I’ve been desperately trying to find an old photo of Pookie and I
together at Peacock in the Park in 2003 that we had together but cannot
find it. Oh well, I'm sure I’ll run across it just when I need to see it
but for the meantime I wanted to share a story about the great
humanitarian Pookie was from my life. I moved to Oregon in 1999
permanently but for a few years I would go back and forth from Billings,
Montana to Portland until I had stable housing secured in Portland. It
would be a few years until I finally made the leap from the underage
nightclub to the Embers as a performer and I started on Ciara and
Raven’s shows Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Finally after having a few
years off from running for titles and pageants Ciara and Pookie
convinced me to run for Debutante when Goddess and Corey Jean Foxx
stepped down. They explained that it was the ISRC’s beginner’s title and
a great introduction to how the Portland, Oregon court works. Sounded
good to me but I was still getting on my feet and didn’t have Oregon
identification yet. My identification was still with a Montana marker.
I
explained this to Pookie and he instantly pulled out the money for me
to get my identification, take a cab to the DMV and paid my way into the
pageant that night. This was of course back when you could get an ID
instantly when you paid for it and there were fewer restrictions on how
to achieve one. Further, my gender marker on my ID in Montana was never
changed over even though my judge’s degree explicitly said it was. The
DMV in Montana absolutely refused to change it, declaring that they had
the right to deny it on religious grounds. I never fought it because it
was hard enough to get my name changed and nobody ever believed that I
was a man at one time anyways. Most people just pointed out there was a
misprint on my ID and I joked about it. Besides the only people that
really had the power and influence to fight those sorts of things had
money and privilege that I did not possess at the time.
Anyhow
when I got my ID at the DMV in Portland the clerk asked me if I wanted
to change my marker and of course I jumped at the opportunity and said,
“YES PLEASE”. She didn’t even ask for my judges decree. Pookie was not
only instrumental in getting me back involved with the court system, but
he was a pivotal change in my totally life as a transgendered woman. Up
until that moment in time I had never been a full ‘human being’ because
my ID was incorrect. I never forgot that he helped me and within a few
weeks I paid him back when I got a new job. At the pageant I lost to the
beautiful and talented Miss Lotta Marie Liquor that evening but the
experience put me back on the journey towards charity work in Oregon. I
went onto win Ms. Gay Pride, Ms. Gay Portland, Ms. Gay Oregon, Woman of
the Year, Entertainer of the Year and Star Empress 37 ½ of Salem. Adding
to my two other titles, Ms. BSGRA and Miss LAMBDA from Montana.
Sometimes
we meet special people that remind us who we really are, and where we
should be in life. That person for me will always be Pookie J. Bush. I
like many of you will miss him, mourn him and love him for all eternity.
Wherever you are Pookie thank you for loving me unconditionally, being
my friend and helping me in my journey through life. You will be missed-
love,
SVJ
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