LaborGay weekend events will have your executive realness in the Werqforce

Melanie Griffith is workin' our her "Executive Realness' too

Laborday is gayborday (or LaborGay, how far can I work this bad pun?) in the hard-workin’ heartland of Portland, so us young retired people are just gonna use Labor Day weekend as an excuse to extend the party…right?

Thursday

Dirtbag! – The workin’ man’s weeknight party, cuz it’s free and awesome. To find out more about the DJ workin’ this event check out yesterday’s profile of DJ Bruce laBruiser.

A painting show from Mason Bondi & I Mirror/Your Mirror art openings – Downtown/Pearl’s First Thursday may have a snootier reputation than the ridiculous and bohemian Last Thursday on Alberta but it’s always been about the art and there’s good art to be had. Here are two examples from experimental artist and former local Sarah Gottesdiener and Mason Bondi, a painter whose images of small figures amidst huge skies are at once whimsical and haunting.

Friday

Ok so not a ton on Friday again, although the weekly, ManTrap features guest DJ Kinetic (Blow Pony) in addition to resident LunchLady, hell yeah. But I said that last Friday and then about 4 things popped up last minute that I just didn’t have time to update. So keep your eyes on the events page, and I’ll try to update this post if that happens again. Oh PDX marketing…

Saturday

Mrs. Executive Realness – Oh girl it’s everyone’s favorite category from Paris is Burning where we take our drag to new heights invoking the power of the secretary and the CEO.  Portlanders excel at making fun of capitalism, not insert the drag element and the costumes are bound to overwhelm. Rumor has it DJ Mr Charming might be busting out a character making an appearance for the first time in, like, 7 years, Secretary Mary. I would not want to miss that.

Join the homo work force

Come As You were: Riot Grrrl karaoke – Blow Pony DJ and co-founder Airick is one of the most feminist gay party throwers I’ve ever met so its only right that he should be a part of this great project to relive our wild riot grrl youth. Grunge themed drinks specials (90s prices?), drum lessons from Lisa Schonberg (STLS, Explode into Colors) and live bands still living the punk will warm you up to pelt our your own Bikini Kill lyrics you’ve been singing in your bedroom for the last 15 years. This is the real deal folks. I was there.

Sunday

WerqForce: 8 parties in 8 hours – All your favorite parties crammed into one. If you thought the pool wasn’t incestuous enough make sure you write down the chart. Better yet, just be grateful all these amazing people want to get together for the benefit of the community and the party. All day, hella gay, and free for fore workers. We got our own little Burning Man right here…

Pacific Northwest Lesbian Author event & Book salon – Northwesterners are nerdy about their books, and our weird literature deserves the attention it gets. This goes doubly so for the dyke writers. So let’s drop our circuit queen mantels and pick up our lit crit cloaks instead for a day.

Monday

Recover, barbecue, keep the party goin’. Whatever you do just don’t work and let yourself be Labor Gay (ok, just had to beat the dead horse one last time).