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According to PlanetOut, li’l ol’ P-town ranks fourth in lezzie living, behind NYC, LA, SanFran. It beats out the unlikely fifth, Phoenix. And while I am happy to be named by the gay megalith I must disagree on the complete list. Los Angeles, while it seemed promising in so many ways, was really a girly wasteland when I lived there. Granted, this was a few years ago and it could have seemed this way more because anything that the ladies ventured to was 1-2 hours away from, well, anything really. This is the nature of LA, but it does make bar hopping difficult when one dyke punk show is in North Hollywood and the dance club is in Long Beach. The only lesbian anything that existed in LA proper (if there is such a thing) was this caf that was continually closing and re-opening. Then again, this was in the days before The L Word, so perhaps the population has boomed. Keep in mind though, Los Angeles lesbians are still Angelinos, so I wouldnt pack by bags just yet.
I must say, also, that despite the lack of a truly alluring nightlife, Northampton, Massachusetts really should continually make this list. Though Noho may not cater to the 20-something, party lifestyle, there are two groups which it serves oh-so-well. Smith College provides baby dyke college kids with more than enough lesbian culture. So much that it can be overwhelming. So much that no one goes to the campus LBTA because it is almost a given. These ladies then move away to NYC for said 20s and return to the sleepy New England town (if theyre still gay that is) to get married (now literally!) and raise babies that they can put in private school.
PlanetOut seemed to get a few things right but it does beg a revision. Although having lived in both LA and Northampton, I remain proud to call PDX home. And I wouldnt trade it, although SF and NYC might be fun with a hefty wallet. At first I was disappointed that PlanetOut didnt catch some of our more underground queer spots but, after all, this was a lesbian list, not a queer one. And as a Portlander, I can be possessive. Its not such a bad thing to keep our favorites to ourselves is it?
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One summer I lived in Philadelphia and was so poor that I would sell my clothes to Buffalo Exchange so that I could get a carton of ice cream. Nevertheless, the only thing I spent my ever-dwindling cash on that summer was a 10 ticket pass to the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Granted, Portland’s own little screenfest isn’t quite as epic, yet theres nothing quite like the fervor of filmic queerness.
Only two of the scheduled films popped up on my gaydar as familiar, but both of these promise to be worth watching, though on completely different levels. Margaret Cho’s new Assassin shouldn’t be a departure from her usual punchy, omni-queer comedy but that is not to say that our favorite comedienne hag will be any less raucously funny. For the more serious documentary lover among you The Aggressives promises to be a hard and real look into the lives of masculine women of color in NYC. Let’s hope it approaches the subject matter a bit more tactfully than its more famously problematic predecessor Paris is Burning. There’s one last film I look forward to, though I had not heard of it previously. Transamerica, starring Felicity Huffman, (of Desperate Housewives fame) chronicles the experience of a conservative transsexual woman, nearing her surgery, who finds out she has a son from an early sexual encounter as a man.
For the rest of the fest check out the complete schedule.
Besides the projected pleasures, the Portland Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has several opening and closing parties and events that are sure to pique the interest of the boys and girls (and all else).
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Surprise a co-worker or something and find all your celebratory inklings at the Gay News Blog (consequently one of my favorite resources as well…)
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 Central Park Zoo’s famous gay penguin hubby has left his partner of six years for a (younger?) woman who just transferred in from the San Diego zoo. Oh Silo how could you? Poor Roy’s heart appears to be broken as he broods alone while the happy new hetero couple lounges by the pool. No word on who gets custody of their adopted son, Tango, however, the freewheeling teen seems to take after dads, as he has been seen cavorting with other stylish male Emperors about the park.
Well, at least the gay puffins I met at Newport’s Aqarium seem to be toughing it out in counseling… […]
The Mercury today printed an excerpt from Dan Savages new book: The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family. Savage more eloquently expounds upon the clich that “the grass is always greener,” in this case examining the free straight desire for the sexual exploration of a so-called “gay lifestyle” and they gay need for the stability and family life of a “straight” one. Whether or not I agree with all of Savages weekly sexual advice this excerpt feeds my need to examine these lifestyle choices we make and is in that way very satisfying, if not necessarily new to me. Anyway, the excerpt is certainly worth a glance, whether or not the whole book is worth its $25 hardback, off-the-shelf price.
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 You know, Im not really a huge TV watcher. So, Im not entirely sure why the tube seems to come up in this blog rather often. But GLAAD has a great take on this upcoming seasons gay representation. Its broken down by various concise, word-bite, short attention span style articles and then they have lists (with photos!) of the seasons leading, supporting, and recurring queer characters. As flighty as I am, I do love a well put together system. And besides, GLAADs site has always been a stylish information outlet.
Oh yeah, and it seems almost required for lax bloggers to make excuses and provide explanations about any hiatus in the writing. But I dont apologize. I was 3000 miles away. Everybody needs a vacation. How can you fault that? Anyway, I have returned. Resume your reading…
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How did I not even know that our own Pacific Northest neightbor was in the midst of deciding our mixed-blessing, do-we-really-want-it?, marriage fate this weekend? No, actually, we do want, at least to be able get married should we so choose, not least of which bacause of all those benes married folks get, as I’ve said before. The gay news blog highlights an interesting article on how gay folks pay more taxes. Worth a read if you want to feel indignant today.
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Its kinda like wondering what heavily tattooed and pierced people are going to look like when theyre old…What would a gay retirement community in Palm Springs, served up a la lesbian cruisers Olivia, look like? Probably just like Florida, with, perhaps, the occasional better (and worse!) haircut. Hmmm, I think, even when I do approach my golden years, Ill steer quite clear of the gated communities that will sequester me from the real world and sit me in a prison of wealthy gay octogenarians. My baby face will always make me look 10 years younger anyway.
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Remember that ridiculous study that appeared a couple months back (I told you about it here) where they strapped electrodes to 33 bisexual guys’ members and made them watch bad fake lesbian porn and then told them they must really just be gay because they didnt respond? Well, San Francisco Bay Guardian writer Deborah Giattina conducts her own study with a more diverse choice of both film and audience. The verdict. Bisexuals may exist, but are way too cool for that pass term…and for any of yalls crazy studies…
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While picking up some unmentionable holds yesterday I realized that the Central library’s queerness is just one more little bit of Portland that I love. While perusing the highlighted gay section I overheard two men talking about going out. One was in his forties and rather average looking, the other slightly younger, sporting a fauxhawk and extolling the virtues of Porkys Thursday night dance extravaganza Booty. I had to agree. And then, as I wander through the crowds of literary lezzies I stand in line behind a long haired, long legged, tranny with a bare mid-riff paying off her multitude of fines, just like me. Ah, I do so love this town.
Go ahead and check out (ba-dum-ching) the lib’s new online catalog too as they just finished a complete revamp. Now you can search by new DVDs or in a multitude of exciting ways. Ok, I am officially a nerd. But who doesnt appreciate hot gay nerds? Thats what the Multnomah County Library system is really for.
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