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  I believe at this point you’re pretty well aware that this blog is gay, I’m gay, Portland loves a gay gay gay. But Happy National Coming Out Day nevertheless. I’ve had other posting priorities but now that the day is here I have some guilt about not mentioning it at all, so here are some links.
Just Out‘s Guide to local Coming Out Day events – Today may be the actual day, but there are celebrations of outness all week long, so if you just can’t handle being flaming enough on a Tuesday, and I have a feeling I might be one of those people, feel free to save the glitterbombing for the weekend.
Join the #CountMeOut campaign – We all know that the most important place to come out is Facebook, ok, maybe Twitter, so the Huffington Post has some very helpful hints on how to gayify your profile pictures, along with their usual heartfelt commentary. Instructions below! (And not their official Facebook page but another local FB-related resource).
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  Thursdays march stretched nearly the entire circuitous route from the Waterfront to pioneer square. Photo by Allison Johnson qPDX contributor Nicole McDonald was part of last Thursday’s Occupy Portland beginnings. These are some of her thoughts and pictures experiencing one of the country’s largest “Wall Street protests.”
Thursday’s Occupy Portland protest and rally was one of the largest Occupy Wall Street protests in the nation with a count of around 5,000 people. I was one of the 5,000 people in attendance at the rally and march because I consider myself to be one of the 99%. I chose to protest because last year I applied for over 200 jobs and it took me seven months to get hired at a job that was more than 6 hours a week. I also chose to protest because although I want to go back to school and finish my college degree, I can’t really afford it and am not sure if getting a degree will pay off in today’s economy. The future looks scary for many people that I know. I have several friends and family members who have been laid off of their jobs or feel unable to leave their current positions because of the economic situation. In Portland especially I think people have been hit really hard with all of these things.
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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 […]
 Lyska Mondor (L) and Alley Hector love each other, and you, enough to do a podcast together. Photo by Ally Picard.
I’ve had it in my head for awhile now that I want to start a podcast. I want you to take qPDX with you wherever you go, on your iPod on the bus, whatever.
Maybe I just like the sound of my own voice (metaphorically) but […]
 Don't mess with journalist Alice Pieszecki...I mean actress and musician Leisha Hailey I may get disappointed, but I’m never terribly shocked, when discrimination happens. What is a little more surprising is when it happens, very publicly, to the famous, influential, beautiful. But it did happen when actress and musician Leisha Hailey was kicked off a Southwest airlines flight for kissing her girlfriend then raising a fuss when asked to stop. Hailey took to Twitter to voice her outrage:
I have been discriminated against by Southwest Air. Flt. attendant said that it was a ‘family’ airline and kissing was not ok…This is an outrage. I demand a public apology by @SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family value. I will never fly this airline….We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No one made her accountable. Since when is showing affection towards someone you love illegal? I want to know what Southwest Airlines considers as ‘family’.
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  Last week's cover of the Marine Times It’s been a long time in the making but my own very non-military-concerned and currently very work heavy life has made me lackadaisical toward tomorrow’s repeal (finally) of the infamous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Luckily, the Portland Mercury is all over the best places in to celebrate tomorrow’s lifting of the ban on gays in the military. I don’t have time to reinvent the wheel with my usual witticisms and bad puns so I will simply copy the information, as well as let you know that Mayor Sam Adams tweeted that he wants you to celebrate with him at city hall.
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  A Day with HIV in America 2010 submission This September 21st is the 2nd annual Day with HIV in America, and they are looking for contributions from you. A project of Positively Aware, a magazine devoted to HIV treatment and wellness, Day with HIV aims to tell the stories of those affected by HIV and AIDS by capturing a collective portrait of those living with the virus.
The magazine is inviting people across America to snap a digital photograph at any time over the course of September 21. Participants can record a portrait, time with friends and family at work or play, or any moment in the day that helps the world better understand life with HIV. Photos are to be submitted by September 26 on the A Day with HIV in America web site or emailed to artdirector@tpan.com. The site has pictures from last year as well as photo ideas and tips.
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 (Mira pagina 2 para español)
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):
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 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 […]
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