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"Love, Commitment, Marriage" Basic Rights Oregon, the state’s largest nonprofit gay and transgender advocacy group, is finishing up a two year campaign educating the public on why marriage matters for all couples. In the next few weeks, there will be television ads featuring both gay and straight couples addressing the importance of the issue. The ads share the idea that committed couples marry for similar reasons, no […] In case you’re sitting at your desk workin’ for the man but wish you were out in the streets protesting, or just want to see what’s going down… (And yes, the irony is not lost on me that we all have to watch, like, Wal-Mart ads before accessing the video). For more real time updates check out the #OccupyPortland hashtag on Twitter. Watch live streaming video from oppdx […] New radio ads designed to reach out to Latino communities about the freedom to marry hit Oregon airwaves this week. The ad campaign also highlights the strong relationship between two statewide, grassroots organizations: Basic Rights Oregon, which advocates for gay and transgender rights, and CAUSA, which advocates for immigrant rights. The ads, which will run on Spanish-language radio in the Portland region for four weeks, tell the stories of Latino families coming to terms with having a gay child, and underscore the importance of family supporting each other. You can listen to the ad (in Spanish) here: [display_podcast] Excerpt from one ad (translated to English): Continue reading »  A Red Dress Party of the past In Vancouver WA (Alley Hector’s hometown!) the YWCA has received a generous donation of $15,000 from this years Red Dress party, (a yearly event in Portland and across the U.S that attracts thousands of attendees, mostly gay men and some women, all wearing red dresses). The YWCA will use the funds to go towards programs that support LGBTQ youth who […]   Darcelle, aka Walter Cole, in and out of drag. Photos from KGW. Sorry for getting this news out to y’all a little late but I was out of commish all weekend. However, last Thursday night 80-year-old drag performer (and Portland institution) Darcelle, also known as Walter Cole, was arrested for allegedly assaulting two Oregon Liquor Control Commission officers. Although the charges have since been dropped an investigation into whether the club Darcelle XV, has been serving minors, is still under investigation. Continue reading »   E Room/Weird Bar owner Kim Davis. Photo by Jamie Francis / The Oregonian When lesbian bar the Egyptian Room threatened to close its doors and instead re-emerged as the “normal-friendly” Weird Bar the community roared. Some supported the efforts of owner Kim Davis, some decried the changes as a lie and a betrayal. Less than a year later it may be a moot point. The weird, lesbian, normal, whatever bar that has existed in SE 37th and Division for 15 years is set to close August 20th with Kim Davis saying, “…we originally were looking to sell when we announced the closing of E-room, but we couldn’t get the value we needed, so we tried something new. We now have an offer we must take.” Continue reading »  Though the 2010 census did not provide a comprehensive ability to show the amounts of queer people living in this country there was some reporting about same sex couples. And the UCLA School of Law’s William’s Institute, which bills itself as a group that advances critical thought in the field of sexual orientation law and public policy, has just released some findings on same sex couples in Oregon. A […]  Sam Adams In a press release issued today by the Mayor’s office Sam Adams has said that he will not be running for re-election, turning the 2012 race into wide open contest. After a soul-searching staycation Adams has come to believe that this choice is better for both the city of Portland and for him personally. He acknowledges that it would be a tough race, though not un-winnable, saying that it would take away too much time from making the city a better place while he is still in office. He also takes some time out to point out what he has done for the city, and to thank those who have helped him along the way. Adams has not endorsed any other candidate, although two have already thrown their hats in the ring, New Seasons co-founder Eileen Brady and former city commissioner Charlie Hales. Last week Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen announced that he will not enter the Portland mayoral race, ending months of speculation. Despite the many trials and tribulations of Sam’s time as chief Portlander I gotta say I will miss having a big gay bike rider in the big city seat. You can read the entire press release after the break and listen to Adams talking with Willamette Week in the podcast player below. Continue reading »   Jack "Macho Slut" Donovan slings mud at SlutWalk, qPDX, women everywhere but he can still manage a sneer An editorial note: Right wing homosexual blogger Jack Donovan (otherwise known as Jack Malebranche) has spent a lot of his summer trying to discredit women who believe that suggestive attire does not invite rape. His histrionic rants are so blatantly misogynistic I’m tempted not to even address them. But he calls out Portland, he calls out individuals that have contributed to qPDX, and he calls out qPDX itself, so how can I not? What strikes me most is his need to consistently ridicule the efforts of self-identified sluts across the US and Canada, even creating a new blog dedicated entirely to cataloging the Slutwalks. He proclaims how useless these efforts are, claiming they wouldn’t benefit the “average woman,” (as if there were such a thing) while simultaneously spending his entire Saturday making “WhOregon” t-shirts. My instinct as a blogger tells me that spending a lot of time railing against the “useless” is particularly useful in increasing his page views. He equates not being taken seriously with rape, but between assault and a bit of mockery, I’ll take the latter. Most of us have learned to deflect hate speech, though that doesn’t afford physical safety. Even I have, on occasion, laughed at the ass crack bearing plumber, but it would sound absurd to suggest that he should have some something hard and painful shoved up his nether regions for the crime of bearing skin. So, of course, I won’t do that. What I will say is that not everyone’s standards of beauty match Donovan’s, and all kinds of people experience sexual violence. I will say that Portland, and any other city, is entitled to have as many parades for “lesbians,” “sluts,” “women,” and any other group, as we want. I will acknowledge that though our writing is not always perfect, our efforts are sincere. And our ability to call each other out and yet work together again in the future may be seen as a weakness, but it is also one of our greatest strengths. And I will give space in this blog to hear from my colleague, Perry Eising, as well as you, the reader, and my whole, diverse queer community, of which even Donovan is, for better or worse, a part. -Alley Perry says please note: the following opinions are mine except where indicated. Continue reading »   Kayla Stone In breaking news from Just Out, it is being reported that 21-year-old Kayla Stone, a musician and activist, was assaulted in downtown Portland in an apparent gay bashing last Sunday July 3rd, according to police. The previous night a group of men had harassed her outside of Embers on NW Broadway and Burnside, calling her “dyke” and following her for several blocks as she left. She fended them off with strong words but when she returned Saturday night the same group recognized her and began beating her without provocation. The only person she remembers very clearly is the one who threw the first punch, a Latino man with a teardrop tattoo by his eye. Stone also says that witnesses did nothing to assist her. Even when she made her way to The Escape, the all ages gay nightclub and a stop on the Q Patrol route, Stone says she was mostly ignored. Stone said two police cars circled the block, but neither stopped to help. Eventually she, Continue reading » |
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