with the novel idea to launch a pirate radio […]