Fluffy Seymour has found a place where he can be himself.
He grew up in the California foothills and came out when he was around 12 years old. To protect him, his mom moved the family to urban Sacramento, a more liberal community. “She’s big, she loves me,” Fluffy says. “I’m the youngest of three boys, and she jokes around and says I’m her daughter. And it works.”
He adds: “She’s scared for me that I’m out here. She’s not a fan of the homeless thing.”
Fluffy has been in Portland for almost four years and spent most of that time living in a single room occupancy, or SRO building.
“It was once the Broadway Hotel; now it’s an SRO, so everything is conjoined,” he says. “Our showers, our bathrooms are all in the hall. Community kitchen is on the first floor. It was a learning experience, I think.”
He says the building tenants knocked on his door constantly, and the lack of privacy became too stressful. He stopped paying rent and left before he got evicted.
Living on the street has been like a boot camp, he says. He is focused on food because he spends a big part of the day worrying about where to eat next. He has lost a few waist sizes but has added muscle. He has had two bags stolen.
“I’ve been surviving for two months,” Fluffy says. “I’m definitely a little bit hardened, if you will. I don’t allow manipulation or people to take advantage of my kindness.
“I’m learning who’s safe to be around and who’s not. And who would be a cause of bringing a cop around, a lot of drama, or stress. It’s stressful enough out here without everyone else’s stuff on top of yours.”
Fluffy has been selling Street Roots since May and joined the Street Roots contingent at the most recent Pride Parade.
“It was a blast,” he says. “I got to walk with all my friends that I’ve made here. Vendor-wise, there were probably 10 to 15 of us. And then families on top of it. Some of the volunteers had brought their kids. Some of the staff were in it.”
He says he likes the Street Roots newspaper because it has local news and includes “problems within our community and solutions that we’re trying to come up with. It has poetry from vendors and art from vendors. I’m a big fan of Wordsearch.”
His most loyal Street Roots customers are found near the Macdonald Center in Old Town-Chinatown. He is a member of the on-site day room, which provides social activities to people living in SROs. Two social workers are on staff.
“I respect and appreciate the staff at the Macdonald Center,” Fluffy says. “They’ve done so much for me, helping me get back on my feet again.”
He says the staff filled out forms and worked with a nurse practitioner to get him an Honored Citizen card with TriMet. The card will help Fluffy find different housing in a wider area around Portland.
“I’m pulling through,” Fluffy says. “I feel more comfortable in Portland than I ever have. I can be myself to the full extent, and I’m not judged for it.”
