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> Christopher Gordon
 Courage in the Face of Discrimination
Born to a white mother and black father into a homophobic and racially divided
community in rural Louisiana, Cree struggled to be black enough for black people and
white enough for white people. Coming out to his parents at 14, his mother tried to
accept him, but his stepfather eventually threw him out of the house at 19, following his
first semester of college. He lived on the streets of New Orleans, hustling his body to
survive. He met a man from Eugene, Oregon who took him West before becoming
abusive. On the streets again in Eugene, he took an HIV test to get the $10.00 a local
clinic was offering and it came back positive. Within weeks of his diagnosis, Cree began
volunteering and speaking out at local high schools and colleges. He shared his
experiences about being HIV positive and queer through the Youth Education Program
and Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) for The HIV Alliance and the Bridges program
at University of Oregon. Cree says, “If in all the speaking I do (on HIV) I can save the
life of one person, that would be worthwhile.” He became a leader in both his College
LGBTQA and Black Student Union, working to bridge the two communities. A
charismatic and energetic public speaker, Cree has a knack for opening eyes and
hearts, his motto - “You gotta make them uncomfortable to make em comfortable.”
Cree’s Youth Courage Award will enable him to complete his next semester of college.
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