Portland Pride 2011 Friday events

Legendary sissy bouncers Katey Red (L) with Big Freedia

Full list of Friday night events: https://archive.qpdx.com/events-this-week/2011-06-17/

Get Primped for Pride – A pre-funk where the goal is to get girly before you go out. Sexy beats by RoyGBiv and manicures from Nailed by Ally at the Eclexion Boutique (825 NW Glisan).

T*Party picnic – This family friendly event is actually one of my faves and a perfect mellow beginning to the weekend. Fill your belly with real food before entering the liquid diet phase amongst trans family and allies. There’s nothing cuter than little kiddos in drag, trust me.

Poison Waters & friends Happy Hour show – Another earlier in the day events means you can cram even more Pride into your Friday as legendary drag diva Poison Waters presents sequins, rhinestone’s, feathers and heels and laughs.

Q Center Concert series Pride edition “Hip to be Q” – Forget square, in this town it’s hip to be queer and this all ages event has an incredible lineup that will surely last hours upon hours. So here’s to hoping the kids these days have attention spans long enough to catch performances by singer/songwriter and rock icon Kaia Wilson, stoner drag twinsies ChiChi and Chonga, sexy Rose City Sirens, and flamboyantly dirty Fannie Mae Darling among others.

CC Slaughters Beach Party Pride – Every year CCs takes the high road and makes sure someone has the parties with the skin. So once again beachwear reigns supreme at this flamin’ Friday Pride kick off. DJ Dougalicious, hosted by Bolivia Carmichaels and shirtless Jager boys passing out goodies.

Black Pride‘s Roll Bounce Skate party – I may have gone to the roller rink every month in elementary school but I never did learn how to shoot the duck. I did, however, listen to a lot of good 70s and 80s jams and in my adulthood I LOVED the triumph that working class Li’l Bow Wow had over those richies in Roll Bounce. Relive that old school magic with a night that’s also overtly gay rather than just unconsciously gay.

Odyssey 2011 Taking Pride in Stark Street block party – Don’t get confused, this is the other Start St block party. It’s kind of a bastard li’l brother, but I’m glad someone is making a fuss about taking pride in what was traditionally the gayborhood and is now mostly a gentrified tourist attraction.

Mr Charming DJs as a cat at Gaycation Pride 2010

Crave‘s Pride Kickoff – This one is for the ladies. And you’ll be swimming in a sea of them as you make your way to the go go dancer enhanced VIP throne. The dance floor may be small, but all the better for girl on girl grinding. And despite the packed intensity it’s a friendly party with good drink specials. Just get there early.

Gaycation! – One of the longest running queer PDX parties, Gaycation is only a gay skip away from Crave so party hopping could be a possibility. But I gotta warn you, the dance floor will be just as packed, even if it is a mite bigger. Guest DJs will be spinnin’, ChiChi and Chonga singin’, and you can even get yer hair did. Butch cuts and fades for life!

Candy Shop‘s Candy Coated Hair Salon and Beauty Shop – I once fell asleep with gum in my mouth as a child and had to spend the entire next day with my mother struggling over the gummy tangles in my hair with peanut butter, so stickiness and hair don’t really sound like they go together to me. But supposedly it’ll be the “swingin-est gay salon in town” and there will be prizes for the Biggest Wig, Craziest and Most Outrageous Weave, Hottest Man in a Towel and performances by a slew of Pride crowned stage mavens. Plus it’s Latino night in Boxxes next door. Jesus that’s a lot goin’ on…

Homo Say Whut? – Two floors of hella gay including DJ Sammy Jo of the Scissor Sisters, Katey Red, Vockah Redu and DJ Beyonda. Sissy bounce is really bringing together urban culture and queerness like nothing else has yet and it’s super exciting. Trans MC Katey Red joins others (like Big Freedia) in showing up everyone’s club night to slide into first as the gayest/transiest dance genre.