Oronde, He/Him & Catherine, She/Her. . "This photo feels incomplete with just two of us representing Speak About It. We wish we could cram all 10 of our staff, every educator from the past ten years, and literally every human who has helped us in ways big and small into this photo. Our hearts long to see that photo: a gorgeous rainbow of folks from Portland and beyond who have shown up for this little non-profit. There are countless people who have helped build this organization and who want to build a future where inclusive, affirmative, consent and sex education is accessible to everyone, and where honest conversations about boundaries and desires are the norm. If we did put everyone who has loved on SAI in one photo, a huge part of that photo would be Portland's queer community. We would not be here--literally the two of us would not be here in this goofy photo and Speak About It would not be here--if it weren't for the love and support that the queer community has so consistently and generously shared." . @wespeakaboutit @orcrug @grandpabuxton
Charles, He/Him. . “I came out as queer later in life - first to myself, which was the most important part. But it wasn't until after my dad died that I let myself date another man. Life is too short to live just half of who you are." .@charlesforportland rents an apartment in downtown Portland and was elected in 2022 as State Representative in House District 119."
Andrew, He/Him. . Andrew Zarro (he/him) owns Little Woodfords, a coffee shop recently relocated from Woodfords Corner to Downtown Portland. As a small business owner, he believes queer spaces matter in all facets of our community, public and private. Andrew is running for City Council District 4 in hopes to bring LGBT+ voices to the table in our local government. We have not had an openly Queer person elected to the Portland City Council in over a decade, and we are past due for adequate representation. As a Millennial, he believes it is time to demand a generational transition of power and responsibility to govern as we forge a path towards a kinder, more diverse and inclusive tomorrow. . @andrewzarro @littlewoodfords
Jocelyn, She/They . “An Aries with a Capricorn moon, an artist, and queer. My main areas of focus right now are transgressing heteronormative spaces, in and outside of myself, to queer white supremist delusion, heteronormative conditioning, time, and space, as well as sexuality and gender. I am in graduate school and moving into writing and performing a thesis that intersects academia and art. I am also running for City Council in South Portland! My platform is focused on dismantling whiteness within myself, first and foremost, and at the public service and local government level. I will work to do that regardless of whether I get elected or not because now is the time. Black Lives Matter, Black Trans Lives Matter, and the work is not over, it will never be for white people. We need to continue to show up and do real work.” . @jocelyn_eleanor
Nathan D. MacDonald, He/Him. . “My dream: I drive home with my husky on a rainy spring day after running to a bakery/café for brunch items (Gay, I know 😛). I open the door of my home and the husky runs in to greet my partner, I follow shortly behind to ensure they have enough time to say hello to the pup before I arrive so he can give me a non-dog distracted welcome home. We enter the house rummage through our haul of pastries and caffeine and pair them with the substantive food my husband has cooked. We sit down at the kitchen island and profess how much we missed each other during the 20 minutes we spent apart. After eating we each putter around the home and do some work for our various jobs. He makes calls and answers emails booking new clients, while I check in with my campaign team and policy board to ensure my renewable energy bill has the votes to pass and I am set for re-election, running unopposed. Later, we retire to the fireplace in our living room (my partner is always cold and the romance of a fire place?👌🏼). We watch Planet Earth while my Maine Coon cat lies on my lap. The world is still turbulent, but we’re at least fighting the good fight, and enjoying the time we get to spend with one another, taking nothing for granted. Disclaimer: the role of my partner in this dream has already been filled by the lovely photographer who took these photos.” . @innateadventure
Marina, She/Her. . “I moved back to Maine to be near family. For nearly a decade, I spent more time on busses trying to get to my family than actually with them. With covid, I live within 15 minutes of so many of the people I love, and I can’t see them. When I feel isolated I take to the woods. It’s my solace from missing them.” . @boatyahd
Marpheen, He/Him . “I spent a lot of my 20s being an overachiever, trying to make a difference, being the first in my family to graduate college and go to law school and grad school, running for office, writing a book. Now that I’ve turned 30, I’m realizing that I can take a moment, pause, and breathe. I feel now that I know I can do it and I’ve got what it takes to succeed in my professional life, I’ve realized I put a lot of my personal life on hold. Time with family, going on dates, time to deepen friendships. Of course COVID had taught me that as well. So I’m entering a whole new decade of my life with personal goals.” . @marpheenchann
