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A weekend with bears, Bent, Big Freedia and Jackie Beat

Big Freedia will make sure the azz is ever'where on Friday

Thursday

Claudia Meza presents New Musics: A Night of Modern Classical and Avant Garde ExplorationExplode Into Color’s Claudia Meza helms this foray into experimental musical hipsterdom. Can queer drummer extraordinaire usher in Portland’s own version of a John Cage era? Tomorrow’s first night of acts including bearded electro-knight Copy, internationally renowned and absurdly prolific sound artist Daniel Menche, and Classical Revolution PDX, who will tackle Philip Glass’ dizzying String Quartet No.5 suggests so.

Cabin Project CD release party – Two experimental music happenings in one night? We are a blessed city. The yearlong “cabin project”  comes together this night to showcase the amazing congregation of cello, synth, drums, banjo, violin, and lots of voices.

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Portland Rescue Mission rejects invitation to co-sponsor coat drive at queer event

Now in it’s 4th year, local drag icon and former Sissyboy Fannie Mae (Jefferey) Darling is putting on a holiday themed performance called Queer Quistmas later this month. This year she decided to add a philanthropic element with a food and coat drive for the homeless. But when she contacted the Portland Rescue Mission, a group that provides food, shelter, recovery and other vital services to homeless men, women and children in the Portland, Oregon and southwest Washington area, she was told they didn’t want her help. Darling transcribed the message for the Mercury below:

Hi Jeffrey. This is Brian Merrell with Portland Mission Rescue Mission. We spoke yesterday, um, about, um, connecting for the, um…queer Christmas event, um, and I just wanted to get back to you and, um, let you know that um, I have ran that up the ladder here and unfortunately, I think we are going to need to respectively decline, um. Let me preface this by saying that we don’t, do not, discriminate services to anyone, either outreach services or recovery services, meals or anything. But we are a faith-based organization and there was some concern with how it might come across to some of our donors. That, so, um, with that we are going to have to respectively decline, although I greatly appreciate what you want to do for us.

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The weekend favors ‘Snowpocalypse’, DB and lots of fun at Hamburger Mary’s

Celestial creatures performs at last year's Snowpocalypse

Thursday

Dirtbag! – My favorite neighborhood party. If you haven’t checked it out by now you must be soooo 2000-late.

Also don’t forget about weeklies like stripper hip hop Drop Shop and Thursdays are Gay at Beauty Bar.

Mary-oke at Hamburger Mary’s – Every Monday and Thursday until the 20th you have the chance to belt your little hearts out in competition for 2 Swarovski martini glasses valued at nearly $400 that will be raffled off. 1 ticket entry for every song you sing means the the brash among us will have the odds. Plus they promise an extensive song collection and $3 call vodka from Pearl.

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Thanksgiving holiday weekend happenings

Milk-n-Hunny Saturday at Red Cap

Whether you are with your biological family or a chosen one, I hope all have a day full of food to be thankful for. I know I’m certainly thankful to live in a city with so much to do, even on a holiday weekend. So use those extra days off!

Wednesday

Lez Stand Up with Kupp! – One of the funniest ladies I know is Kirsten Kuppenbender, with just enough energy to be entertaining without seeming like many ADD-addled comedians.  And when do you need a little humor more than the eve before a day of family gathering with wine-induced arguments and narcoleptic tryptophan napping. With 7 or 8 performers including Nicole Georges and Whitney Streed along with the smooth stylings of DJ Party Martyr this is a night of jokes and stories that will be way better than Grandpa’s.

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Miss Thing Grand Prize winner Sally Ingus Wilder

Host Heklina presents the cash prize to winner Sally Ingus Wilder. Photo by Marty Davis

This Friday saw bunches of queers lined up in front of the Fez Ballroom to see the final drag smackdown at Miss Thing wondering if it was already sold out. Actually it wasn’t, and the hype and attitude was a little intense for an event that ended up having plenty of elbow room. But then again, it was called Miss Thing so I guess I can’t be too surprised.

I also wasn’t surprised by the level of weirdness and amazingness that all the Misses brought to the show. Although the 1st place winner was newbie Sally Ingus Wilder I wasn’t disappointed by any of the competing acts. Second and third places belonged to ChiChi and Chonga and Kaj-Anne Pepper respectively, but I’ve heard more than one grumble that either of these two fierce competitors should have taken the title. Personally, I think Bulimianne Rhapsody had one of the most original pieces.

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A weekend of Andrea Gibson, fat fashion, ‘Primal Cuts’ of meat, ‘Gaylarious’ comedy and the get down

Andrea Gibson performs Saturday at the Q Center (my bad)

Thursday

The good news is that you haven’t missed her, but hopefully no one trudged over to the Q Center last night to see Andrea Gibson on my bad advice. She performs Saturday the 20th. Description below.

Primal Cuts a raucous book release – PDX gays might be known for veganism but I’ve also met a damn lot of folks who have been lured away by the smell of bacon (or, like me, were too hedonistic to ever give up meat in the first place). But just because one is a foodie doesn’t mean one is heartless, so there has also been an upsurge in the discussion of where our animal products come from and how they get to our plates.

This party is in celebration of Marissa Guggiana’s Primal Cuts but I suspect the bigger draw will be the 16 whole animals coming from 3 different farms (all heritage meats), hors d’oeuvres from Salt, Fire & Time and The Ethical Butcher and a Hario Pour-Over Station from Intelligentsia Coffee. Plus all your favorite photobooths and DJs who will then move to the afterparty down the street at Homo-Deluxe.

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Final Miss Thing Pageant will determine ultimate winner

Chi Chi and Chonga at September's Disco Miss Thing. Photos courtesy Just Out

Emerging from an occasionally painful adolescence Portland is finally enjoying the freedom of young adulthood (and college parties, whew!) and there’s no better example of this than our catty but loving drag scene. This year saw one the introduction of a truly well crafted drag competition called Miss Thing and this Friday brings its outrageous finale.

“I think drag has gotten somewhat of a bad name in Portland because there is so much sameness and traditional drag going on,” Co-creator Heklina Heklina has said. “Audiences and performers want to be challenged by ideas—another great thing about Miss Thing. There are no rules—no rules as to gender, what you need to look like or how you dress. All that matters is what you do onstage.”

Not that we’ve ever cared about a bad reputation, but we’re happy that now it’s a thematic, originally bad rep. And it’s all coming to a climax when the year’s best of the best take the stage to win 500 dollars and a trip to San Fran to perform with Trannyshack. And competition is fierce.

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Trans Empowerment Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance

Queer acrobatics from the Collective-of-Geniuses

Events, gatherings and celebrations are already underway for Trans Empowerment Week leading up to this Saturday’s Trangender Day of Remembrance. Today at 6pm on KBOO’s Outloud (90.7FM) Tobi Hill-Meyer and Smitty Buckler will be talking with Sasha about TDR, a day dedicated to day primarily memorializes those lost to hate crimes, it also serves as a forum for transgender communities and allies to raise awareness around the threat of violence faced by gender variant people and the persistence of prejudice felt by the transgender community, trans justice and intersecting oppressions and the connections between violence and the mainstream adult film industry.

Though the TDR may have somber overtones, there are also plenty fun and affirming activities and performances.

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Wear your ‘Sunday Best’ and get ‘Bent’ this weekend

Bulimianne Rhapsody and Melody Awesomeazing host Mrs. this Saturday

If you’re not too busy fighting the crowds at the newly opened international budget fashion boutique H&M there’s still plenty of good nightlife to catch out this wintery weekend.

Friday

BentNopo favorite Bent is back for to squeeze your ass into that tiny dancefloor and do it queer underground style. With guest DJ Il Camino, Jodi Bon Jodi and Roy-G-Biv on the decks turning the Foggy Notion (3416 N Lombard) into the Faggy Nation I swear it will only hurt a little bit. Besides what else will you talk about of Craigslist the nest morning?

Babe Cave For those more inclined to stay in the southeast DJs Lifepartner and Chelsea Starr are bringing the hotties to Holocene (1001 SE Morrison) and when Ms. Star says “crawl back into my cave” you don’t say no. For a hint of the music you can expect check out LP’s mix below.

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‘Homomentum’ is back so grab your ‘Cub’ and get ready to ‘Do the Dark’

Riley and Flo sport matching denim onsies at Dirtbag

Thursday

Weekly or monthly, neighborhood or downtown Thursday is a night for favorites Dirtbag! and Drop Shop. I’ll be swillin’ at the perfect little party that could in one of my favorite just big enough locations on Alberta St. Of course, don’t forget the first night of artsy schmoozing at the exciting and all ages Siren Nation festival, which continues all weekend.

Friday

Homomentum: Rebels & OutlawsThe monthly variety show of thematic queer fabulousness is back from summer break with more mayhem and a new location. Downtown’s Fez Ballroom (SW 13th and Stark) should be a much better venue with more room for watching than last year’s now defunct E Room. I have been especially devoid of Catitude in my life lately and I can’t wait to see what they do with such a rebellious theme. Little Tommy Bang Bang & Slim Pickins, Swagger and the long missed All of the Above, should also have some hilarity mixed with hotness that I just can’t wait for.

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