“ I lived in Seattle and was in a really crappy housing situation. My roommates were really passive aggressive. After two years I was like, ”I’m done with that.” One of my buddies from the military that I was in some trainings with, he lived in Milwaukee, WI, but he was transitioning out here because he loved the Pacific Northwest. He works for TSA so he was trying to get into the Seatac International Airport but he got Portland instead. He said, “I need a roommate.” I said, “Great. I need a way out of here.” He’s no longer my current roomate. But I moved to Portland-Vancouver area because I was just in a bad living situation in Seattle. I’ve been singing in gay choruses for awhile. I sang in the Seattle’s Men’s Gay Chorus. I was the first tenor, and then I transitioned and came to Portland, and then I was a baritone, and now I’m a base, and I sing in my chorus. It’s been really great! Things can change really quickly for the better for people all the time. For instance, I just started my own chorus: gay, lesbian, and we just launched about 4 short weeks ago and we had 62 singing members and its still growing! So I hope that doesn’t change though. Just that community base.. I don’t want to change. I want to foster that safe queer space.
Transilient: You’re really creative - have you always used creativity in like a healing way? Or how’s it played in your life?
Landon: Absolutely. Music has played a huge part of my life. Coming out three different times: bi, lesbian, trans...trans man. That was hard for me because I grew up catholic background, catholic parents, and catholic grandparents. I was told I was going to hell when I came out and all that stuff. It’s primarily why I went into the military. When I came out, I got kicked out, and I didn’t want to be homeless. Music helped with that. I played music, guitar, I sang. So music has been very healing. It’s always been a part of my life. I never want to give it up. “