History & Activism
The 1960s propelled me into the thick of political and cultural upheaval, and I’ve never regretted it. The decade shaped my sense of social justice, triggered my activism, and motivated me to find, eventually, my voice as a writer.
I was raised Catholic in a working-class Portland, Oregon neighborhood, just outside the city limits. In my teens, Vatican II heralded a possible renewal and awakened in me a call for social justice. Civil rights, the Kennedy years, and the first scourge of my generation – the Vietnam War – inspired and emboldened me. Anti-poverty campaigns in Portland forced me to acknowledge economic injustice while sit-ins at the University of Oregon revealed the power and the camaraderie of civil disobedience. Anti-war marches on the streets of Albany, New York vied with my course work in American History. Door-to-door outreach to seniors in Eugene, Oregon sharpened my organizing skills and reminded me of my mother’s counsel to treat others, especially elders, with respect.
Coming out as a gay man in the mid-1970s rewarded me with a strong, boisterous community, one well-acquainted with seeking justice as outcasts. Then the AIDS tsunami of the 1980s changed everything. Working as a journalist and columnist enabled me for the next ten years to effect change in health services and medical and behavioral research, and to push for greater justice in public health policy.
The story of Marie Equi appealed to me from my first exposure to her exploits. I appreciated her singular determination to pursue a life of meaning, to achieve what might have seemed impossible goals, and then to remain resolute and committed to her values, willing to risk all she had achieved. These aspects of her character inspired me to devote years of research into her life, confident that her largely hidden story would appeal to a wide audience and contribute to a greater history of the country, of the Pacific Northwest, of radical politics and, in particular of the roles of women and lesbians. How she lived her life – at times successfully balancing the demands of a profession, a long-term relationship, and a devotion to political change – resonates with the challenges and the issues we face today.
I wrote MARIE EQUI Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions because I believed her story would inspire and challenge readers today. Hers is also a cautionary tale about the limits and risks of activism. It asks, “Would we go as far and put as much on the line for our beliefs as Marie Equi did?” I also hoped to engage readers intrigued with the life of an exceptional person during a remarkable time.
-Michael Helquist, March 15, 2015
I was raised Catholic in a working-class Portland, Oregon neighborhood, just outside the city limits. In my teens, Vatican II heralded a possible renewal and awakened in me a call for social justice. Civil rights, the Kennedy years, and the first scourge of my generation – the Vietnam War – inspired and emboldened me. Anti-poverty campaigns in Portland forced me to acknowledge economic injustice while sit-ins at the University of Oregon revealed the power and the camaraderie of civil disobedience. Anti-war marches on the streets of Albany, New York vied with my course work in American History. Door-to-door outreach to seniors in Eugene, Oregon sharpened my organizing skills and reminded me of my mother’s counsel to treat others, especially elders, with respect.
Coming out as a gay man in the mid-1970s rewarded me with a strong, boisterous community, one well-acquainted with seeking justice as outcasts. Then the AIDS tsunami of the 1980s changed everything. Working as a journalist and columnist enabled me for the next ten years to effect change in health services and medical and behavioral research, and to push for greater justice in public health policy.
The story of Marie Equi appealed to me from my first exposure to her exploits. I appreciated her singular determination to pursue a life of meaning, to achieve what might have seemed impossible goals, and then to remain resolute and committed to her values, willing to risk all she had achieved. These aspects of her character inspired me to devote years of research into her life, confident that her largely hidden story would appeal to a wide audience and contribute to a greater history of the country, of the Pacific Northwest, of radical politics and, in particular of the roles of women and lesbians. How she lived her life – at times successfully balancing the demands of a profession, a long-term relationship, and a devotion to political change – resonates with the challenges and the issues we face today.
I wrote MARIE EQUI Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions because I believed her story would inspire and challenge readers today. Hers is also a cautionary tale about the limits and risks of activism. It asks, “Would we go as far and put as much on the line for our beliefs as Marie Equi did?” I also hoped to engage readers intrigued with the life of an exceptional person during a remarkable time.
-Michael Helquist, March 15, 2015