Faces of MAC: Pride Edition

In honor of Pride Month, The Winged M invited several members, and the leader of the club’s LGBTQ+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employee Network, to share their stories in this space.

Desiree, Ann, Sabine, and Harper

Spouses Desiree Bliss and Ann Miller joined MAC four years ago when their daughters, Sabine and Harper, became more interested in sports. Now 8 and 11, respectively, both girls have found plenty to keep them engaged, bringing their moms along for the ride.

“At the club, we found some new family activities such as rock climbing, where we could all participate at different levels, and loved the welcoming staff there on the weekends,” Bliss says. “I started to play tennis and found a warm, fun, and competitive community of friends through the MAC leagues. Harper has also started to enjoy tennis at MAC, and all four of us occasionally reserve a court to play family doubles. Ann played competitive tennis and basketball in high school and college, and we have just convinced her to join a MAC Tennis team.”

Both girls took advantage of swim lessons at MAC and, during COVID, Sabine joined the Novice Synchro team, which she says has been a surprising delight for her this year. “Synchro has felt really safe during COVID, and Sabine adores her teacher, Bethany, and her teammates,” Bliss reports. “The girls really miss Joe’s and look forward to it re-opening! One of our favorite features of the club under normal circumstances is that we can all do our own thing — classes, workout, etc. — and then meet up for dinner at the Sports Pub.”

Miller and Bliss were married in 2007. The former is vice president, corporate secretary, and chief ethics & compliance officer at Nike, and Bliss works as a consultant to family foundations with a focus on education. Harper is in fifth grade and Sabine is in third at Oregon Episcopal School. Bliss is a volunteer college coach for ScholarMatch and the whole family has volunteered with Oregon Food Bank, Neighborhood House, and PEAR over the years. “Overall, we have found MAC to be welcoming, although we do occasionally get some blank stares at the front desk or have to painstakingly explain that we are a family of four,” Bliss explains. Like many organizations in Portland, there are always opportunities for improvement when it comes to diversity and inclusion!”

Jeri Gaither

“Times change, and at MAC, we are changing with the times and not against them. I feel that we are on the right path, and that it is important for companies and individuals to be open to changes,” says Jeri Gaither, leader of MAC’s LGBTQ+ DEI Employee Network.

“Our diversity networks support club leadership in advancing MAC’s mission to create a more inclusive environment, where underrepresented groups can thrive and flourish. They represent a collective voice around shared interests or concerns that help to promote a more inclusive and respectful workplace.”

Gaither has worked at MAC for nine years, and has always been very open about her partner, who is now her wife. Her coworkers embrace who she is, leaving her feeling comfortable and safe. “I do know that not all employees felt as comfortable sharing about their personal relationships as I did,” she acknowledges. “I have had more than one person tell me that because of me, they did feel safe to share later on. As DEI efforts continue, this will grow so that everyone feels MAC is a safe environment to work in.”

She adds that there’s so much to love about MAC, and particularly the people.

“The members and employees really have made my time here amazing. I love that I get to communicate with all members while working in the Accounting office.

We have such a diverse team of employees, which makes working so fun and easy.”

“Pride has always been such a meaningful time. It isn’t all about the parade and rainbows. Pride means a togetherness of our community, joining collectively as one. It is time to celebrate with friends, family, and chosen family,” she explains. “I have enjoyed my time at MAC and look forward to seeing continued growth and positive changes related to diversity and inclusion.”

James Tracy

James Tracy is the son of Diversity Admissions Committee Chair Chris Gong, and joined MAC at a young age when his parents became members. Tracy grew up taking swimming and tennis lessons, and climbing, at the club. More recently, he’s been using the Fitness and Strength Rooms, and has found weightlifting to be a fun and stress-relieving activity ever since he learned about it during a class he took his junior year of high school.

Now age 19, Tracy graduated from Oregon Episcopal School in 2020, and has been on a pre-planned gap year since. In the fall, he’ll head to The New School, where he hopes to study subjects related to set design and film.

Assigned female at birth, Tracy says his journey to becoming who he is, and who he hopes to be, hasn’t always been easy. However, he’s heartened by the support he’s received from family, friends, and the various communities to which he belongs.

“Like most places in Portland, I’ve almost always felt welcomed as I am at MAC, and I’ve definitely never felt that the club has been an unsafe place for me. In any space, there is a certain level of caution that a lot of young queer people can relate to, when you are around demographics who live very different experiences,” Tracy says. “Everyone has their own experiences and is going to have a different story. I think every person, regardless of identity, has a responsibility to better understand those around them and know that there is always more you can do.”

Tracy’s high school had two LGBTQ+related groups. He particularly appreciated the comfortable environment of affinity group meetings, which were a safe space only for students who were a part of the community. “Still, during high school, I never got to the point where I felt totally secure and confident with myself, so I wasn’t able to step up into a leadership role even though I always wish I had. It was a wonderful place to be with people, make friends, and have meaningful conversations without the emotional tax of having to explain yourself or your situation; people already understood and knew how to be supportive.”

The meaning of Pride Month continues to evolve for Tracy as he gets older. “I’ve had some very amazing Pride Months, but also some that weren’t so great. There was a pretty lengthy period of time where I had figured out who I was, but I was still in the closet and was nowhere near ready to come out. During that time, I felt guilty that I wasn’t brave enough to tell anyone and that I was lying to people I loved.” Now, with more than 140 anti-trans bills in progress across the United States, Tracy points out that Pride remains as essential as it was when it began. “It’s a reminder that change is inevitable, and I think that is definitely something to celebrate.” WM