Nathan Franks came up with the idea of using chicken wire as armature for the two sides of the ribbon, and a third piece for the bow on top. Onto each loop of wire, row-by-row he tied red ribbons, all four thousand plus. Nathan’s partner, John Christensen and their seven dachshunds helped from the sidelines. Together they raised the giant ribbon and strung lights behind it so that it is visible at night. They did it to raise awareness about HIV/Aids, World Aids Day, and to show the small but meaningful difference two people (and seven dachshund) can make.

 

Nathan knows well the stigma associated with HIV. He asked that his story be known so that others would come to understand what it means to be shut out and as he notes, “feel the shame of wearing the scarlet letter decrying a person with HIV.” Nathan’s story is particularly close to home. He grew up in Ephrata. Nathan remembers realizing he was gay when attending middle school, “but I kept it to myself. I also knew I had to get out of Ephrata.” Like hundreds of Ephrata homegrown before and after him, he left as soon as he graduated from high school. Finding his way to San Francisco and eventually Seattle, he came to understand the importance of associating with the gay community where he was accepted, and where he felt comfortable in his own skin.

 

In 1990 Nathan was given a devastating diagnosis of HIV and a prognosis of five years to live. With the development of new and effective drugs, Nathan like millions of others around the world realize a healthy and full life. Nathan makes clear that HIV is not a death sentence, saying, “I want people to know that when you look at someone with HIV or cancer – it’s about surviving. We are in the same playing field, with different scenarios. HIV is a manageable condition, and through medication, lifestyle changes, diet and exercise you can live a full life. But more than that, having HIV has taught me not to be afraid. I don’t know how long I will live, but I know now that I don’t want to come to the end of my days and think I should have done or said something and didn’t because I was afraid of how I might be judged.”

 

Nathan met his life partner John Christensen in 2000. Together they decided that they wanted something different, and agreed that moving back to Grant County where Nathan was from would be a challenge that would also present opportunities. They started their first espresso stand and were forced to move out when the owner of the building told them he wouldn’t renew their month-to-month lease because, “people may not approve of you and John.”

 

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. John and Nathan moved to their present location on Basin Street in Ephrata where their brightly painted building and rainbow flags add a delightful pizzazz to the neighborhood.

 

Returning to Grant County was an act of courage for John and particularly Nathan who noted, “I was finally comfortable enough in my on skin that I could come back. I wanted to share ‘us’ with my family and to send a message to anyone around who is interested that gay people are just like everybody else; we want to go to work, go home, work on our house, love each other, love life, and live normally in our community. I also wanted to come back to conquer my own fears and the things that made me feel uncomfortable as a child. If there is another young gay person in Ephrata who is fearful about coming out, afraid of being outcast or alone, or hurt by another, John and I are a quiet example that you can make it, that you can be who you are and survive. We are very aware of studies indicating that the suicide rate for gay teens is four times that of heterosexual youth. No teenager struggling with their sexual identity should feel that the only option is to take their own life because they are not accepted or have nowhere to turn. The ribbon is about World Aids Day. But it’s also about the struggle to be accepted, to be part of the community we so much want to be part of. It’s about reaching out, sharing ourselves and asking nothing in exchange other than that we be accepted and treated fairly”

 

In July 2007 John and Nathan registered with the State of Washington as domestic partners. They continue to provide their customers with what some have described as the best coffee in the world. They bring a colorful and creative splash to the Columbia Basins barista business. Most of all, they live truly as the decent loving people they are, sharing themselves with courage and goodwill to all who take the time to know and share with them.