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After leaving Wallowa County and coming out, Marika Straw was told repeatedly that they couldn’t move back and be queer in the small community. They did return, and they found that couldn’t be further from the truth: Straw discovered a vibrant world of organizers on the outskirts of Oregon. Wanting to embrace queer people in rural places across the state, Straw and married companions Dani Savage and AJ Savage created Rural Queer Open Mic (instagram.com/ruralqueeropenmic), a collective of artists, in 2023.
“There’s an assumption that anyone who is a rural queer hates where they live, and that’s just not true,” Straw says. “I hope this project can affirm that we exist, we belong, we’re here, and provide the possibility for connection and hope and solidarity across rural Oregon.”
Following the model of dance performance group OUT Dance Project, which created a series of choreographed dances for queer members across rural Oregon, Rural Queer Open Mic went on tour last summer across the state. The group commissioned local openers in each location and distributed 50 LGBTQ+ sexual education zines. AJ Savage, a licensed massage therapist, offered chair massages as well.
When they’re not on the road, they serve on People Like Us, Wallowa County’s 2SLGBTQIA+ nonprofit support group. Last month, the trio played a one-off night at Mount Hood Pride at Coffee House 26 in Welches. While they haven’t booked their next tour yet, the three are currently nurturing their solo careers. (Straw just released their new album, Love, the Heartache, featuring Dani Savage, on July 11.)
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2025 here!
