Amanda, She/Her
“Before the pandemic, I had just been getting into burlesque and stand up. I really miss the feeling of being on stage, of getting to hear people laugh and cheer and know that I made someone's night better. I find being creative, writing material or coming up with numbers, helps me process the difficult events in my life as well as helps me push through the present. Right now, it's been a real uphill struggle though. I live alone so at times the past nine months have been very challenging. And I'm still trying to do the things I love, even if it looks a bit different than I was expecting it or sometimes it takes me longer because everything tires me out faster than usual. I've been writing a lot more and hope to get a few projects off the ground next year. I want anyone struggling right now to know, especially my fellow queers with mental illness: You aren't alone. I can't promise things will get better any time soon, but I can promise you a lot of people are glad you're still here and care about you. And its ok that you need to rest more than you were before or aren't writing the next, great American novel. Take care of yourselves as best you can."
Nathan, 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.”
Noah Krell (he/him), Dani Fazio (she/her), and Jacob Krueger (he/him) are three of the four queer-identifying providers, who along with two other allied therapists offer LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health, recovery, and spiritual care at Therapy For The People.
“We opened our doors at 57 Exchange Street in Portland/occupied Wabanaki Confederacy territory just five weeks before the pandemic forced us to close them to in-person sessions. It felt devastating at first, but also created the space for us to be resourceful, flexible, and adaptive. We’ve been using telehealth exclusively since March, and are constantly in awe at the resilience shown by the folx we work with, as we all navigate these new realities. Our primary goal for creating Therapy For The People, was to center our work within the queer community and provide support to folx in their personal experiences of healing and self-understanding. In addition to being a place for clients, Therapy For The People is also a vibrant co-working space for therapists who want to work in private practice and have the experience of community, peer relationships, and business support. We’re hopeful that as we grow, more therapists and healers will come and join us.” @therapyforthepeople_. TherapyForThePeople.org
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.”
Landon, He/Him
“I read 73 books during quarantine, I’m at 109 so far this year. I still don’t feel like I’m reading enough. There are so many books out there sometimes I get stressed about how I’ll never get to them all. I’m an English teacher too, so I live and breathe books. Being queer, transgender, and a teacher has been an odd experience but thankfully one filled with love and support from my students. This year has been ultra stressful for everyone. As an introvert I’ve loved spending so much time alone with my dog Wiggles but I’m glad to see students again. Even when I’m stressed about everything at least I can say I’ve read over 100 books this year, right?”
Celeste, She/They
“No amount of applause or attention is going to make you feel the validation you’re seeking from within yourself.”
Flo, She/Her & Donna, She/Her
Flo: "Building and being part of my communities is important to me. I'm on the board of EqualityMaine to support my queer community. And for my people of color community, I started a monthly networking happy hour, Fourth Fridays (@fourthfridayme). When covid put a pause on that, I began a weekly podcast/talk show on WMPG, In the Pocket (@in_the_pocket_wmpg). It features artists and activists sharing their narrative on art, culture, activism, and living as people of color in Maine."
Donna: "Sometimes it is hard for me to just straight up call myself a housewife. The connotations haven't always been great. But in the context of a queer relationship, we have already freed ourselves from some of the burdens of the patriarchy. Why not this one? My greatest loves include cooking, gardening, baking, dedicated volunteer work, and caring for my wife and our sweet dogs. If we can arrange our lives to make this my job, why not do it? It takes some trust and some sacrifice on both our parts, but in the end we both have a better life for it."
Lana, She/Her
“Drummer in @caveboymusic. Graphics/posters @heyposterlady. Co-being to Django @misterbabyboi_xoxo. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada. Can be seen wearing backwards hats, drinking coffee/eating ice cream on stoops, rollerblading, building IKEA furniture, and delivering (your) groceries. New(ish) in town and only just beginning to discover the vibrant queer community here in Portland. Thanks for welcoming me with open arms!”
Dani, She/Her
“Just another fruit loop in a world of Cheerios.”
Kyle, They/Them
“Live your life as you had imagined.”
VIVA, She/Her
“All I know for certain is that I have this moment, however long it lasts, and I have my values. After that, the rest comes naturally.”
Marz, He/Him & Gabe, They/They
“We identify as platonic life partners! Different displays of love, healthy commitment, and chosen families are love languages of our generation that we really embrace. Becoming roommates at the beginning of quarantine really solidified the importance of creating intentional spaces for processing and healing. We’re so grateful to have our home, animals, each other and our extended queer bubble.”
Sosanya, She/Her
“Hi! So I took a wicked long time to think of something to write about myself….self. self. Self! That's it! Talk about the self! Specifically, the journey to self love. To anyone reading this, I understand how absolutely downright challenging it is to deeply love yourself. You are not alone! And to those who have reached that steady and long-term point where you have loved yourself, I super admire you. Kudos to you! That mental and emotional work must have been chock full of so very many ups and downs and intense internal battles. And so, no matter where you are in your personal self-love journey, I hope you not only get there as painlessly as possible and live as authentically as possible, but also more importantly, I hope you enjoy that adventure that is your own beautiful life. Good luck in your journey to love yourself!"
Brooke, She/Her
“Hi! I’m Brooke, a bisexual, black local artist and the creator of BuffCat. I make paintings, digital art and comics here in Portland. I teamed up with my friend Melanie to make BuffCat my official brand in January of this year. Inspired by my cat, the mission of BuffCat is to portray bodies, people and queer identities that aren’t commonly seen in art. BuffCat represents soft masculinity, embracing who you are and being unapologetically yourself. I hope that everyone who views my art feels seen. Queer, black voices deserve to be heard and I hope I convey that through my work. You can find my art on Instagram and Facebook:
Instagram: @Artbybuffcat, @BuffCatforever. Facebook: Art By BuffCat. I can be found on Blackownedmaine as Art By Buff Cat. For commissions/and project requests please email me at:
Artbybuffcat@gmail.com.”
Jay, They/Them
“I constantly feel that I am challenging preconceptions. Whether that's by being a bisexual nonbinary person, or by performing drag, or even by reconciling with my ex after a pretty nasty breakup. I feel a lot of my life requires navigating uncharted territory or going against what society says I should do and I take pride in that. If I am blazing a trail, then let it be so others can follow in my wake.”
Noelle, She/Her
“I teach at a highschool, and it's a stressful year to be an educator. Going back into the school building during a pandemic is unnerving, but I do miss my job and the kids. Teaching is an integral piece of who I am, so it's been difficult to have that absence in my life. Lately, I've been trying to focus my energy on redesigning my curriculum to be more culturally responsive and inclusive. My goal is to center a lot of my lessons around antiracism work while including more literature from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks. I'm ready to start having meaningful, real-world conversations with my students again, even if it means doing so on an online platform. I need it. They need it. We all do.”
Halen, She/Her & Molly, She/Her
“Molly:
“You may forget but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will think of us.” Sappho
Halen:
“Life, as they say, has its ups and downs. At times, the waves will taunt you, tossing you in their swells. But take heart. It’s hard to stick with it and make it your own. But even a couple of losers can survive most things if they’re together.” -My Neighbors the Yamadas
Julien, They/She
“During quarantine, my creative focus has been all over the place. I’m always a bit of a dabbler, but this time has turned me into an absolute mega dabbler. From week to week and month to month I’ve become obsessed with rug-making, painting, starting a newsletter, Polaroid photography, portrait photography, figure drawing from photos, ceramics... sometimes I wish I would just buckle down and focus on something to become really good at it, but that just doesn’t feel possible right now. The time to myself has also given me space to get back in touch with my queer identity, which has felt dormant and hidden for a while. I would love to meet more of the amazing people on this page and get to know the queer community around Portland better! If anyone reading this wants to collaborate on a creative project or photoshoot, I would love to work together!”
Finn, They/Them
“I moved to Portland for grad school. I'm working towards becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner with the goal of providing queer-affirming primary care and educating other health professionals. One of my dreams for the queer community is getting to a point where we all support and lift each other up and learn from each other. There is a lot of divisiveness and judgment and racism and classism and ableism in the queer community and I hope that more people start putting in the work to move past that.
I'm a nonbinary, trans, poly, kinky, queer boi and I'm proud of every part of my identity. Part of my work fighting for the queer community is taking up space, letting my queerness, my work, and my queer body be visible, and showing others that it's ok to do so when society tries to shame our existence and push us into the shadows.”
Abe, She/Her
“I’ve been coping with the pandemic by leaning into creative play in my work and life - I survived the first month of lockdown by drawing 400+ possums. I’m surviving the sixth month by teaching myself how to longboard and rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Basically I’m gifting myself the childhood I always wanted, but in my adult years.”
Chris, He/Him & Kylie, She/Her
“Chris: “The Queer community in Portland has given me so much to be thankful for in the last handful of years. I’m not sure what version of myself I would be had I not landed here. Portland and it’s queer inhabitants have only encouraged the best parts of me and the authentic parts of me to grow. I’ve met some of the absolute best people & i’m lucky to call them my friends. I get to take these memories with me everywhere and i’m really really excited about that. Also- my girlfriend is a babe.”
Kylie: “Portland has been a pivotal time place and time in my life. I’m now moving away after three years. I’ve met the most incredible people during my time here. People who’s friendship I’ll be able to take with me for the rest of my life. Many of these friends have already moved away from Portland themselves. For so many people Portland is just a stop in life, in between two phases, and maybe even a space between two lives. Portland will mark a great divide between two phases in my own life, and im so excited for what’s next as well as grateful for who I’m walking in to it with.”
Katie, She/Her
“This pandemic has been really hard on my (and many others) mental health. I started painting to try and have a creative outlet. I’m not very good, but I have a good time. I hope you are all able to find some good moments during this time. And remember, Black Lives Matter and wear a mask!”
Tara, She/Her
“Tara works in healthcare technology and is a student at the Royal School of Needlework. “The world is broken, but we are here to heal it; so says the Jewish concept of tukkun olam. This includes self healing, which through introspection and courage, help us to be open with who we are, even as that changes throughout our lives. Whoever you are, being your true self helps to repair the entire world."
Augusto, He/Him
“I never knew what it was to feel comfortable in my own brown skin until I moved here. Maine has gifted me a wonderful queer family. I found a place to call home where I can be myself, to be queer and feel loved. Bogotá and my family made who I am and Portland allowed me to discover that person.”
Willow Pree, They/She/He.
“I'm a solitary queer house witch and spiritual seeker. Cleaning is my favorite form of magic, because it yields such tangible results both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Cultivating peace is my life's work. If I have one hope it's to help others return to themselves, and find strength in the beauty and richness of their own soul's journey. The world needs our truth and we need each other's love and care to come back to it.”
Hope of Little Chair Printing, They/Them
Little Chair Printing is a Queer owned and operated screen printing shop based in Portland, screenprinting for the people with a strong focus on social justice! “Helping the community and trying to change the world one T-shirt at a time.”
John of Plant Office, He/Him.
“It's strange to be running a business when you're not sure capitalism is a great idea. So in order to stomach the whole thing I try to use my visibility as a business-owner and artist to promote social justice issues. Helping create a safer space for all sorts of people is a major goal for Plant Office. It brings me so much joy to share this special place with everyone."
Parker, He/Him
“29. East end based, transguy, polyam, budtender, tattoo collector, cannabis enthusiast, feminist, festie, fungi, water sign.The themes of taboo that parallel cannabis and trans culture are all fear based. Fear is an illusion. Wether it’s a question about THC, CBD or HRT, I believe that the overwhelming position of ignorance stems from a lack of knowledge. We can’t expect what we don’t inspect. Don’t hate, educate. If we get lost in the sauce of anger.. don’t we all walk away with a bad taste in our mouth? As a trans Portland resident and MMMP, I have found nothing but love and the most proper product at @fireonforestreet Highly recommend for your medication needs in a safe, rad space. Elevate & “Embrace The Random” - https://www.bonfire.com/asa-york/“
Kitty, She/Her & Tristen, He/Him
“Tristen and I grew up together in a very rural, conservative and homogenous northern Maine town. As queer folx, it was hard, if not impossible for some, to come out. I reflect on my high school experience and how much loneliness came from lack of exposure to queerness. Tristen and I, along with other now-out classmates, have reconnected. It has been healing and brought so much peace to that lonely high school self, knowing that my queer community was around me the entire time, we just weren’t ready to meet these absolutely perfect parts of ourselves yet.
But now we are, and the bond beautiful.”
May, She/Her
“COVID has given me a lot of room to explore different parts of myself and develop my artistic expression. I hope others are doing the same! When COVID is over, maybe we can gather like a community again and share what we've been doing through this hard time! :)”
Nate, Any Pronouns
“I’m frustrated and tired very often. I’m also very lucky and so, so grateful. I try to keep gratitude and acceptance at the forefront of everything I do. The systems we have in place clearly benefit a small percentage of people while a majority of others are constantly suffering. These systems are not broken - they’re working exactly as they were intended to work. They need to change. It feels wrong not to advocate for change so that everyone has a fair chance to live a peaceful, beautiful life. I want to make sure I’m consistently showing up for myself, so I can show up for others, especially those I hold close to me in my life, and keep fighting. It all starts with you.”
Megan, They/Them
“I miss working. Weird, right? But when you work in theatre sometimes you take for granted how amazing your job is. So...I just have to adapt! Adaptation. Just another thing you get accustomed to in this weird, weird time.”
Heather Rose, She/Her and Camden
Heather is a Queer momma and small business owner in Portland. She launched Local Babe Food in May as an inclusive opportunity to provide the community with healthy local farm grown food in reusable packaging. “Local Babe Food is for babes of all ages! We are here to connect folks with healthy, organic, creative takes on some traditional favorites to start sparking conversation, connection and a sense of community around food, farmers and chosen families. What better way to do that than over breakfast? Our products are versatile so that everyone can enjoy - purées are great for babe’s first bites or added into a morning smoothie to get you through your day! Baked beach rose glazed donuts, mashed potato flatbreads even herbal simple syrups packed with local flavor. Handmade reusable packaging, eco-friendly initiatives, lots of love for our Maine farm growth - we are Local Babe Food.”
Priscilla
“A few things.
I am a proud pansexual, a 1st generation Cuban-American, a fat woman, and a small business owner. I have anxiety, depression, PCOS, HS, hypothyroidism, and Hashimotos. I take pride in putting myself out there in the hope that someone will feel seen. My ultimate goal is to help folks understand others' experiences and different point of views, in turn, making it a better world for all of us! I also want to take this chance to let folks know that I co-own a marketing and business consulting company, EID Visions (@eidvisions_), with my partner, Orlando. It doesn’t matter whether you are a small business, a budding entrepreneur, working on your startup, or anything in between; at EID Visions, we will put in the work as if you were the largest company in the world. At EID Visions, we don’t just have clients, we have family!"
Isaac, He/They
“I’ve been out of the closet for about 25 years and lived in many different communities. None have been nearly as cohesive and diverse as the queer community here. I am joyful and grateful everyday for that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it is the importance of showing up and Portland Queers certainly show up.”
Rachel, She/Her of Pageboy Studios
“Pageboy is a queer owned and operated space. Inclusion, community, and individuality are at the top of Rachel and Mel's goals for the studio. No one fits a perfect mold, your hair should help represent your vision of who you are and it is up to the stylist to help you articulate that goal. In an industry that is woefully outdated, we know it is our responsibility to educate ourselves and be active listeners for our community and our clients. By offering gender-free haircut choices, creating a community funded, sliding scale payment option (details coming soon!) and actively expanding our knowledge of all hair types/textures, we aim to be in tune with our clients needs, as well as the needs of the greater community. We stand in support of Black lives, survivors, and queer and trans community.”
Lucy, She/Her
Lucy is an artist based in Portland
Nyssa, She/Her & Raine, They/Them
“I’d cut my soul into a million different pieces just to form a constellation to light your way home. I’d write love poems to the parts of yourself you can’t stand. I’d stand in the shadows of your heart and tell you I’m not afraid of your dark." - Andrea Gibson. Raine and Nyssa have been celebrating love together for the past five years and many more to come. Nyssa is a queer hairstylist in South Portland and welcomes all queer people to come and explore expressive and gender affirming hairstyles. Check her work out at @nysstique
Alexander, He/They
“Donate to The Sylvia Rivera Law Project. This nonprofit provides legal services specifically to low-income people and people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming.”
Sierra, She/Her and Ash, She/Her
“Ash is an editor who volunteers with prison writing programs and Sierra is a student midwife and full-spectrum doula serving oppressed communities. “Black birthing people die in birth at 3-6x that of their white counterparts and more than half of queer people who visit doctors report facing discrimination due to their sexuality. 1 in 100 American adults is behind bars, many without access to writing and educational materials even though books reduce recidivism rates. Here are some places you can go to learn, donate, or advocate: @penamerica, @prisonbirthproject, @sistersong_woc, @blackmidwivesalliance, @blackmamasmatter, @queerdoulas and @mainetransnet.”
Travis, He/Him
Travis is developing a Queer business owned directory @queerownedmaine and wishes to expand on this project in the future.
JC, They/Them
“Just because you need to ask for help doesn't mean you're weak. You are strong for being brave enough to accept help. To fail is to learn and to learn is to get stronger. Never stop learning.” JC wants to bring awareness to the Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.” Learn more @trevorproject.
Dax, They/Them
Dax wants to spread awareness about The Okra Project, a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever the organization can reach them. Learn more @theokraproject.
Matthew, He/Him
“Dreams don’t die, so keep an eye on your dream’...ok, so I couldn’t have picked a cheesier Sondheim lyric to quote. But hear me out - a lot of today leaves much to be desired. I’ve tried to have a positive outlook through all of this, and passing that on to my private students and music performing colleagues. Recently, this has proved to be difficult with a job in the performing arts industry. However, I keep reminding myself of these words, and remember that even though the music has died for a bit, it will bounce back twice as strong. Looking forward to opportunity in 2021!"
Siana, She/Her
“The events of 2020 and the state of our nation are exhausting, but they can also be invigorating. We are living through an incredibly significant point in history. It is vital to try to tap into that and work to be on the right side of history.”
Joan, She/They
“Radically love yourself. Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”. - Audre Lorde. "Also, vote please.”
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."
Orrin, She/They
“Gender, sexuality, and relationships are all fluid. There's no shame in experimenting and finding what works best for you.”
Jackie, She/Her
“Right before the pandemic really began, my ex wife and I decided to get a divorce (as great friends) which has added a fun twist to my experience. Trying to navigate social distancing guidelines while transitioning into separate households has been interesting and the social isolation that comes with it has definitely had its challenges. I have been very fortunate to have a great support system of friends, family, and partners that have been by my side as I figure out my new life as a newly single, queer, poly divorcee during a worldwide pandemic and I couldn't be more grateful. The queer community has been a safe haven for me and having that safety net during trying times is something that I will always appreciate. Happy Pride!”
Cinnamon, They/Them
Cinnamon is a Burlesque Performer and Performance Artist in Maine. Check out more of their work @cinnamonmaxxine!
Elliot, He/Him
“Elliot is a burlesque performer, choreographer, and photographer based in Portland.
Madeline, She/They
“Radical softness as a boundless form of resistance” - Be Oakley
Shay, He/Him, and Emily, She/Her
“We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re going to keep fighting until people realize Black Trans Lives Matter. Thank you Portland for continuing to fight! Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-fund-for-blm-portland"
Kate, She/Her
“Bisexuality and Pansexuality is something that can be overlooked a lot. I feel like this is a good way to get stories out, the stories that don't often get to be told.”
Sam, He/Him.
“I’d like to talk a little bit about the dissonance in the Trans community right now. I see a lot of people saying, ‘You have to have dysphoria to be Trans. You have to have gone through suffering to be apart of this community,’ and I entirely disagree. Why are we gate keeping within our own group? Don’t we get enough of that from cis people? I’d like to invite everyone to think more about euphoria, and how their gender is aligning in a positive light. Let’s stop tearing each other down and instead lift each other up. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re enough just the way you are. Happy Pride month everyone.”
Anders, He/Him
““You’ve got to be willing to lose everything to gain yourself.” I. Vanzant.
Stevie Pottle, They/Them & Floyd
““Thank you to the Queer community for giving me the space I needed to grow. 20 year old me would be so impressed with where I am.”
Benn, He/Him
“Becoming your fully realized Queer self is a journey. You will try things and make mistakes. People who are heteronormative have so many guides along the way, that we as queer people don’t. Embrace the openness that comes with being part of a unique, diverse, and vibrant community”