30 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
OutBoise.com | Issue 5.2 | March 2015
A Friend Indeed
By Robert Collins
In our community we use the letters LGBT to
include most of us within the community. There is
another letter I would like to see added. A, for Ally.
We have in our community people who are not
Lesbian or Gay. They are not Bi or Transgendered.
They are straight. They are straight people that
support us, promote our equality, and generally
accept us without reservation as simply part of the
community of humankind.
I am fortunate enough to count among my
friends one such person, Keri Ray Boyle. Keri is a
local business woman who operates the business
Balloons with a Twist. Boyle makes balloon animals
and objects, does face painting, glitter temporary
tattoos and characters for events. Events that
range from children’s birthdays, to adult themed
parties. Rated G, to rated X. Her complex designs
range from balloon accessories, characters, to full
scale models of a T-Rex.
I first met Boyle at a holiday party where she
accompanied a friend. At the party Keri was stunning in a pink dress accessorized with a small purse
made of pink balloons. She was outgoing, a little
outrageous, and a lot of fun. The party was a cast
party for the Boise Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC).
During the course of the evening we all discussed
the chorus. Boyle had attended the Christmas
concert and had read the equal opportunity
statement printed on the BGMC program. The
statement says anyone can audition as long as
they are able to sing in tenor, tenor, baritone, bass
(TTBB) format, regardless of age, gender, gender
identity, sexual identity, race, creed, or national
origin. After meeting Bob Wallace who is a member of the chorus who self identifies as straight,
she decided to audition not really expecting to
actually be accepted. She came to the audition
with a “member” made of a pink balloon, sang
for the committee and came out of the audition
as a member of the chorus holding the distinction
of being the first female member, the second self
identified straight member and a wonderful addition to the chorus.
I recently had the opportunity of sitting down
with Boyle to discuss her life, business and being
closely associated with the LGBT community. We
sat down together after a rehearsal of the chorus,
Boyle was looking cute with her aqua hair, bright
lipstick and big smile. She was open, friendly and
fun. I ask her how she felt her reception within the
community has been. Boyle stated that she felt
like she was accepted overall and only has had
one incident of a negative nature. After joining
the chorus she received an anonymous message
that was rejecting and belittling. Naturally she felt
wounded and rejected , “it was like a kick in the
stomach,” but being the upbeat person she is, she
bounced back and used the experience to further
her understanding of diversity.