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Fill your weekend with an Inferno of Madge and Blow Po, comedy, lit and country dance

All the events you don’t want to miss in Portland’s gay weekend. […]


A weekend to use your Party Language and Slutty Heart for Leslie and the Lys, Oscar and more

Leslie and the Lys play at Blow Pony's 5 year anniversary Saturday at Rotture.

Friday

Slutty Hearts cassette release party – I’m not totally convinced of the hipster merits of producing an album on cassette and the only place to play them for me, and most people, is that one roommate’s car that still has a tape deck. But then they get an iPod converter and the party’s over. I recommend snapping a little USB drive in there with digi versions of the songs instead (and, update, it does actually come with a digital download, so there Alley!). But then, I may just not be hip enough. But the Slutty Hearts are. And you can’t complain about the format when you get a free copy with show entrance.  And their brand of rock will bring you back to pure PDX 90s style with all those fond memories and sweaty show spots. And that’s a good thing.

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A weekend of (Feminist) Agendas, (Magic) Mouths, (Blow) Ponies, and local film

Boy Funk makes his Portland debut at Blow Pony

Thursday

Note: The previously listed SistaFist/Magic Mouth show was listed incorrectly as this Thursday. It’s actually next Thursday, which we didn’t find out until this week. qPDX regrets the error.

Feminist Agenda launch party – Feminist Agenda has quietly been creeping onto the scene for about 3 or 4 months now but they’ve finally decided this is the time for their coming out party. A site dedicated to being a directory and resource of feminist activism and organization, FA is helmed by former In Other Words staffers Katie Carter and Amber Rowland. You can read an interview with the dynamic duo from earlier in the week, and stay tuned to hear them on next week’s podcast.

“Ethical Sluthood” a Q&A with Janet Hardy – Portland (well Eugene in this case) queers are more used to polyamory than most but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot to learn. Whether people have been calling Gingrich’s indiscretions an open marriage or polyamory you’d be wrong. That was just plain cheating. So how do we know we’re being fair in a non-monogamous relationship? Some of it is common sense, a lot of it is communication, but many of the “rules” are unfamiliar territory. Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy’s Ethical Slut, has been the go-to guide for polyamory with a conscience since its release in 1997. Now you can actually ask questions about the finer points and maybe even some “what ifs” thanks to new sex toy store As You Like It.

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DJ of the Week — Stormy Roxx

DJ Stormy Roxx

Every week (or so…) we introduce you to a local LGBTQ party DJ and ask them about their experiences in the scene and feature an audio mix they’ve made. If you’re interested in being featured contact alley@qpdx.com.

DJ Stormy has been one of my favorites since the early days of Skervy and Booty, which really ushered me into alterna-queer Portland nightlife. He’s been playing this town for a long time and knows our changing community well. And I have seen a lot of the shifts along with him. A DJ with great energy and a wide array of friends to compliment his style behind the decks, Stormy Roxx continues to play all kinds of parties. This Saturday he plays the iconic, if controversial Blow Pony along with DJs Linoleum, Airick and others.

When & how did you start DJing?

I started DJing cuz i love music, & I just happen to love dancing too! My first attempt at DJing was during Junior year in high school. My buddy & I wanted to DJ one of the school dances. It ended up being kinda high tech in a way… we were playing from cassettes & videos, & I guess a few CDs, but I don’t remember there really being CDs much at that time. We had spent hours building DIY dance lights with a controller board & gathering music & videos. I think we rented a fog machine too. We were excited to bring the whole show! Not long after we started, we blew the speakers. That was that.

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Most read qPDX posts of 2011

These are the parts of qPDX.com that piqued the most interest and caused the most kerfuffle. […]


Don’t Ask Questions this Christmas weekend, it’s Blow Pony and Queerlandia

Merry Christmas all you beautiful queers

Did I mention you have, like, zero days left to get that holiday shopping done? Well, it’s too late for Amazon girl. Better check out the local options in our Holiday Gift Guide.

Thursday

Queerlandia 2012 – I don’t know too much about how this party’s going to be but they’re only planning a total of 5 before the end of […]


DJ of the Week — Kid Amiga

DJ Kid Amiga

Every week we introduce you to a local LGBTQ party DJ and ask them about their experiences in the scene and feature an audio mix they’ve made. If you’re interested in being featured contact alley@qpdx.com.

Kid Amiga is another out of towner who is excited to play for our music and dance-lovin’ city. He takes the decks this Christmas Eve at the indomitable Blow Pony.

When and how did you get started DJing?

Back in middle school, around 93 or 94, I started listening to dance music on my macintosh that i’d found online. They were called “MODs” which were the precursor to MIDI files. (Okay, a little dorky there, but it needs to be said!). It was a lot of music mostly from Finland where that kind of music-making was popular. I fell in love with dance music then and just segued into playing dance music with CDJs some years later.

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Thanksgiving weekend with Tristan Taormino erotica, Just Us! for Monica Taylor, a Peaches Christ Blow Po and an Inferno of women

Have a gay Thanksgiving with this rainbow turkey and be thankful I didn't choose the image of the naked bear as meaty centerpiece

Wednesday

Riot Wednesdays present Riot: RewindDJ Rhienna keeps it real with cross colors early 90s hip hop style so you can go into the holiday season with a fond memories of Christmas music and fashion wishes past.

Thursday

Portland’s young crowd from across the country often doesn’t have family in town or needs a break from family on holidays so nightlife goes on. But this year it seems everyone decided to stay in with wine and tryptophan induced coma. I’m totally ok with that…Happy Thanksgiving!

And for those of you who don’t have plans and are at a loss as to what to do our friends over at Dave Knows Portland put together a list of things to do on Thanksgiving (and Christmas day) every year!

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The Blow Pony controversy and who is allowed to use what words

Blow Pony in the summer of 2010

Our little queer community of Blow Pony organizers, DJs/performers, attendees and others have gotten into a big row this week, and many have been asking me to comment. Truthfully, forming a a clear opinion has been rough. I’m very much still in process about it all, but I do think it is important to address here, so I’m going to start a community conversation. I think it is also important and ok, to admit to having mixed feelings and/or evolve your opinion and I am open to discussion and refutation of my points. I may even change my mind! But I will also acknowledge my process. But this is not about me. It’s about all of us, so mostly I just want to continue the discussion. I want you, as the reader, to feel like this is a safe space to discuss and learn.

In case you haven’t been following some community members voiced concerns that Blow Pony was using the term “tranny.” Many trans and other folks consider this derogatory and there followed a heated argument about who has the right to use it, if anyone does, and who can “reclaim” it, if anyone can.

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A weekend of SugarTown soul outfits, Hard Times Halloweens and a Blow Pony Night of the Living…

Little Tommy Bang Bang during a Halloween of less hard times?

Friday

SugarTown outfit October – So there’s your actual Halloween costume, and then there’s just the Halloween theme itself. You can dress a pumpkin, your house or yourself but this party is a chance to bring out your worst Halloween brooch as much as that ugly Christmas sweater party is. This party is mostly about soul music, a welcome break from dancey pop, but it’s also about fashionable expression. DJ Action Slacks embodies that and the desire to match her enthusiasm for the music, the fashion, the dancing the party inspires me, and I suspect all the ST attendees, into creating an incredibly fun queer night.

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