The GLBT community is in the process of great change. In the 35 years since Stonewall, our community has made huge strides forward establishing itself in society. Ironically, as we have carved out a clear public profile we have simultaneously lost track of one another. The GLBT community is broad and diverse, but in many respects we have splintered into factions whose paths rarely cross.

“Portrait of a community” aims to correct this imbalance by profiling the men and women who make up our community in an environment that describes him or her best. Additionally, each portrait includes a conversation about the substance of each individual’s life and how he or she views some of the cornerstones of his or her GLBT experience.

In time, the goal of this column is to create a complete and inclusive portrait of our community, one person at a time.

Name: Lauren DeRose

Age: 24

Self-definition: Shoegazer, trailblazer, hopeless neurotic

Where were you at 9:00 a.m. last Sunday morning?

I was most likely riding my bike to Grant’s Market to get my “avocado smash.” It is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast – and coffee, of course. I’m pretty much addicted.

What person has influenced you more than any other, and how?

Most definitely my mother. When I was younger, my mother was always stressed out and nervous about everything that you could possibly be nervous about. She was a single parent and supported my sister and me by working three jobs. My father was an alcoholic, so my mom ended up leaving him when I was 5 (he later died from his alcoholism). We lived in Amsterdam, N.Y., which is a very poor town, and there were not a lot of easy ways to better yourself. My mother never had it easy. Her father was a paranoid schizophrenic and my grandmother had to take care of him. My grandmother loved my mother very much, but a lot of her attention was always toward my grandfather’s sickness. I think it would be fair to say that my mom has never had a vacation in her entire life. All she has ever done was make sure me and my sister were on a path to a good life. Well, my sister is now a doctor in Boston and I am working very hard toward being a successful musician. She always told us, “I don’t care what you decide to do with your life, just don’t grow up with shit for brains!” She also had a good sense of humor. She is the strongest person I know. She never gives up. My mom is my hero, even though she drives me bonkers sometimes.

When do you feel unequal?

I guess I don’t feel equal when I visit downtown or Pacific Beach. I feel more than equal. Ha ha. I am so happy that I didn’t end up some goon’s bleached blonde dumbass’s girlfriend whose idea of a good time is shopping for some stupid-ass mini skirt and wedge heels for the next Dave Matthews Band concert.

Where were you last Wednesday at noon?

I think I was at work. Yeah. Nothing too exciting.

When was the last time you felt proud?

When I wrapped my entire body in masking tape, called myself a “tapeworm” and won the Halloween costume contest, of course!

If there was a defining moment in your life, what was it?

When I packed up my friend’s van with everything I owned and drove from Boston to California. I knew that everything was going to be different. One of my goals was always to move to California, put a band together and perform. It is really difficult to get shows sometimes when you are just starting out. You have to call and call and call venues with hopes they will let you play. The day gigs started coming in on their own was the day when I thought, whoa, maybe I can really do this.

Where were you at 10:00 p.m. last Friday night?

I was at Bourbon Street, most likely, drinking a delicious Snakebite.

What is your most immediate goal?

I would love to quit my day job and become a full-time musician. That would be my heaven.

When do you feel total joy?

I feel joy when I ride my bike, write a new song, hang out with my friends, have a good crowd at a show, drink a dirty martini, hang out with the cats, make someone laugh, draw comic strips and sing, sing, sing. Now, if I could figure out how to do these things all at the same time, I think I would “feel total joy.”

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