PQ Monthly August/September 2015 Edition

INSIDE: Black Lives Matter, Tangerine, Stonewall revisited, Qi, Latino Gay Pride, and much more!

FREE - Vol.3 No.8 August/September 2015 PQMONTHLY.COM

Photo by Dax McMillan

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2 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

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PQ TEAM Melanie Davis

Owner/Publisher melanie@pqmonthly.com

chris Àlvarez

Art Director chris@pqmonthly.com

editorial TEAM daniel borgen

Editor daniel@pqmonthly.com

Leela Ginelle

Regular Contributor leela@pqmonthly.com

Matt Pizzuti

Regular Contributor info@pqmonthly.com

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WHY COMMUNITY MEDIA, AND WHY NOW Every once in a while, the staff and I like to do a little self-reflection; we take stock of the work we’ve done and the work we’d like to do, the subjects we’ve covered and the ones still on the horizon, waiting for us to tackle them. Some of us work other jobs—lovingly referred to as our “day jobs”— and we remain committed to community media for the sheer love of the work. On the regular, I am asked why I continue in the business when I have another full-time job, and so are many of my colleagues. In short, here’s why: Shade Schuler, the 13th known and reported transgender homicide victim in the United States. (There were 12 known trans murders in the whole of 2014.) This year, 11 of those victims have been women of color—including Schuler, who was black—according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. Schuler’s body was so severely decomposed when it turned up in a vacant field along Riverside Boulevard in Dallas, police had difficulty identifying her and even determining her race. Schuler was found Black Lives Matter march, photo from Wiki Commons. dead on July 29, clad in a blue and white tube top, blue shorts, a black wig and pink press-on nails with diamond studs. We work and we write because violence against the trans community is an epidemic, and we must tell trans stories with an urgency; we must keep their lives at the forefront of every conversation.

On page 6, Leela Ginelle talks to some folks from the Black Lives Matter movement. Adrienne Cabouet talks about what it’s like living as a person of color here in Portland, and it would behoove everyone to read her words with an open, earnest heart. Cabouet discusses routine, everyday harassment, how she’s had the police called on her in her own home, how she’ s routinely asked how many children she has, how she’s had her hair and body touched so often on the bus she no longer asks people to stop. She describes being followed by employees during a visit to a Lloyd Center makeup counter, and she reported the incident to a manager—who tried to convince her the employees were “just being friendly.”

Cabouet says she would have welcomed a person speaking up on her behalf, for instance, during any on the incidents she described above. “I would appreciate the back up,” she says. “People don’t listen to me. People make you feel crazy when you speak up as a person of color, because they don’t believe you.” We have many more of these conversations forthcoming; we will be talking to more activists from the movement, and we are

committed to telling these stories whenever we can. Because we have to; they are vital and important.

We’ve recently partnered with the Bi Brigade, in an effort to help minimize bi erasure in our community. This new column will inform the local queer community about upcoming bi+ specific events and resources for bi+ people. It will engage readers by answering questions, offering advice, and featuring individuals of all identities who have benefited from connecting with Portland’s in-person bi+ community. Furthermore, it will work to educate the overall queer community by debunking myths and clearing up misconceptions about bisexuality.

Bi Brigade works to eradicate biphobia and prejudice against bisexuals in all local LGBTQ spaces and conversations to ensure that Portland’s queer community is safe, inclusive, and welcoming to everybody. This is important work, and it is at the heart of our mantra: Every Letter and Every Color, represented.

I could go on and on and write ten thousand words about why community media is vital, but I will let this print issue speak for itself. In it we talk about Stonewall, Latino Gay Pride, a new queer coffeehouse called Triumph; we have compelling columns and community news from the dedicated folks at GLAPN. Queer Intersections, our cover story, will make you think.

The National Equality Publishers Association recently elected their board; Melanie Davis, our publisher, and Jerry Cunningham, publisher of Colorado’s Out Front, will share the title of President. “Our job is to educate, to inspire, to grow and evolve LGBT media,” Davis says. Our staff takes that mission quite seriously.

In her excellent column, “The Dangers of Being Nice,” Sossity Chiricuzio writes: “’I’m not a nice lesbian. I’m a loud freaky outlaw.’ They’d often reply ‘But you are nice!’ and that’s true. Generally speaking, if it doesn’t cost too much, I am nice. There’s a danger, there, though. A danger that women and people of color and poor people and queer and trans folks know all too well. We’re supposed to be nice, and quiet, and emulating the mainstream, and not causing trouble. If we aren’t those things, sometimes even if we are, we can be beaten or used up or killed.”

Let’s all be outlaws—and proud queers—together.

--Daniel Borgen

A SMATTERING OF WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE:

contributing writers

TJ Acena, Marco Davis, Cameron Kude ,Gula Delgatto,Andrew Edwards, Leela Ginelle, Sossity Chiricuzio ,Shaley Howard, Konrad Juengling, Richard Jones, LeAnn Locher, Michael James, Monika MHz, Kathryn Martini, Katey Pants, and, of course, your PQ Editorial Team

ON THE COVER

Life at multiple intersections, Qi...................................................Page 4 How white people can fight racism............................................Page 6 Dine with local celebrities, for a cause......................................Page 9 New queer spaces, Triumph & Euphoria....................................Pages 10-11 Meet the Bi Brigade.....................................................................Page 12 The wildly successful Red Ribbon Show.....................................Page 13

503.228.3139

Support queer art, go see Tangerine.........................................Page 18

proudqueer.com

Get your drink on: Viva Tequila Fest...........................................Page 20 The most interesting woman to ever live in Oregon.................Page 22

THE NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE OF PQ MONTHLY IS RIVENDELL MEDIA, INC. BRILLIANT MEDIA LLC, DBA EL HISPANIC NEWS & PQ MONTHLY.

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We’ve waited a long time for this one. This month’s cover features the activists and brilliant minds of Queer Intersections Portland. Learn all about them on Page 4.

Photo by Dax McMillan, and photo shoot took place at the Jupiter Hotel.

Plus: ID Check, Living Out Loud, The Lady Chronicles, Community News, Emma Sulkowicz and her latest project, Our Midlife Adventure (not Crisis!), Latino Gay Pride, lots from GLAPN, and more! Not seeing what you’d like to see or reading what you’d like to read? Email Daniel@PQMonthly.com.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 3

FEATURE

FORGING A NEW PATH: QUEER INTERSECTIONS PORTLAND media, seeing that people like them exist helps validate their own experiences.

Marriage equality has Young people of color been won, but for many do the same, learning what LGBTQ people marriage it means to be a person of equality is not enough. It’s not color in America. But young enough for LGBTQ people of LBGTQ people of color often color, who face higher rates have trouble finding people of unemployment and houslike themselves, especially in ing discrimination. It’s not Portland. “I found my accepenough for LGBTQ youth, tance through books that had who are dispropor tioncharacters who identified as ately more likely to become gay,” says Madrid. “But I never homeless. It’s not enough found characters who were for undocumented LGBTQ gay, genderqueer, and Mexipeople living in America, can, or undocumented.” who face the threat of being Being youth-led makes detained by U.S. ImmigraQi unique; it’s a small orgation and Customs Enforcenization run by people who ment and subjected to inhu- “I was really responding to the fact that there were so many queer and trans people of color who didn’t feel that they had safe spaces to be themselves, to find out their identities, and have not had a lot of experimane conditions. ence running organizations support each other as young people of color in the city,” says Giovanni Blair McKenzie.

Living at one of these but who have much experiintersections of identities is hard; living at more than one is “I was really responding to the fact that there were so many ence in understanding the challenges faced by the people harder. While Portland becomes more affluent and people queer and trans people of color who didn’t feel that they had they want to help. They live those same experiences. A lot of color push out further to the edges of the city, the people safe spaces to be themselves, to find out their identities, and of experienced people have stepped in to help Qi; Nancy at these intersections have become less visible—but they support each other as young people of color in the city.”

Davis, a local nonprofit management consultant, has been are still here, and Giovanni Blair McKenzie works with Jose Madrid started out as a member while a senior in high advising McKenzie on running the organization, and the Q them. McKenzie is one of them. school, before serving as Deputy Director for a time: “I stayed Center provides fiscal sponsorship for Qi as well as a place In 2012, not yet 20 years old and only having moved to the with the organization because it helped me understand so for the organization to call home. But the leadership of the United States from Jamaica a couple years earlier, McKen- much about my identities and why the intersectionality of group remains young LGBTQ people of color. zie founded Queer Intersections Portland (Qi). The goal was those identities is so important.” Young LGBTQ people find The mission statement for Qi is simple: We advocate to reach out to other people who embody intersectionality. themselves by finding others like them, in real life or in the QUEER INTERSECTIONS page 5

By TJ Acena, PQ Monthly

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FEATURE

QUEER INTERSECTIONS

for, promote the visibility of, and work to build stronger communities for LGBTQ youth & Continued from page 6 young adults with intersecting marginalized identities. The question on their minds is how Qi will accomplish these goals. “A lot of this movement for us has been capacity building and making sure we are being supportive to queer and trans youth,” says McKenzie.

“We’re building something that never existed in the first place.” That process started last year with a series of events called The Portland T, designed to bring together young (under 30) LGBTQ people to discuss the issues they face.

This year Qi worked with Basic Rights Oregon, Equity Foundation, PFLAG Portland Black Chapter, and several other organizations to bring together people in the LGBTQ community for a serious discussion about race. The event was called Portland Uprising.

There were two caucuses, a person of color caucus for people to have honest conversations about their personal experiences in Portland and a white caucus to discuss how to be allies to people of color communities.

“The first thing we really had to do was unpack,” says McKenzie. Participants brought up experiencing racism within and outside the LGBTQ community, feeling silenced for being young, watching LGBTQ people of color leave the city, and the difficulty of talking about race in Portland. “It’s like trying to explain this new concept to everyone and they don’t get it. People get that two women or men can be in love, but they don’t get how being black and being queer is a challenge.

Someone recently told me, ‘I don’t get the intersection of a queer identity and being black.’”

Teresa Nguyen, Deputy Director of Qi, knows this well. They grew up in the Portland Metro area, the child of first-generation Vietnamese immigrants.

“When we talk about things at this intersection: to be queer, trans, a person of color, an immigrant, first generation, to have this dissonance from the diasBut young LBGTQ of color often have trouble finding people like themselves, especially in pora, it’s like talking to a Portland. “I found my acceptance through books that had characters who identified as gay,” wall unless we are talking Jose Madrid says. to other people of color. The racism here is passive-aggressive; it feels like you’re being gaslighted, you suddenly don’t know if your experiences are valid.”

Young LGBTQ people of color don’t just find it difficult to talk about the intersection of sexual identity and race with white allies, but also within their own communities of color.

“Many of these communities,” says Nguyen, “for their own reasoning, only focus on their own insular existence. Qi is not only about challenging whiteness but also complacency that can exist within communities of color, to make spaces for queer and trans youth to be visible.”

This fall Qi is organizing a summit to bring together LGBTQ youth of color to strategize for the next year. “We need to start with the people we’re trying to serve,” says McKenzie. “Far too many times in movements we see people who don’t necessarily represent a community make decisions for it. The goal of the summit is to really understand what’s going on in their lives right now.”

Once that’s done Qi hopes to create a strategic plan with concrete goals to help Portland address the reality for young LGBTQ people of color. McKenzie adds: “I see so many queer and trans people of color with depression and anxiety. When I ask them if they have the proper support system, the answer is usually no. They might not know how to tell you what they need tomorrow if they still need to deal with the realities of what happened to them yesterday and trying to survive now.”

When asked about what changes they would like to see in Portland, the people of Qi have concrete ideas. Madrid hopes that by creating platforms for these youth, it will lay a foundation for greater discussion of issues facing young LBGTQ people of color in Portland, “potentially even within schools,” they hope. “I want Portland to be more accountable,” says Nguyen. “The complacency and complicities in anti-black violence and racism on a physical, social, and emotional scale is appalling.” They say it’s hard not to remember the shooting at Last Thursday in May where Portlanders took selfies by the crime scene and complained about not being able to get to Salt & Straw.

“I want to see a city that stops asking queer and trans youth of color to apologize for simply being themselves,” says McKenzie. “I find myself living in a city where I’m having to apologize for my blackness, or that I don’t identity with gender binary, or that I’m an immigrant, or suffer anxiety, and I don’t want to apologize. I want a city where I don’t have to be anxious about what’s going to be thrown at me next.” pqmonthly.com

Quest Diagnostics is a proud sponsor of AIDS WALK Portland Come join Quest Diagnostics at AIDS WALK Portland September 12, 2015. Be sure to stop by their tent to take a selfie at their photo booth, honor who you are walking in honor/memory of, and get your face painted. Also, don’t miss their en-route scavenger hunt with great prizes More information available at the Quest Booth.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 5

FEATURE

“INTERRUPTING ANTI-BLACKNESS”: HOW WHITE PEOPLE CAN FIGHT RACISM

By Leela Ginelle, PQ Monthly

Cabouet says. “What accelerated the process was finding people like me I could organize with.”

A local group doing this sort of organizing work is the Portland chapter of SURJ—Showing Up for Racial Justice.

For Asher Freeman, organizing with SURJ helped them move past intellectually opposing racism and begin taking action.

“Previously, I spent a lot of time reading and having oneon-one conversations with other white people in an aca-

Black Lives Matter organizer and Portland resident Adrienne Cabouet lives a life painfully inundated by racism.

Cabouet says she’s routinely, and sincerely, asked by white strangers how many kids she has, or whether she works at Walmart. When she moved into her SE Portland apartment complex, one where few other people of color reside, and couldn’t access the laundry room, a fellow resident called the police on her. “For some reason, my pass key wasn’t working,” Cabouet says. “I was standing in the hallway with a laundry hamper, wearing slippers, and someone said I was an intruder.”

Cabouet’s had her body and hair touched so often on the bus, she says, she no longer asks people to stop— which they never do—but instead just stands and moves. After being followed by employees during a visit to a Lloyd Center makeup counter, Cabouet reported the incident to a manager, who tried to convince her the employees were “just being nice.”

For white, liberal Portlanders, overt racism might seem like something from the past, or that happens Photo from a Black Lives Matter march in NYC, photo from Wiki Commons. other places, but not here.

Cabouet contends, however, that what she’s endured—the demic way,” they say. “I profiling, criminalizing and gaslighting—happens every found myself drawn to day to people of color. And she’d like white people to help learning the language put an end to it. and not making mistakes.

Like many anti-racism activists, she’s put out a call for Looking back, I felt like white people to talk to other white people about racism, that drive made me comto use their privilege to help eradicate racial discrimina- plicit in white supremacy. tion. “When I picture it happening, it’s like interrupting In joining SURJ, I wanted anti-blackness,” Cabouet says. “We live in a society that to take risks.” doesn’t value blackness. That criminalizes blackness.”

Fellow SURJ organizer Cabouet says she would have welcomed a person speak- Joslyn Baker also joined ing up on her behalf, for instance, during any on the inci- from a desire to be actively involved in anti-racism work. dents she described above. “I would appreciate the backup,” “As a white woman, I felt aware of my own privilege as long she says. “People don’t listen to me. People make you feel as I can remember,” Baker says. “SURJ has filled a need for crazy when you speak up as a person of color, because they me to be with like-minded white people, who are willing don’t believe you.” She noted she related to the recent Daily to be uncomfortable around this topic.”

Show sketch in which African-American correspondent JesBaker and Freeman both agree that shaming white sica Williams hired a “Helper Whitey”—a white man who people who make racist statements is not an approach repeated exactly what she said in social situations, and was they favor, preferring instead to meet others where they are understood and taken seriously by the white people she on the matter, and attempt to broaden their perspectives. came across, in a way the comedian wasn’t.

“When people say things that are racist, I try to underCabouet understands it can be difficult at first to talk stand,” Baker says. “I try not to debate or argue. I say, ‘I’m about racism publicly. She describes herself as a “recover- not sure I understand. Can you explain?’” ing black friend,” who used to laugh at racist jokes in order “Racism is in the air we breathe as white people in the to go along with her largely white peer group in school. She U.S.,” Freeman adds. “It helps to recognize it’s in all of us. also notes the phenomenon of “white fragility,” the manner Sometimes I just attempt to reframe something a person in which white people display discomfort and denial when says. If they’re commenting about African Americans in a the topic of racism is raised, in order to maintain the unspo- criminal context, I might say, ‘Huh, as a white person, I’ve ken equilibrium of white racial dominance in our culture. never had that kind of experience with a police officer.’”

“It took me years to become confident interrupting With time, interrupting racism in this way can come racism, and say, ‘That’s fucked up,’ when it happened,” to feel like a calling, Baker says. “Meeting people now

who see the protesters in Ferguson and say, ‘I don’t see why they’re so mad,’ I say to myself, ‘Oh, this is an opportunity. That was an invitation.’”

SURJ runs on a cohort model. Members who join the cohort attend one three-hour meeting a month and agree to participate in one racial justice event monthly, as well.

Freeman says SURJ is focused on assisting, and following the lead of, people of color-led racial justice organizations.

Currently the group is lending its energies to the Portland Parent Union, an organization focused on addressing racial disparities in discipline practices within Portland Public Schools. It’s also seeking to assist the breakfast program started by the Portland chapter of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party.

Freeman says they’re grateful for the sense of agency they find through organizing. “One thing groups like SURJ do is take the identity of white, anti-racist organizers and make that available to white people, so that the only response to being white, with regards to racism, isn’t guilt or shame.”

Baker encourages white people to remember that, while talking about or interrupting racism may be uncomfortable, it’s safe. “White people can choose to tag out of these discussions whenever we want, and we go back to just being white. It’s a luxury,” she says, adding with a laugh, “As a white woman who’s 49, I have a lot of privilege. The worst thing I can be called is ‘bitch,’ and I’ve been called ‘bitch’ so many times.”

Cabouet recommends white folks organize with others in groups like SURJ or Ferguson PDX, both of which collaborate with Black Lives Matter. “It’s good just for your emotional outlook, because the immediate aftermath of raising your consciousness is alienation, unless you find people to support you.”

She also implores people not to reflexively ostracize or “unfriend” family members or friends who express racist sentiments. “It’s important not to give up on other white folks,” she says. “If you say, ‘Forget it. You’re too racist,’ you’re making us have to deal with it.”

Cabouet identifies as African, an identity she says helps her reclaim self-definition. “Blackness is an identity that was given to us,” she says. “It’s not who we are,” a point she says is encapsulated in the famous Malcolm X quote, “A cat can have kittens in an oven, but that don’t make them biscuits.”

Freeman says they organize from a need to respond to the injustice they feel around them. “I’m personally impacted by the racism around me, and that I don’t want to be complicit in, like the church burnings,” they say.

“That’s why I do the work. It’s not charity work. It affects my humanity.”

Cabouet says the work of fighting racism eventually becomes a reward in itself. “Just keep building relationships with other organizers,” she suggests. “Be outside the system and constantly judging it. The more you do it, the more you’ll want to do it. Once you reach a certain level of consciousness, you never go back.”

For white, liberal Portlanders, overt racism might seem like something from the past, or that happens other places, but not here.

Cabouet contends, however, that what she’s endured—the profiling, criminalizing and gaslighting— happens every day to people of color. And she’d like white people to help put an end to it.

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FEATURE

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 7

FEATURE

VOICES

LIVING OUT LOUD Some Ask: “What’s the Difference Between Dating Men and Women?”

By Kathryn Martini, PQ Monthly

In a recent column, I addressed the complicated issue of online dating for a single, bisexual lady. Since that publication, I met a lovely, also bisexual woman, and we’ve been dating exclusively since. No, we didn’t meet on Tinder; we met the old-fashioned way, through a mutual ex-boyfriend. No, I’m not going to announce that we’re moving in and adopting a cat together. As good fortune has it, I already have a cat and she owns a Subaru, and after two years of dating men, I’m happy to report that the Lesbian Recruiting Board reinstated my card to good standing.

Akin to when I was married to a man and then dated women, and then after I was married to a woman and began dating men, the ubiquitous questions resurfaced: “So, what are you now?” and “Does this mean you don’t like guys anymore?” and my favorite, “What’s the difference between dating a man and a woman?”

I used to say there aren’t differences because people are just people and relationships are what they are with all the baggage and issues that come with them. But since taking nearly a year off of not dating anyone at all, I spent quite a bit of time pondering relationships and not only what kind of partner I would someday want, but also the kind of partner I wanted to be.

As common with most people following the end of a relationship, I was quite broken. Not just heartbroken, but socially and financially as well. It takes a bit of time to reassemble when it falls apart, and while it’s in pieces is not the best time to seek out new partners (I learned this the hard way.)

By taking the time to re-build my foundation and my core self, I was able to put myself out there as a whole being, which allowed me to see things, I believe, a bit clearer. And during that time of reflection, I never disallowed either gender as a potential-future-partner.

I am wholly bisexual—with an equal propensity and attraction for both men and women: emotionally, physically, psychologically and sexually. I understand this is a scary and unappreciated concept for a lot of people, especially within the queer community for a myriad of social reasons. I didn’t come to this insight without a bit of trial and error, consideration, self-doubt and wondering—a lso, t he knowledge that identifying as a feminine bisexual woman has benefits: I can seam

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lessly move bet ween t he two worlds, and that awareness is something I consider and respect. I use my privilege for good.

There are so many elements of love that it’s impossible to try and parse out each little nuanced difference: why we don’t have a lexicon of words for love, I do not know.

We flirt with romantic love when the curtain opens and an invitation is extended: we choose to walk through or our fear keeps us at bay. If we are enticed enough to acquiesce, we are swept into a relationship, and whether that partnership is with a man or a woman carries its own unique, yet equitable attributes. My vision is through my experience, identify and attractions and are not the same as someone else’s. I fully admit that my preferences are somewhat gender biased and my personal brand is ever shifting.

I have personal pros and cons to dating men or dating women, and despite the most obvious ones, most of the differences are unremarkable, because either gender can do almost anything.

When I date a man, he will generally carry heavy objects: like luggage and firewood. He will install air conditioners, clean out drains, fix doors, take down the tent, change the bulb in my headlight, and come home with only half of the things on the grocery list. He will snore, and is sometimes hairy in weird places. He holds the door, drives, and pays for drinks when we go out.

He looks after me.

When I date a woman, my wardrobe doubles, and if I’m lucky, my shoe collection doubles as well. She brings me coffee and water and pours me a glass of wine while telling me how pretty I am. Her body fits exactly next to mine when we sleep and we understand all of the emotional parts of being a woman that women know.

We understand one another’s bodies, we have our periods at the same time, and our house is clean. We argue about who is going to drive, and we always have toilet paper.

There is no paucity for gender norms, but they all are in constant flux and shape shifting as each day passes: manufactured, yet still important, however archaic. It’s up to me to decide when and with whom I share my life and how I choose to execute those decisions. And what I’ve decided is to just love, in whatever form it is at the time.

Kathryn Martini is a writer in Portland, Oregon.

She can be reached through her website at kathrynmartini.com. pqmonthly.com

QUEER CULTURE

NEWS VOICES

EMBARK ON A STREET FOOD ADVENTURE, OR DISH WITH DARCELLE! The enduringly popular Our House Dinner Series is well underway now, providing dinner-going do-gooders a glorious season of mouthwatering menus and stimulating conversation. The appeal of this ongoing series is multifold: a limited number of seats at intimate and unique environs, hosted by and with some of the most interesting people in Portland, all to benefit a pioneering community resource. And, if you’re new to town or looking to expand your circle of friends, these dinners are a fantastic way to meet fascinating new folks.

And, with a variety of price points (from $30 to $150), there’s a meal or three to suit your budget, and your favorite cuisine. Think Hawaiian, Southwestern, Eastern Mediterranean, Asian, Latin American, French, Italian, German, Vietnamese, Southern, and more. The themes are just as diverse: A “Soulful” Sunday Brunch, Roaring ’20s Bash, Wine Tasting Garden Party, a Sauvie Island “Sizzle & Cycle,” a Soup Night, a Street Food Adventure, Art in the Pearl, A Swiss Christmas Revisited—there’s something for pretty much everyone, and something to take your palate well into spring 2016. (And almost every dinner offers vegetarian options upon request.)

All dinner proceeds go directly to Our House, founded in 1988, to support low-income people in our community living with HIV/AIDS, including health care, housing, and other vital services. Since its founding, Our House has expanded services that now range from regular in-home visits by clinical staff to 24-hour residential skilled nursing services. As the health of a resident or client improves or declines, Our House is able to continue to provide services within its continuum of care. Current programs and services include Our House, Neighborhood Housing & Care Program, Esther’s Pantry, and Tod’s Corner.

Here’s a sampling of the sorts of events that are sure to whet your whistle: Dining & Dishing with Darcelle & Dunn, Sunday, August 3 at 3 p.m.: Admit it, you’ve been looking for a reason to dust off your favorite wig and get all gussied up. Here’s the perfect occasion, as Darcelle XV, her partner Roxy, and former Our House board member Barbara Dunn celebrate the beginning of autumn on Darcelle and Roxy’s lovely deck in their historic Eliot neighborhood Victorian home. You’ll indulge in cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres and laugh at Darcelle’s wickedly funny anecdotes. Darcelle and Roxy hold the distinction of having hosted a dinner in the first year of Dinner at My House for Our House. Now that the dinner series is in season 23, take the opportunity to reflect on the history of this beloved fundraiser among the great fashion (and drag) sense of these Portland celebrities.

All Lei’d Up, Hawaiian Style, Thursday, September 10, 6 p.m.: Island life comes to the Pacific Northwest as the partners of Pride Financial Partners whip up a Hawaiian pqmonthly.com

extravaganza! Robert Kennedy’s large and open ranch-style home has loads of deck and yard space for this Hawaiian-themed summer luau party, in the heart of Portland. Your feast includes ribs, chicken, pork, pasta, fruit, salad, and rice.

To quench your thirst, plenty of Mai Tai punch and non-alcoholic drinks are available.

In addition, there will be music, Hawaiian dancers, fire dancers, demonstrations of Hawaiian history and culture, and much more. Catch a wave of fun that washes over a gorgeous garden setting with torches flickering and island music filling the air.

Embark on a Street Food Adventure, Saturday, September 12, 5 p.m.: Portland’s food carts are casual, traditional, and gourmet, and you’ll experience all three in this nod to the adventurous spirit they inspire. Watch and taste as nearly a dozen delicious street foods from around the world are prepared in one location just for you. Vietnamese seafood pancakes, Oaxacan lentils and plantains, Russian blinis, and all-American ribs are just a few of the interesting and tasty bites that await you. With international beer or wine in-hand, and heavenly desserts including seasonal gelato served up, you’ll marvel at the chic Northwest-inspired design of marketing company North’s offices, designed by SkyLab Architecture, the same people who designed Departure and Doug Fir. Clean lines, vaulted ceilings, and a floating conference room are wrapped in honey-colored wood, delicate light fixtures, and retro textiles. It’s a fabulous opportunity to peek at a creative space not many ever get to see.

Boozy Brunch and Comedy Show, Sunday, September 20, 12 p.m.: Grab your buddies for a boozy brunch and comedy show at the new Bit House Saloon. Master Barman Jesse Card (formerly of NE’s Knock Back) will serve up Bloody Marys and Mimosas while you grab a tasty breakfast sandwich (other cocktails will be available for purchase). You’ll experience the hilarious slate of local standup comics, including Gabe Dinger, Amy Miller, Bri Pruett, Sean Jordan, Whitney Street, Caitlin Weirhauser, Brian Nickerson, and Trevor Thorpe. This is also a great opportunity to experience the new Brit House Saloon (which just opened this summer), which extensively remodeled the space formerly held by longtime Portland staple, East Bank Saloon. Don’t miss the chance to network with other young professionals at this casual, fun, and hilarious event.

Many of the more than 70 (!) events have already sold out, so don’t delay— browse the series and reserve your seat at the table today. Regardless of your pick(s), you’ll want to take advantage of these oneof-a-kind events, presented by gracious hosts throughout the area. You can browse the events online at Our House’s website: http://www.ourhouseofportland.org/dinner-series. Get cultured, and support an amazing cause while doing it!

—Daniel Borgen

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 9

NEWS FEATURE

QUEER CULTURE

EUPHORIA AND PORTLAND’S EVER CHANGING QUEER NIGHTLIFE

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For several weeks there’s been a buzz going on about changes at Branx/Rotture— the industrially-set venue for Blow Pony with a name we weren’t always sure we could pronounce. The jet black two-story building on 315 SE Third h a s n ow b e c o m e Euphoria, the result of a recent remodel led by Rotture/Branx program manager Samuel Thomas and introduced to the world (in not-quitefinished form) at a grand opening event July 24. While he was busy laying the final touches on the project, Thomas offered PQ Monthly a quick l ow d ow n o n t h e changes underway.

PQ Monthly: How did you end up in this position of turning Branx/Rotture venue into Euphoria?

Samuel Thomas: I’ve been working at Rotture/Branx as the program manager for a while now and really got to know the owner, Mike, and discuss the future of the space, where he wanted it to go and where I wanted to see it. Eventually he took me up on my offer to become partners and make a new, safe, queer space.

PQ: What do you envision for the venue’s look and feel after the remodel is complete?

Thomas: Very retro. I want people to walk in and feel like they are back in the late 70s/early 80s Manchester scene, or Studio 54, it’s a minimal black & gold style accented with LED lighting that will change depending on the event.

PQ: Is there anything about the pre-remodel space you felt bittersweet about getting rid of?

Thomas: The chandeliers above the Rotture bar! I love them, they felt so iconic... but because they felt iconic I knew they had to go, otherwise people would just think it was still Rotture.

PQ: Okay, now what from the old venue were you the most eager to rip out and redo?

Thomas: I was so excited to get rid of the bathrooms & redo the stage... it was time to

give a full update to both those spaces, and they are both nearly complete now!

PQ: What kind of new events do you hope to bring to Euphoria or who do you hope will take advantage of the space?

Thomas: More underground dance music, national drag & DJ talent, and definitely more activism-oriented events.

We also have some established acts (like Peep Show) that are moving over and joining our new venture.

PQ: Has the process gone on mostly as you expected? Were there any unexpected hurdles?

T h o m a s : I f by expected you mean seat of my pants, then yes. I literally came to an agreement with Mike the end of June and then we had 3 weeks to get enough of the remodel done to open in time for Blow Pony, that was a scary rush but we made it. Now we are working on finishing the remodel, getting the entire place properly staffed and letting people know we are open, safe and very queer.

PQ: Throughout this process you’ve been asking the community for support.

How much have crowdfunding or donations contributed to the process?

Thomas: None! This was all done through a partnership with the previous full owner, my amazing fiance (Jason Staats of the Where to Eat Guide) and a single private donation. That being said, we definitely have a lot more work to go so if people don’t necessarily want to come out and drink every night I am open to taking donations.

PQ: Is there anything else you want the community to know about you or about Euphoria?

Thomas: That we are open! Currently 7 nights a week starting at 9 p.m. (except for Sunday t-dance, when we open at 4 p.m., and Monday we open at 8 p.m.), once we build enough of a core crowd I hope to be open starting at 4 p.m. every day. We are a safe space to grab a drink and that we welcome all aspects of our LGBTQ community.

PQ Monthly is published the 3rd Thursday of every month. Please contact us for advertising opportunities.

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VOICES

QUEER CULTURE

TRIUMPH: YOUR QUEER COFFEEHOUSE

By Cameron Kude, PQ Monthly

When I was 16, my family moved from the suburbs of Southern California to a part of Long Beach known as The Gayborhood. Right around the corner from our new residence was a coffee shop called Hot Java. All of the baristas and most of the clientele were queer; the owners were two gay men and a lesbian. LGBTQ literature, books and newsletters were scattered throughout the busy shop, and fliers for drag shows and dance parties cluttered the café’s community bulletin board.

I was very fortunate to have such a colorful influence in my life during those bitter years that brought George W. Bush into his second presidential term. The rainbow flag flew high on that corner above the coffee shop, which sat triumphantly at my major cross streets for years before I even came out of the closet. Hot Java was more than a gay café. It was where I first heard people proudly describing themselves as “queer,” and it was an invaluable resource on my journey to self-discovery and acceptance.

Fast forward to 2015. I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost a decade now, and I still miss having a place like Hot Java to hang out at. As a community organizer, I know how rare it is to find gathering spaces that are both comfortable and queer friendly, especially those that are welcoming to all ages and that aren’t centered around partying and alcohol.

Walking into an establishment where you’re certain to be sur-

pqmonthly.com

rounded by other queer people is typically limited to gay bars.

When I heard last month about the opening of Triumph Coffee, a new queer café in Southeast Portland, I wasted no time becoming their most enthusiastic customer. Last week, I sat down with Emily Kerkstra, owner of Triumph Coffee, to talk about her new business for PQ Monthly.

PQ: Thanks for chatting with me, Emily! Tell me about your vision for Triumph Coffee.

Emily Kerkstra: Triumph is a neighborhood coffee shop that is also very queer friendly. My vision for Triumph is a community space for all different kinds of people to meet, work together, and socialize. I also envision this space having a lot of avant-garde art, because that’s my background. It’s something that I can’t seem to find in Portland outside of certain festivals like TBA: truly bizarre art.

PQ: Speaking of queer community spaces and bizarre art, the Radical Faerie community has been meeting at this location for a very long time. What kind of role did the Faeries have in bringing this new café into being?

Kerkstra: The Radical Faeries organized themselves in order to back me in opening Triumph. A few of them also donated a huge amount of time and energy into remodeling the space. The Faeries continue to meet here every Saturday morning, which is a cornerstone of my business. They bring fantastic energy into the space every week and we love it.

PQ: The new space is so warm and inviting. It seems obvious to me that a lot of love went into the remodel. I’ve been really inspired by the queer atmosphere cultivated here each Saturday. The Radical Faeries just hang a rain-

bow flag in front and poof! The café magically becomes filled with fae. It’s why I helped start a weekly meet-up for Bi Brigade at Triumph on Sunday afternoons (1-4 p.m.).

I love the idea of all kinds of subgroups in the queer community finding different times to meet at Triumph. If a trans group or an asexual group, for example, wanted to organize a time to meet regularly in this space, how should they arrange that?

Kerkstra: Groups who would like to meet at Triumph Coffee just have to email me and we can discuss the details, and our email is triumphcoffeepdx@gmail.com.

PQ: What are some policies for groups who would like to meet at Triumph?

Kerkstra: Policy for groups who meet at Triumph is that they need to be making a conscious effort to include women, people of color, genderqueer people, and trans people. We just ask that they adhere to basic safer space policy.

PQ: Do you have any additional plans for the space?

Kerkstra: We’re looking forward to some new outdoor seating soon! The location (SE 12th and Ash) is great for people-watching and sipping on some iced coffee while soaking up the sun.

Triumph, located at 201 SE 12th Ave., is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekends. If you like good coffee and tea, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, sweet and savory pastries, bizarre art and music on vinyl, and being surrounded by rad queers in a comfortable and casual space, then Triumph is clearly the café for you.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 11

MEET THE BI BRIGADE FEATURE

By Cameron Kude, PQ Monthly

in-person bi+ community. Furthermore, it will work to educate the overall queer community by debunking myths and clearing up misconceptions about bisexuality. Bi Brigade works to eradicate biphobia and prejudice against bisexuals in all local LGBTQ spaces and conversations to ensure that Portland’s queer community is safe, inclusive, and welcoming to everybody.

It’s been said that Portland, Oregon is the most bisexual city in America. Our city doesn’t have a “gay neighborhood” per se, but its quadrants are so queer that there’s five of ‘em. Portland is famous for its bounty of bridges, all of which go both ways. Androgyny is an honored aesthetic in this town; it’s common for our women to have hairy armpits and for our men to wear skirts to brunch. Oregon’s goverWhat is Bi Brigade? nor, Kate Brown—the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ poliBi Brigade started in the spring of 2014 in response tician in U.S. history, is an out-and-proud bisexual woman. to some awful advice given to bisexuals by straight and Last year we opened a cuddling store, for crying out loud. gay sex columnists. Emily Yoffe, also known as Dear PruBut it’s not just our cultural quirks and the lovely readers dence, advised a young woman just beginning to open of PQ that are queer. up about her bisexYear after year, the u a l i t y t o re m a i n results of Portland closeted. She comMercur y’s annual pared the woman’s sex sur vey prove sexual orientation just how bisexual to a kink and said this place really is. that, because she is In 2007, 17 percent monogamously marof respondents to ried to a man, her the survey said they orientation was irrelwere bisexual. It evant to the people jumped up to one i n h e r l i f e. D e a r out of five the folAbby told a bi reader lowing year, and the that announcing her national average bisexuality would be for bi+ identity isn’t You’re not alone, and Bi Brigade is here to answer your questions and address your concerns. Join the conversation today. a mistake because even one in a hunit might be seen as dred! Four years ago, almost half of respondents to the announcing that she was “available.” Don’t even get me Mercury’s sex survey admitted to having had a same-sex started on the decades of bad advice Dan Savage gave his bi encounter. Try to keep that in mind the next time you see readers. Although the famed gay sex columnist has gotten that ambiguous sex god/dess you’ve never quite been able better about his awareness of bi+ issues in recent years, it to peg flipping through the pages of the Mercury. does not, in fact, “get better” for many bi people.

Bi+ folks, we know it isn’t easy to find each other, even Some bi+ friends and I decided that enough was enough, though you abound in this town. People will generally and that bisexuals needed access to a community of likeassume you’re either straight or gay based on what you’re minded people to turn to for advice and insights. We were wearing, where you’re drinking, or who you’re dating. Bi fortunate to be able to turn to each other for advice, and erasure is a bummer, but there’s a group of Portlanders on we knew how lucky we are to live in a city with that sort of a mission to turn that trend around. in-person bi+ community. Because most bi+ people lack PQ Monthly is proud to present Bi Brigade (bibrigade.org), that kind of support, we invited bisexuals everywhere to your newest resource for Portland’s in-person bi+ commu- join ours. nity. PQ is teaming up with Bi Brigade to bring our “B”s regA few of us started a website and put out a call for subular content written specifically for all of Portland’s beautiful missions. The idea was for bi+ people with varying experibisexuals. This new column will inform the local queer com- ences and perspectives to come together and put in our colmunity about upcoming bi+ specific events and resources lective two cents in response to submissions. The advice we for bi+ people. It will engage readers by answering ques- would offer would be an ongoing conversation, instead of tions, offering advice, and featuring individuals of all iden- misinformed—and often harmful—opinions from so-called tities who have benefited from connecting with Portland’s sex, love, and relationship experts. We filmed our response

to the first submission we received and put it on YouTube.

A few bi+ organizations helped promote our website and The Advocate published a feature on Bi Brigade. After a short surge of engagement, submissions stopped coming in and Bi Brigade’s website lapsed. We were all volunteers and we didn’t have the time or resources to properly promote or maintain the site. For a short while, Bi Brigade seemed like a thing of the past... but our local bi community kept on growing, becoming more active and visible.

Now, in addition to the two monthly events that have been ongoing for years, Portland’s bi+ community has a weekly Sunday coffee meet-up that’s open to all ages. Members have been planning bi+ bike rides, bi+ takeovers, and various other bi+ themed events. Bi Brigade has now marched in Portland’s Pride Parade for two years in a row, and the group is now affiliated with a national bi+ social network (amBI).

Over the past few months we have had so much expansion in our local bi+ community that we resurrected the Bi Brigade name and website to consolidate all our activity! There are so many new bi events springing up that we can hardly keep up.

Bi Brigade’s website now has a calendar that will keep Portland up-to-date on all of our events. There’s something for everybody, and if you want to create your own event there’s a way for you to do so. We now have enough organizers who have volunteered their time, skills, and resources to keep Bi Brigade alive and active. On our website you can find an organizers page that profiles some of the wonderful folks who have taken part in Bi Brigade’s creation and revival. And now, thanks to PQ, Bi Brigade will come directly to readers each month.

True to Bi Brigade’s roots, this monthly column will offer collective advice, insights, and resources for bi+ people wherever PQ is available. The column will be reblogged on the Bi Brigade website for bi+ folks everywhere. It will help local bi+ people find each other and stay connected by profiling our various events and community members.

Bi Brigade aims to demonstrate how diverse and beautiful the bi+ community can be.

Proud queers of Portland, consider this a call for submissions. You may not be ready to dive in headfirst by attending the next bi social gathering, and we realize you might have reservations about identifying as bi+ or connecting with other bi+ people. You’re not alone, and Bi Brigade is here to answer your questions and address your concerns.

Join the conversation today.

Send your submissions to bibrigade@gmail.com.

Visit bibrigade.org to stay connected with Portland’s bi+ community.

Check PQ Monthly for future installments from Bi Brigade.

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QUEER CULTURE

RED RIBBON AND ITS FAR-REACHING LEGACY

By Daniel Borgen, PQ Monthly

On August 29, 2015, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Willamette Empire (a 38 year-old Sa l e m n o n p rofi t LG BT organization), Adrienne Alexander returns from beautiful will host the Las Vegas for this year’s Red Ribbon Show. “8th Annual Re d R i b b o n Show” in Salem at the Red Lion Hotel. This annual event, the mid-Willamette valley’s largest annual HIV/AIDS charity event, established in 2008, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for a variety of local HIV/ AIDS organizations across the Northwest.

We had a chance to chat with the fundraiser’s architect, Jonathan Reitan, about this year’s—his last—extravaganza (note: the show will continue, Reitan’s involvement will not): PQ Monthly: I’ve seen you, in the past, post some stories on Facebook about what has inspired you to do this work over the years. What or who has been your biggest inspiration?

Jonathan Reitan: My inspiration behind the Red Ribbon Show came as a way for me to give back to the HIV/AIDS community that gave so much to myself after I tested HIV positive. The HIV poz “elders” who taught me more about meds and taking care of myself then any doctor ever has. The people who in the 1980s and 1990s raised funds for our first AIDS organizations while at the same time burying their partners and friends. These people often had so little, had to fight the hardest, overcame so much for us to have what we have today.

PQ: The questions on a lot of peoples’ minds—why the end, and why now?

Reitan: As someone who never gives up, it was hard for me to make the decision to move on from running the show and pass on my duties to a new committee. In 2009, when I hosted the 2nd annual event, I was very sick and in the advanced stages of AIDS. I wanted the event to be bigger than the year before and I let my health suffer because of it. As I look back, I realize how stupid that was and that if I don’t ever give up some responsibility then there’s no stopping me letting the Red Ribbon Show completely consume my life. We have enough new volunteers and committee members now for me to let the reigns go so that I can focus on my own life and health for once, and let some fresh ideas and new faces take charge.

PQ: What evolution have you seen in our community’s response to HIV, and how pqmonthly.com

FEATURE FEATURES

has stigma changed, in your perspective?

Reitan: It’s obvious that after 35 years, advancements in medicine, treatments, education and awareness have evolved to where people are living longer, more services are offered and more people are getting tested; however the fear and stigma is still there, and it might always be. No one wants this disease, it’s a scary thing, and it just takes people like myself to stand up and say, “I’m no different than you but here’s how I can help you understand HIV, how to live with it and how to avoid getting it.”

The 8th annual Red Ribbon Show includes a variety show featuring drag queens from as far as Las Vegas, Seattle, Ohio, Boise, and Sacramento, as well as a live auction and silent auction featuring vacation packages, original artwork, gift baskets, winery tours, hotel stays and “Nights on the Town” packages and much more. This event will also feature information tables from nearby HIV/AIDS organizations offering services in the Marion County area.

This year’s beneficiaries are HIV Alliance and Oregon AIDS Memorial.

HIV Alliance provides support, advocacy, referral services and emergency financial assistance to people living with HIV/ AIDS in Salem (Marion County) as well to those living in Lane, Coos, Curry, Josephine, Douglas, Lincoln, Lake, Jackson and Klamath counties.

The Oregon AIDS Memorial, Inc. organization is working to build a memorial to honor Oregon’s men, women, and children who have died from AIDS, as well as commemorate and celebrate the efforts of the caregivers and activists who responded to fight the disease, and to recognize the ongoing crisis.

This year’s event has already raised over $22,000 for the beneficiaries through online fundraising, sponsorships, and online auctions.

“I’m very proud to say that our event grows by the year, our entertainment line-up gets better and better and our charities go home with more money than the previous year. However, our fight is not over.

We still do not have a cure for this disease.

Our young people are still testing HIV positive and our older generation of AIDS survivors are still dying. The Red Ribbon Show is about entertainment and fundraising, but it’s also about educating the community about HIV, supporting those living with it, and remembering those no longer with us,” says Jonathan Reitan, founder and producer of the annual Red Ribbon Show.

The public is invited to attend the all-ages show and auction on Saturday, August 29 at the Red Lion Hotel (3301 Market St. NE) with a $10 cover. Doors open at 5pm, silent auction starts at 5 p.m., and entertainment starts at 6 p.m.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 13

VOICES

Photo by J Tyler Huber.

EMBODY The Danger of Being Nice

By Sossity Chiricuzio, PQ Monthly

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A word can be a weapon, a cage, a map.

It can be an embrace, or a beating. It can move us forward, or reverse progress.

I remember the Newsweek “Lesbians” cover in 1993. “Coming out strong” was juxtaposed with “What are the limits of tolerance?” It made for a great segue with family members and straight friends for talking about me being queer, but in a way that brought up as many questions as answers.

“Congratulations!” some of them said, as if it was proof that I was going to be OK. That the world was becoming a place safe for someone like me. “Thanks,” I answered.

“Except that’s not me.” When they looked puzzled, I elaborated. “I’m not a nice lesbian. I’m a loud freaky outlaw.” They’d often reply “But you are nice!” and that’s true.

Generally speaking, if it doesn’t cost too much, I am nice.

There’s a danger, there, though. A danger that women and people of color and poor people and queer and trans folks know all too well. We’re supposed to be nice, and quiet, and emulating the mainstream, and not causing trouble. If we aren’t those things, sometimes even if we are, we can be beaten or used up or killed.

Like Gabriella Naverez and Anyia Parker and Leelah Alcorn and Christina Tahhahwah and Eric Garner. Like Ferguson and Detroit and Oak Flats and Baton Rouge and Appalachia and the rainforests and the polar ice caps and the children making the phones many of us are reading this article on. Like we are getting close to wasting our last chance to come down on the side of love, and life, and learning.

Sometimes those conversations I had with friends and family were uncomfortable, or made it clear we weren’t ever going to agree. Sometimes they got tired of arguing with me about politics, or gender, or sex, or racism, or classism, or dreamcatchers and dreadlocks and Chinese characters on white people, or using the word gypped, or buying diamonds, or prison reform.

Not that I had to argue most of this with my family—respect for diversity is fundamental for us—but sometimes they didn’t realize it was a problem, because it wasn’t a problem for them. The very definition of privilege, despite being poor weirdo liberal white trash hippies. Not a lot of cultural coinage in those words, but still, not fearing for our lives every day. Not going without basic human needs, or watching our sacred spaces be mined for copper and coal and oil.

We could afford to be nice to the social workers who came to check on me after I became obsessed with what it would be like to have one less eye or one less limb, dramatic limps and gauze dressing trailing behind me down the hallway of our housing unit. It was unlikely the state would remove a nice white

child from such nice white parents.

We c o u l d afford to be nice to the cops that stopped us when our turn signal stopped working halfway through Texas. We were obviously American, and my dad spoke comfortably with the officer, even exchanged some laughs over mechanical failure and timing.

At no point was he afraid he might be shot, or deported, or that his family would be handcuffed or intimidated.

We could afford it, but what did it cost?

What is it costing us now? The bigger us.

Struggling to survive our own stubborn, wasteful and competitive nature and tendency to hate what we fear, which is what we don’t know, which is so many things.

This planet, struggling to survive us.

I’m not saying we should all start being rude or unkind, in fact I think we could use more courtesy and compassion. However, we’re so far beyond creating change with please and thank you, or even court battles and Congress. Now is the time for climbing flag poles to pull down hate, for suspending ourselves from bridges in the face of eight thousand tons of steel, for blocking traffic and police stations, for building defiant garden memorials next to bigots, even for interrupting the President.

I spent a great deal of my twenties protesting. I joined Queer Nation and Act Up and Take Back the Night and the queer group on campus. I sat on panels and taught workshops and read theory and history and talked to my elders and listened to people with different lived experiences. I questioned the status quo. I still do. These things are frequently not easy, but they are a vital step closer to being part of the solution.

What that step could look like for you depends on what you have to give, and whether it’s more important to be nice, or a force for change. If you’re white, interrupt that racist behavior or language before a person of color has to. Support their businesses, respect their neighborhoods, film and witness the police.

If you have more resources, donate to the legal aid funds for protestors doing direct action. Volunteer to do childcare so poor parents have time to do activism or look for work. Send letters or books to prisoners.

Invest in struggling communities, but not like tourists. Like the valuable members of our society they are.

Staff a hotline, create community spaces, build tiny libraries, call your authority figures out, feed the homeless, put a ramp on your steps, purge hateful words from your vocabulary, be willing to be wrong and to have that pointed out.

Start small if you must, but start now. The world doesn’t have time to wait for nice anymore, and neither do we.

End note: If you have topics you’d like me to cover, products you’d like me to review, people you’d like to hear from, or resources to share, please get in touch! Sossity@PQMonthly.com.

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QUEER CULTURE

LET’S REMEMBER WHAT STONEWALL ACTUALLY WAS actor, of course (ugh). The film’s director, Roland Emmerich, and writer, Jon Robin Baitz, are both white, cis gay men, The Stonewall Riots of 1969 seem to as is the bulk of the cast. Art imitates life grow in stature each year. Their mention as trans women of color are pushed out in Obama’s second inaugural address of Stonewall’s story, and the benefits of helped cement their place in our countheir actions are reaped by others. try’s civil rights history, and their anniThis happened to Sylvia Rivera, versary marks the worldwide celebration who was ostracized from the LGBTQ of LGBTQ Pride events. rights movement that sprang from In the media, Stonewall has become Stonewall. Both trans exclusionary synonymous with “the birth of the gay radical feminist (TERF) lesbians, such rights movement,” however, illustratas Jean O’Leary, and conservative gay ing the way this increasingly importmen, looking to leverage their social ant event—catalyzed and led by trans capital, excluded her from the nascent women of color and homeless youth— movement, abandoning the pursuit has been made over in a middle-class, of gender-identity protections and white, cis gay male image. With the Holfocusing instead on the narrow goal lywood movie Stonewall preparing to of sexual-identity rights. tell this white and ciswashed story once As Martin Duberman wrote, “Sylvia again for a worldwide audience, it’s time was from the wrong ethnic group, to look at how these erasures happened, the wrong side of the tracks, wearand why they’re flat wrong. ing the wrong clothes—managing The Stonewall Riots were a threesingle-handedly to embody several day uprising in protest of the corrupt, In the media, Stonewall has become synonymous with “the birth of the gay rights movement,” however, illustrating the way this increasingly important event— frightening, overlapping categories oppressive police practices that left catalyzed and led by trans women of color and homeless youth—has been made over in a middle class, white, cis gay male image. of otherness” to those who threw her LGBTQ adults vulnerable to exploitaunder the bus. To watch her heart break from this betrayal, tion and persecution. At the time LGBTQ identities were all as a cis gay male action (Carter did not respond to requests one can visit YouTube and view her speech to the crowd criminalized. Community members, driven underground, to participate in this story). assembled for the 1973 Christopher Street Liberation Day While grudgingly acknowledging the participation of met in mafia-run bars that overcharged them, and were Rally, where she spoke over O’Leary’s objections.

Marsha P. Johnson and the presence of homeless youth in routinely subject to police shakedowns.

Johnson and Rivera co-founded STAR, Street TransvesIt was during one such raid that the riots occurred. The the uprising, Carter mind-bogglingly concludes in his text tite Action Revolutionaries, a group organized to assist that the protest was largely the result of the white, midearliest accounts of Stonewall all concur that trans women homeless trans youth. While they fended for the basic of color and/or street youth—those participants unable to dle-class gay men in the crowd. In Stonewall Uprising, he needs of the trans community, groups like the Gay Libereasily blend back into mainstream society, and thus, those speaks angrily of how the press referred to the riots as “the ation Front and Gay Activists Alliance, which sprung from with the least to lose—were the instigators of the protest. night the drag queens fought back,” calling such head- Stonewall, lobbied for political gain along narrow cis gay The two most prominent among these were Latina trans lines “pejorative.” and lesbian lines.

In an interview with Gay Today, when asked bluntly why woman Sylvia Rivera and African-American trans woman When we tell the story of Stonewall, it should not be the Rivera was not in his book, he essentially calls her a liar, Marsha P. Johnson. story of the people who benefited most from its actions. It Rivera spoke often of her part in the action, and was saying, “I can only conclude Sylvia’s account of her being should not be the story of the gay rights movement, full celebrated for it later in her life. In 2000, she was honored there . . . was a fabrication,” and saying he could find no stop. It should be the story of intersecting identities of for her role at a World Pride event in Italy. Following her one to corroborate her claims. Who was asking, though? oppression. The people who fought the hardest at Stonewall death, the corner of Christopher and Hudson streets in the His book also leaves out the participation of Miss Major, were those who were the most oppressed. Trans women of Greenwich Village—blocks away from the Stonewall Inn— another trans woman of color, who today is a prominent color are still the most vulnerable group in our community. was renamed Rivera Way in her memory. Shockingly, how- Bay Area activist. Omissions like this, coupled with the Shannon Minter, the legal director of the National Center ever, as of late she’s been written out of Stonewall history. lavish attention paid to white cis gay men in his book— for Lesbian Rights, calls the violence faced by black trans While Rivera featured prominently in Martin Duber- men like himself—make it seem Carter found the evidence women a “national crisis.” man’s 1993 history, Stonewall, she’s completely erased in he wanted to find.

Let’s stop ciswashing and whitewashing Stonewall, and Carter’s version of Stonewall looks as though it will be David Carter’s 2004 book, Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked use it instead as an example of how we need to fight racism, the Gay Revolution. The subtitle of Carter’s book—which replicated in the upcoming film Stonewall. Its cast list does transmisogyny and poverty in our culture. Let’s stop leavserved as the basis for the 2010 PBS documentary Stone- not mention Sylvia Rivera or Miss Major. Marsha P. Johnson ing Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major out of the picture, and wall Uprising—makes his agenda clear: to frame the riots appears far down in the listing, her part filled by a cis male instead treat them like the heroes they are.

By Leela Ginelle, PQ Monthly

Always have supported LGBT rights, Always will.

pqmonthly.com

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 15

FEATURE GET OUT WEDDINGS

1

GET

OUT! Want more? We’ll give you ever ything. Head over to pqmonthly.com and check out our online calendar of events , submit your own events, and peruse photos from your reporters-abouttown. Also, remember to carefully examine our weekly weekend forecast — with the latest and greatest events — each Wednesday (sometimes Thursday), online only.

--DANIEL BORGEN

VOICES STYLE DECONSTRUCTED

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21

Peep Show moves to Euphoria! But the location isn’t the only thing changing about Peep Show this month.

They are changing up the show format a little bit and it’s going to be amazing, Artemis promises. Each artist will be given more stage time to be able to really showcase their amazing talents. But they will of course still be bringing you amazing variety, with singers, dancers, drag, burlesque and more in every show. And your hostess Artemis Chase will of course still be there to keep you laughing all night long. Go support local talent, queens! 9 p.m., Euphoria, 315 SE Third.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22

It’s the Gay Portland Pageant at Embers. There are 6 candidates up for the position of Mr., Miss, and Ms. Gay Portland, and current titleholders will also be stepping down. 5 p.m., Embers, 110 NW Broadway. $15.

August’s CJ Mickens Show. Come watch, see and support as CJ Mickens and band present full length entertainment. Singing original music, top 40s and old soul. Band members include Ian Shaw, Wal-

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EVERY SUNDAY

Drag Brunch: Testify at Stag with Alexis Campbell Starr. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. every Sunday, Ms. Starr brings you the city’s hottest drag performers, drink specials (5 for $5 mimosas, $5 American Harvest Bloody Marys), and tasty brunch— all in the city’s hottest new bar. Be there promptly at 11, children. Ms. Starr demands it.

Stag, 317 NW Broadway.

Samuel’s Hangover Happy Hour. Bloody Marys, friends, food, beats by Art of Hot and guests. It is an excellent recovery scenario. Mingle with queers in a very chill setting. 2 p.m.-7 p.m., Killingsworth Dynasty, 832 N Killingsworth. Free.

Superstar Divas. Bolivia Carmichaels, Honey Bea Hart, Topaz Crawford, Isaiah Tillman, and guest stars perform your favorite pop, Broadway, R&B, rock, and country hits. Dance floor opens after the show. Check out the newest and freshest Diva hits. 8 p.m., CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis.

Free!

DANCE

IT OUT

EVERY MONDAY

Family Home Evening. A weekly, post-work lounge party every 16 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

ter Dean, RJ Bee, Zachary Sevier, Minon Minnieweather, and Celese Nicole Williams. Special guest this month will be Portland Idol winner 2015 Jeff Jones. 8 p.m., Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

Queer Horror 2: The Hollywood Theatre’s bimonthly program QUEER HORROR returns with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE! Hosted by Portland’s premier drag clown Carla Rossi, this latest edition of QUEER HORROR opens with a new Kruegerian short film designed to get you squirming for one of the most homoerotic slasher sequels of all time.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

Club Kai-Kai: You know the drill: Dancing, heaving breathing, sweating, and impromptu drag performances by the Kweens/Kings of the night, and by you (get up on that stage, feel your tuck-non-tuck)!

This is a house-party, drag on acid, circuit-partygoth-90s-where’s-my-drink-kween scenario. OK? This month’s lineup is a mixture of newcomers, oldcummers, and above the river DJs. And our un-official theme is Tom of Finland meets Lisa Frank, power-bottom/circuit kween. Hold My Hand, Buckmaster, Shitney Houston, Stacy Stl Lisa, and many more provide

Monday night at Vault, featuring DJ Orographic (Bridge Club, Queerlandia) and occasional special guests (Sappho fills in now and then).

Jens Irish serves you happy hour all the live long night. 7 p.m.-11 p.m., Vault, 226 NW 12.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Amateur night at Stag PDX, though they won’t look like amateurs, trust. Hosted by Godiva Devyne, come gawk at the pretty dancers.

And talk some shit with the Devyne Ms. G. 9 p.m., Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway.

EVERY THURSDAY

Hip Hop Heaven. Bolivia Carmichaels hosts this hip-hop-heavy soiree night every Thursday night at CCs. Midnight guest performers and shows. Remember those midnight shows at The City? Bolivia does! 9 p.m., CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis. Free.

FIRST SATURDAYS

Sugar Town. DJ Action Slacks. Keywords: Soul, polyester. Great place to find the ladies, to mingle, to get your groove on. 9 p.m., The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42. $5.

SECOND TUESDAYS

Bi Bar—every second Tuesday at Crush, and it’s an open, bi-affirming space for music and mingling. Correction: Bi/Pan/Fluid/Queer. 8 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison.

the all the fun. 9 p.m., Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand, $5.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

Big Sexy is back—with duets! This body-positive showcase will fe ture a variety of big sexy performers serenading you with the mo beautiful songs you’ve ever heard. Go-gos, raffles, dancing—th party has it all. 9 p.m., Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK. No cover.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

The Poison Waters & Friends Brunch and Romy & Michelle’s Hi School Reunion showcase in the AIR CONDITIONED McMenami Kennedy School is happening Sunday August 30th! 21 years older, $21 includes brunch, show the film! 10:30 a.m. doors, a.m. until 12:30 p.m. brunch buffet and show followed by film! course the full bar featuring bottomless mimosas will be available an additional, modest charge.) Invite your friends and family, it blast. 10:30 a.m., 5736 NE 33. Tick online with etix.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Boyeurism goes back to school: Burlesquire, Star Theater Portland, Roustabout Promotions and Zora Phoenix bring you a cast featuring Portland’s hottest male talents, including pole dancers, dancers, drag p fessionals, and more. BOYeurism: Portland’s First Thursday All M Cabaret & Variety Revue. The library is open: BOYeurism’s back

SECOND FRIDAYS

Slo Jams is a Queer Modern R&B & Neo Soul Dance Night at Lo Lounge. DJ II TRILL (TWERK) and DJ MEXXX-TAPE lay down erything from Mary J // Jagged Edge// Keyshia to Badu//Lauryn Etc. 10 p.m., Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK. $5.

SECOND SATURDAYS

Hot Flash: Inferno. (Second and Fourth Saturdays) In the heart of Portland is where the women are— dancing the night away and burning up dance floors the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at Trio. Welcoming all women, queers, and their allies. DJ Lauren joins Wildfire, and this night features danc from up and down the I-5 corridor. 6 p.m. p.m., Trio, 909 E. Burnside.

Mrs.: The queen of theme and its gorge hostess, Kaj-Anne Pepper! We love her And dynamic DJ duo: Beyondadoubt an Camino. Costumes, photo booths, all the Lots of ladies, very queer. 10 p.m., Mississ Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi. $5.

THIRD WEDNESDAYS

Comedy at Crush: Our own Belinda Carroll and a slew of locals ru up some funny. Special guests, and Crush’s signature cocktail food menus. Donations, sliding scale. (Comics have to eat and dr too, so give!) 9 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison. pqmonthly.com

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Take yourself back to school with the Poison Waters & Friends Happy Hour Show! Friday, September 11, at the fabulous McMenamins Mission Theater at 6 p.m.; doors open at 5:30. Join Poison, co-hostess Kourtni Capree, and their gal pals for an early and fun time! No cover and full bar and food menu available.

It’s a great way to leave your work week behind and say hello to a great weekend. With queens. Don’t miss it! Show starts promptly at 6; Poison doesn’t wait for anyone. 1624 NW Glisan.

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First Thursday at the Star Theater, reminding us all that reading is fundamental. Prepare to be dazzled, inspired, and amazed by Portland’s leading (mostly) male talent. 8 p.m., Star Theater, 13 NW 6, $15, VIP $25.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Hard Yes presents...YES PLEASE. …a dance party for creatures of the night. Bring your looks and flirtations without the hesitations.

You will hear: garage, disco, house with a dishing and dashing of cosmic dance music.

Also featuring a sprinkling of performance and atmospheric stimulation by House of Ada to help set the moment. Your sexiness is requested on the dance floor! Deejays: Jens Irish, David Sylvester, Sappho. 9 p.m., Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison. $3 before 10, $5 after.

Queens of the Night: Alexis Campbell Starr. That’s all you need to know. But there’s more: she always welcomes a special slew of talented queens for a night that takes Hip-Hop from beginning to end. 8 p.m., Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK. Free.

THIRD THURSDAYS

Polari. Troll in for buvare.

Back-in-the-day language, music, and elegance. An easeyou-into-the-weekend mixer.

Bridge Club boys make the music. Bridge and tunnel patrons have no idea what to do with us when we pour in. Hint: it’s always the Thursday we go to press. What serendipitous fortune! 10 p.m., Vault, 226 NW 12. Free.

THIRD SATURDAYS

Burlescape! Burlesque & boylesque wrapped in a taste of tease! Zora Phoenix, Isaiah Esquire, Tod Alan. (And there’s more than that, kids.) Zora is a treat and a treasure—and so are her shows. Try one out! 9 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison. $10.

We’re featuring all of Zora’s events online, so get on the net.

Gaycation: DJ Charming always welcomes special guests—and here you’ll find everything lesbian, gay, and in between. Be early so you can actually get a drink. Sweaty deliciousness, hottest babes. THE party. Yes, boys, even you can hit on Mr. Charming. We know you want to. 9 p.m., Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison. $5.

Undergear: Eagle Portland’s monthly underwear, jock, mankini, etc., fetish party every third Saturday.

Free if you arrive before 9 p.m. or if you use free clothes check upon entry after. After 9 p.m. arrivals who do not check clothes must pay $5 pqmonthly.com

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Every third Monday: It’s an excellent time to get your active socializing on. Gay Skate is a joy. Meet queers and mingle with them outside the bar setting — maybe your dream lover will ask you to hold hands during couples’ skate. And there are themes now! Themes!

(Check online for the latest—this edition will be particularly queer.) Come dressed to impress and wine beautiful prizes, and look for our publisher, who’s always handing out copies of PQ. And, you know, you’ll probably get a date.

Every third Monday.

Food drive for Take Action Inc. 7 p.m., Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. $6.

entry. Clothes check and raffle prize provided by Cub Cleaners. Eagle Portland, 835 N. Lombard.

FOURTH FRIDAYS

Twerk. (Twerk has moved venues!) DJs ILL Camino and II Trill. Keywords: bring your twerk.

The city’s longest-running queer hip hop/R&B party—where artists, deejays, performers come to mix, mingle, and move on the dance floor. We promise you you’ll move all night long. 10 p.m., Killingsworth Dynasty, 832 N Killingsworth. $5.

FOURTH SATURDAYS

Blow Pony. Two giant floors. Wide variety of music, plenty of room for dancing.

Rowdy, crowdy, sweaty betty, the one tried and true, even after all these years.

9 p.m., Euphoria, 315 SE 3. $5.

Judy on Duty. Lesbian hardcore. Judys, Judes, and cool ass freaks. Dance it out.

DJ Troubled Youth. Organized by Ana Margarita and Megan Holmes. 10 p.m., High Mark Water Lounge, 6800 NE MLK.

LAST SUNDAYS

Sabbathhause Discotheque, gay night is back at Aalto lounge and it is bigger and more queer than ever before. Featuring some of the best deejays and performers around and hosted by night hawk Chanticleer Tru. 8 p.m., Aalto Lounge, 3356 SE Belmont.

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WEDDINGS FEATURES VOICES GET OUT THE BRILLIANT LIST

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22

Blow Pony and the House of Love join forces to bring you an end-of-summer Love Ball!

And category is: Nightmare on 5th Avenue. Alexander McQueen is back from the dead, and you swear you saw Patsy and Edina in a fabulous Christian LaCroix outfit, except their bodies were joined together…they’re looking for that John Galliano 5th Element look, Freddy Kruger does Chanel, and Michael Myers showing his first collection made entirely out of Nativia wrappers and Jamie Lee Curtis’s head as a hat. Don’t forget, functionality is key; you never know when you will need to run, prance, twirl, and kick the demons on 5th Avenue away; Anna Wintour is on acid and she is not playing around this time… What a big queer mess! Shitney Houston, Gula Delgatto, Stcy Stl Lisa, and all your Blow Pony faves. 9 p.m., Euphoria, 315 SE Third, $7.

PQ PICKS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23

(Due to July weather concerns, this party changed dates.) For this year’s annual Portland Latino Gay Pride Festival, festival architects will have everyone celebrating in the streets. PLGP is partnering with Crush Bar for a block party you don’t want to miss.

Live performers, deejays, exhibitors, carne asada, elote, and margaritas are just some of the wonderful things to expect. How does one celebrate 10 years of PLGP? With a 10-member salsa band, of course. Salsanova is Portland’s newest Latin and Salsa dance band, formed in 2013. This 10-piece group has some of the area’s best musicians, all of whom have a love for Latin music and a dedication to playing it with authenticity and soul. Commemorative 10 Year Anniversary T-Shirts will be on sale, designed by Pablito. Festival and sponsor exhibitors will have valuable information to share—plus reina performances, vocalists, a piñata raffle, and much more. This event is 21+, and a suggested $5 donation goes to the PLGP Scholarship Fund. 5 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12:

Critical Mascara: A Post­Realness Drag Extravaganza ​is a competition celebrating community and creativity. Inspired by the legacy of vogue balls, house culture, and irreverent activism, Critical Mascara is an expression of the new wave of queer liberation aesthetics. Hosted by Pepper Pepper, Critical Mascara is a showcase of regional talent, a competition engaging local artists, and one hell of a party. Critical Mascara is glamour in action. Last year’s ball was a hit success gathering over 1500 people to see over 30 performers walk, stomp, and swish in four thematic categories for a cash prize, community sponsored prizes and being known as the most Critical Queen in all the land. It’s a competition open to all genders, genres and styles of performers. Minors 18­20 encouraged to apply with restriction. With DJ SPF 666, and performances by Fauxnique (SF), Grace Towers (SF), ISAIAH ESQUIRE (PDX), Artemis Chase (PDX), and Mads DudebabeModel (PDX). Special Guest Judge: Madison Moore (UK). 10 p.m. until late, The Works at The Redd, 831 SE Salmon.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 17

VOICES FEATURES QUEER CULTURE

GLAPN

“TANGERINE”: A NEW KIND OF TRANS MOVIE

Through its music, cinematography, voice and performances, Tangerine conjures a fully rounded world, and one hitherto unfilmed. It’s awesome that it’s a movie about trans women or color, but, more than that, it’s a movie about trans women of color that’s truly awesome. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

By Leela Ginelle, PQ Monthly

I was in college when I first saw, and was stunned by, My Own Private Idaho. For days I tried to understand what was so different about it. It wasn’t simply the visuals, which were stunning, or River Phoenix’s heartbreakingly vulnerable performance, I thought. But what was it?

I realized it was the film’s presentation of queer culture as something that just is. Unlike every film I’d seen before involving LGBTQ characters, here their lives were not mediated or seen through straight peer groups or institutions.

We saw no tearful coming out speeches, or family members spurning them, before finally coming around. Mike and Scott, the protagonists, were living as gay hustlers, and we watched the story through their eyes.

I’d never seen a trans film like that until viewing this year’s Tangerine. The story of Sin-Dee and Alexandra, two trans woman of color sex workers in Los Angeles, it departs from the long, unpleasant history denigrating, ennobling, or all around other-izing that has defined the depiction of trans women at the movies.

The result is exhilarating. Sin-Dee, Alexandra, and at least a dozen other people they meet during the day Tangerine takes place, are trans women of color played by trans women of color. This makes sense, as the film’s story is set in an LA community known for its preponderance of trans sex workers. That said, at times, my mind would pop out of the story, thinking giddily, “There are four trans women of color on screen right now! In a movie I’m seeing in a theater!” Moments like that felt historic.

The film’s director, Sean Baker, a white cis man, set out to make a film about TWOC sex workers when he realized his neighborhood was home to so many. He met Mya Taylor, who plays Alexandra, and she helped him learn about the women’s lives as crafted the story with co-writer Chris Bergoch. Tangerine follows Sin-Dee, who’s just been released from prison, as she seeks the cis woman she learns her

18 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

boyfriend and pimp Chester has been sleeping with. SinDee’s played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, an actress whose star power is incandescent.

Alexandra and Sin-Dee’s relationship is codependent— the latter is drawn to crack, the former, despite her protestations, gravitates to drama—and moving. While there are fireworks and set pieces galore, a compassionate pull, which stems from the act of watching people under high stress, and in marginal positions, take risks and display vulnerability in the pursuit of their dreams. This feeling undergirds the movie and gives it its heart.

When I began transitioning, 4 1/2 years ago, desperate for some reflection of my identity, I watched any trans related film I could find. I quickly noticed a dispiriting trend in the stories. As though to appease the gods of cissexism, each narrative included a moment where the trans character was brutalized or humiliated for being who they were.

This could mean being beaten by the person closest to them (Transamerica, The Crying Game), bashed by an angry crowd (Kinky Boots, Priscilla), or inducing violent nausea in others (Ace Ventura, anything Seth MacFarlane-related).

Amazingly, Tangerine includes a moment that reverses

this dynamic, involving a cab driver, Razmik, who’s a consistent customer of Alexandra, and a new sex worker, Selena, who is unexpectedly cisgender. While the resulting scene is off-color, and arguably problematic (who knew cismisogyny was actually a thing?), seeing centuries of transphobia turned on their head, as they were here, was dizzying.

Moments like that result from placing trans people not only in the center of the story, but within their own community. In such dynamics, transness becomes normative, in a way it’s rarely been onscreen before.

In a radio interview with the CBC, Baker said Taylor gave him two commandments in developing his script: it needed to be real, and it had to be funny. Those directions sound contradictory, but they coalesce in tantalizing ways throughout the story. When Sin-Dee finally apprehends Dinah, the woman Chester had been seeing while the former was locked away, for instance, the ensuing melee plays like something from a Looney Tunes action sequence.

Step back, however, and one realizes it’s tantamount to kidnapping and assault. The mix Baker achieves gives the film a crackling momentum, while keeping it grounded in what feel like honestly gritty circumstances.

Not everything clicks in the story. A big sequence toward the end, in which Razmik’s family tracks him down at the Donut Time store where Sin-Dee and Alexandra have gathered to confront Chester, does not achieve the over the top farcical notes Baker appears to have intended. Likewise, Chester’s motives, and his worthiness to be Sin-Dee’s beau feel ambiguous in the end, and not in an artful way.

Those are small complaints about a big achievement, however. Through its music, cinematography, voice and performances, Tangerine conjures a fully rounded world, and one hitherto unfilmed. It’s awesome that it’s a movie about trans women or color, but, more than that, it’s a movie about trans women of color that’s truly awesome.

Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

pqmonthly.com

PERS{ECTOVES FEATURE

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 19

COMMUNITY NIGHTLIFE

GAY SKATE WITH PQ Oaks Park Roller Skating Rink

Always the 3rd Monday of every month from 7-9pm THE THEME FOR SEPTEMBER IS: DRAG QUEEN/DRAG KINGTHE THEME FOR OCTOBER IS: HALLOWEEN FREE FOR ALL! Follow us on Facebook for details

ADMISSION $6.00 PQ Monthly is proud to partner with Take Action Inc for their “Backpack program.” This program fills backpacks, utilizing YOUR Gay Skate food donations, for Oregon kids pre-kindergarten to 8th grade, so they do not go hungry over the weekends.

Thank you for donating to this most worthy program.

Please visit www.pqmonthly.com/ partnerships and click on “Take Action Inc” to view their list of preferred foods.

Sponsors:

Your LOCAL full-service marketing agency that will connect you with the diverse populations of Oregon and SW Washington

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CALENDAR EVENTS

VIVA TEQUILA PDX BACK FOR A SECOND YEAR

By TJ Acena, PQ Monthly

Tequila has had a bit of a reputation.

Unceremoniously consumed in high quantities by college students at parties or sipped in novelty-sized sugary margaritas, it wasn’t a spirit to be appreciated. But that has changed in the last few years. The demand for quality tequila has risen, and distilleries in Mexico have risen to meet these demands. Portland’s own Danny Sandoval, owner of the Sandoval’s Family Restaurants, which include La Palapa on Hawthorne, has been working hard to foster a deeper appreciation for this unique spirit in Portland. In 2013, he turned his restaurant in Portland International Airport into a tequila bar, with more than 200 kinds of the spirit available.

Last year he started Viva Tequila PDX, an annual tequila-tasting festival. The event returns August 29-30 at the Jupiter Hotel.

“I have a passion for agave,” says Sandoval. “The idea for Viva Tequila PDX came to me when I saw the whiskey festival happening here in Portland. I knew there were tequila festivals happening in other parts of the country and I wondered why we weren’t doing it here. It’s great to be able to follow it up again this year, to be able to pass on the knowledge and see people become so receptive. As long as people are receptive we’ll continue to do it.”

Preparing for Viva Tequila PDX is no small task. Besides arranging the venue and attracting sponsors, Sandoval deals directly with many small distilleries in Jalisco, the area in Mexico where blue agave is grown, cultivating relationships with them over the course of years. “We buy a lot of tequila so I travel down there three or four times a year, so we’re very familiar with a lot of these distillers. When we talk about them and how they make their tequila, we’re not reciting something you could read off a brochure.

We know them personally.”

Attendees of Viva Tequila PDX will be able to sample and purchase tequila from these small distilleries, in addition to better-known brands such as Casa Herradura, Jose Cuervo, and Tequila Cazadores, three of the event’s sponsors. “We aim to provide an informative and fun experience for tequila aficionados and newcomers alike,” says Sandoval. “Anyone with an interest in tequila, no matter how casual or advanced, pqmonthly.com

will learn something.” Attendees will also be able to purchase Mexican food to pair with their tequila and enjoy local entertainment.

Sandoval is also using Viva Tequila PDX as a chance to give back to the community. “It’s a priority and honor for us to engage with local organizations,” says Sandoval. This year proceeds from the event will benefit Milagro Theatre, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces Latino theater, culture, and arts education experiences. Milagro has been working in Portland for over 30 years, showing plays by Latino playwrights in Spanish with English subtitles and organizing the city’s longest-running Day of the Dead celebration, as well as bringing Latino music, dance, and poetry to audiences around the Northwest. Milagro has also produced works written by LGBTQ playwrights and has featured prominent LGBTQ stories. “It was my selection last year and it’s the same this year,” says Sandoval of Milagro. “I love what they have done over the years.”

The inaugural event in 2014 attracted more than 2,500 attendees. Sandoval is hopeful he will top those numbers this year.

“Tequila is something to sip, to savor,” he says. “It’s refreshing to see the public appreciate the sophistication and artistry of such a traditional spirit in a new, modern light.

We’re delighted that Viva Tequila PDX is back to celebrate its renaissance.”

Viva Tequila is a 21-and-over event (valid proof of age required) and runs Sat., August 29 and Sun., August 30 at the Jupiter Hotel, 800 E. Burnside. Saturday’s hours are 4-9 p.m., with a 9-11 p.m. after-party; Sunday’s hours are noon-4 p.m., followed by a VIP tasting from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Admission is $45 for both days, including Sunday’s VIP tasting, $25 for General Admission either Saturday or Sunday (GA Saturday includes the 9-11 p.m. party, GA Sunday does not include the VIP tasting). Admission includes six (6) tasting tokens for GA, eight (8) for VIP; additional lots of six (6) will be available for purchase for $10 at the event. Tickets and more information are available at vivatequilapdx.com. Like “vivatequilapdx” on Facebook and follow @vivatequilapdx on Twitter for updates. VIP tickets can be purchased online at: eventbrite.com/e/2015-viva-tequila-pdx-festival-august-29th-30th-2015tickets-17051341020, GA at the door.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 21

SOLD

THE BRILLIANT LIST NIGHTLIFE

Gabriela Kandziora Real Estate Broker

VOICES

ID CHECK

Trans People Were Never Cis

“Results that move you!”

Gabriela@RealtorGabriela.com • 503-481-9870

5000 Meadows Suite 150 Portland, OR 97035

By Leela Ginelle, PQ Monthly

There’s a trope present in certain lesbian feminist circles, aimed at discrediting trans women, which claims we, as a group, prior to transitioning, enjoyed “male privilege.”

Those who argue this often claim that we bring “residual male energy” with us into social situations.

Throughout all culture, cis people, when speaking about trans folk, make reference to the genders we were assigned at birth, in phrases such as, “born a man,” or “female to male.”

Statements such as these, like our culture overall, are cissexist. They view all identities through a cisgender lens.

For instance, the male privilege trans women are accused of having enjoyed prior to transitioning is specifically a cis male privilege. Likewise, the people making such claims are cis women. Cis people enjoy a whole host of privileges not enjoyed by trans people, beginning with being correctly gendered at birth. Likewise, cis women experience the privilege of never having to socially transition or medically transition during their lives, the way trans women do.

Perhaps because cis identities are seen as more valid than trans ones in our ciscentric society, some cis women see fit to scrutinize and invalidate trans women’s experiences in the way they do. If a person believes I am a trans woman, it would stand to reason, they believe, as I do, that I’ve always been trans. That means I was a trans girl and grew into a trans woman.

By this reasoning, being misgendered at birth—and closeted as a result of culture-wide transphobic hostility through my first 38 years as I was—would be seen as a horrible misfortune, rather than a privilege.

We are not yet at a level of cultural understanding around trans identities, however, to see them as continuous and valid in this way. Parents still write essays about mourning “the son they lost” when their child transitions. Likewise, friends ask for time to “say goodbye to (dead name)” when the trans person in their life sheds the false identity they’d been saddled with since infancy.

Cis identities are still the sun around which all other identities orbit in our society. From the first ultrasound picture, we gender fetuses according to cis standards.

Our government affixes each newborn with a cis binary “sex,” even if that newborn in question is intersex. Trans people are all “born cis,” according to this model, and the media parrots this whenever it reports on trans subjects: trans women are “born men” and trans men are “born women.”

Rather than exercising the presumption to label trans people in this way, and to misapply notions of cis privilege onto experiences, it would be nice if cis people would recognize the privilege they themselves enjoy in always having their identities validated in our culture, and begin to imagine ways they can create equity for trans folks.

Doing this would decenter cis identities and experiences as “normative” and standard. In this way, trans bodies and trans behaviors would not be subjected to scrutiny and judged as legitimate or not as seen through cis eyes. Ironically, this would free everyone from the pressure of being a “real” man or woman, a bizarre notion to begin with, which is hopefully eroding now with the overdue recognition of nonbinary identities.

It’s natural that lesbian feminists would want to critique the privilege cis men possess in our culture—in fact, it’s a favorite pastime of most trans lesbian feminists I know; it’s time, however, that cis lesbians, and cis women in general, recognize their own privileges. Working for equality means working for equality for all, and recognizing and naming inequality wherever it exists.

Falsely attributing trans women with “male privilege,” not recognizing the myriad privileges one enjoys as a cis person— privileges that often seem invisible due to our culture’s ciscentric practices—works to reinforce transmisogyny and transphobia, rather than erase it.

Trans women did not ask to be assigned male at birth. We were born “ourselves,” and funneled into a culture that forcibly molded us according to a ciscentric understanding of gender. This was a trauma, not a privilege, as evidenced by the 41% suicide attempt rate reported among trans adults.

For trans folk, transitioning is a time to, at long last, experience their true identities.

For those identities to be repeatedly framed through a cis lens, to be told we were “born” as the government declared us to be, or accrued privilege via an illegitimate identity forcibly foisted upon us, is discriminatory and hurtful; it’s yet another occasion in which we’re defined by cis standards in a manner that seeks to negate and delegitimize our trans selves.

It’s time for such practices to cease. Trans folk, like all folk, deserve the right to define their identities and histories, not according to outside standards, but their lived truths.

That’s a privilege we should all enjoy.

Ginelle is a playwright and journalist living in Portland, OR. You can write her at leela@pqmonthly.com.

22 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

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ARTS & CULTURE

HISTORY

“THE MOST INTERESTING WOMAN WHO EVER LIVED IN THIS STATE …”

By Robin Will, GLAPN

Dr. Marie Equi’s progressive radical lesbian feminist credentials are as germane today as they ever were. She was the talk of the town, not always in a good way, 100 years ago, and Equi’s relevance to our own times is striking.

Michael Helquist’s biography, Marie Equi, Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions, OSU Press, will be launched Monday, September 14, at Oregon Historical Society, at a 7 p.m. event that is open to the public.

All kinds of people are waiting to get their hands on this book. Students of local history, feminists, lesbians, progressives, and queer cultural historians, among others, will be vitally interested. Marie Equi is far from unknown— Portland had four daily newspapers and a host of weeklies at the time she was most famous, or notorious, so there is a public record.

Scholars have been interested in her work and politics for years.

However, there has never been a biography, and questions about the person behind the headlines have gone unanswered.

But, oh! The headlines. Marie Equi first came to public attention in 1893, when she horsewhipped the superintendent of schools in The Dalles, for refusing to pay the salary owed to her partner. Townspeople generally approved the assault, and presented the two women with the proceeds from raffling off the whip.

That was the start. Years later, one of Equi’s contemporaries described the doctor as, “The most interesting woman who ever lived in this state, certainly the most fascinating, colorful and flamboyant.”

Well, yes … “interesting.” The word doesn’t explain what drives a person to radicalism, and it says nothing about either the rewards or the costs of defying social convention and standards of respectability, not to mention disregarding the law when it didn’t suit her. In fact, Marie Equi was interesting in a number of ways.

1. She was one of Oregon’s few female physicians (M.D., University of Oregon, 1903). The class of 1903 apparently brought the total number of female doctors in Oregon to 60. pqmonthly.com

2. In her medical practice in Portland, she fought for women’s reproductive freedom, performing abortions and participating whole-heartedly in the birth control movement, at a time when both were illegal.

3. She lived in a high-profile lesbian relationship (with the heir to the Olympia Brewing fortune, whose family publicly disapproved), and adopted a child.

4. She supported the labor movement – on the picket lines, as often as not—to the point that The Oregonian referred to strikers as “Equi’s Army.”

5. She was sentenced to three years in San Quentin, convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917, for her vociferous opposition of the First World War, and, what with a Presidential commutation and discounts for good behavior, actually served about ten months in prison.

It’s quite a price to pay for uncompromising activism, nor was it the only price. Birth control activist Margaret Sanger, who was apparently romantically involved with Equi for a time, suggested as much, commenting that Equi was “a rebellious soul, generous, kind, brave, but so radical in her thinking that she was almost an outcast.”

So here we are, in times that almost eerily parallel Equi’s own time. We wonder about the costs of principled d e f i a n c e . We wonder what drove Marie Equi to do what she did, and what toll her activism took on relationships, family, and health. We want to know what Portland was like, 100 years ago. We’re probably at least a little curious about what happens to activists when they get old.

We’re about to find out. Michael Helquist is a rigorous scholar and a fine writer, and this book has been years in the making. The bits that have been leaked (citations are already showing up on Marie Equi’s Wikipedia page) show impressive breadth of research, and if page count means anything, this book weighs in with 352.

The book may be ordered online at a discount until September 1. Order at www. osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/marieequi and use the code EQUI to save 30%.

Bring your book to the launch at OHS, and Michael will sign it.

FEATURES

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 23

BOOKS

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COMMUNITY NEWS!

COMMUNITY MUSIC

The memorial for the nine African Americans who were murdered while attending a South Carolina church service.

By George Nicola, GLAPN

“Healing Conversations” Event Held at Q Center “Healing Conversations on Racism, Healing Ourselves and Where do we Go from Here” was the name of an event held at Q Center on Sunday, July 26. It was organized by Margaret-Ann Jones, and facilitated by Antoinette Edwards and Paula Casner. All three women have been involved in PFLAG Portland Black Chapter and other social justice groups.

Participants were invited “to contribute by speaking from your heart, share awareness, condolences, hope, insights, readings, poems or other positives.” About 50 people attended. Quite of few of them chose to speak their thoughts about racism and how to combat it. The event featured a pictorial memorial for the nine African Americans who were murdered while attending a South Carolina church service in June. The suspect is a white supremacist who wants to plead guilty.

At the end of the session, Margaret-Ann and Paula gathered names and contact information in order to organize follow-up action.

If you are interested in working with this project, please write pflagpdx.pbc@gmail.com.

Mariposa Award Honors Oregon Immigration Rights Advocate Couple Jensi Albright is an American from Maine. Carmen Gutiérrez is Salvadoran. They met at a Portland language exchange in 2004 and soon fell in love.

Because of problems in Carmen’s home country, it would have been dangerous for her to return. If they had been a straight couple, they could have married in the U.S., and Carmen could have received her green card. However, at that time, the national Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) forbade any type of same-gender marriage recognition in federal law.

The couple had a Seattle wedding in 2012 when marriage equality was legalized in Washington State. They then courageously joined a campaign to demonstrate how DOMA harmed people. In early 2013, they worked with Causa, an Oregon Latino Carmen Gutiérrez and Jensi Albright holding their immigrant rights group, and held their commitment ceremony during its annual Mariposa Awards.

Immigrant Action Day in Salem.

A few months later, filmmaker Dan Sadowsky released his video “Love and Country.” Its DOMA Project page headline reads “VIDEO: Love and Country in Portland, Oregon–Jensi & Carmen Build a Life Together for Nearly a Decade and Advocate for an End to DOMA.” The film made a very humanizing case for the elimination of DOMA related immigration restrictions.

Carmen became a permanent resident after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled part of DOMA to be unconstitutional. She was the first same-gender partner in Oregon to a receive green card as a result of that decision. But their film remains a moving narrative about the love between two people of the same gender and their brave struggle to maintain their relationship.

In July 2015, Portland Latino Gay Pride gave their Mariposa Award to both Jensi and Carmen.

Mariposa Award Given to Our House Founded in 1988, Our House of Portland is a is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing healthcare, housing, and other vital services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Over the years, Our House services have expanded, but its commitment to people living with HIV/AIDS has remained the same. “HIV/AIDS is a complex and challenging disease that can often be overwhelming,” the organization’s web site states.

“The Our House team of expert clinicians works with people with advanced HIV/ AIDS who are having difficulty managing independent living. They tailor services for each individual that defines what ‘living well’ means to them.”

Since its founding, Our House has “expanded services that now range from Left to right, event organizer Margaret-Ann Jones and the regular in-home visits by clinical staff to 24-hour residential skilled nursing sermemorial’s creator Q Center volunteer Cindy Surendorf. vices.” As the health of a resident or client improves or declines, Our House is able to continue to provide services within its continuum of care. Current programs and services include Our House, Neighborhood Housing & Care Program, Esther’s Pantry, and Tod’s Corner.

Our House “maintains an inclusive community where values, experiences and identities are accepted, where respect for differences is shared and where questions, dialogue and education are encouraged.”

Our House has served a diverse clientele, many of whom have been gay and bisexual men. We are fortunate to have Our House in Portland to assist some in our community who are most in need. In appreciation of its decades of work, Portland Latino Gay Pride presented its 2015 Mariposa Award to Our House.

For more information, see the Our House web site at http://www.ourhouseofportland.org/. pqmonthly.com

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FEATURE

THIS IS NOT A RAPE: THE ART OF EMMA SULKOWICZ

By Leela Ginelle, PQ Monthly

surrealist painting, “Ceci N’est Pas Un Pipe,” which depicts Without question, Emma a smoking pipe, while saying Sulkowicz has brought more it’s not. The meaning seems attention to the place of sexual evident: one in four college assault in our culture than any women are raped, yet seemother artist. Her thesis projingly none are believed. Rapect, titled “Carry That Weight” ists abound, unprosecuted, attracted national coverage, as on U.S. campuses, but none the then-Columbia University are charged. The artist creates senior took a 50 pound mattress, a rape in her work, yet knows sewn into a black sheet, with she’ll be vilified and discredher, wherever she went to proited for doing so. test her school’s lack of action in The character assassiprosecuting her alleged rapist, nation Sulkowicz endures who remained enrolled along is a disheartening part of with her. her story. As Jess Kibler at Sulkowicz’s project coincided Bitch Media noted, if you with a surge of attention paid to type “Emma Sulkowicz” into the sexual assault epidemic on Google, the search engine Emma Sulkowicz took a 50 pound mattress, sewn into a black sheet, with her wherever she went to protest her school’s lack of action in prosecuting her alleged rapist, who remained U.S. campuses. It’s estimated that auto fills “liar” as the first enrolled along with her. one in four college women are option. Conservative sites, raped during their college career, but prosecution of rapists, of grief. Through her art she externalized a pain that’s, by such as Breitbart and the Daily Caller, rushed to call her even in cases like Sulkowicz’s where a charge is made, are custom, secret, shameful and shockingly widespread, into new project a “sex tape” or “porn,” but, sadly, mainstream nearly unheard of. one her classmates, and, eventually, the whole country, outlets like The Daily Beast did, as well.

Prior to “Carry That Weight,” Sulkowicz, along with were confronted with for an entire school year.

Some have suggested Sulkowicz is using her website twenty two other women from Columbia and Barnard, Sulkowicz’s project garnered national press. She as a way to examine the violent reaction her generates. filed a Title IX complaint about the mishandling of sexual attended the State of the Union Address as the guest of NY The text prior to the film is an at times bewildering set of assault cases at their schools. Her project, however, gave Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has pursued reforms to instructions that engage the viewer meta-textually on quesa face to the pain suffered by sexual assault survivors in a Federal sexual assault laws. tions of consent and intentionality. Similarly phrased quesway their legal complaint couldn’t.

When the project ended, Sulkowicz talked about its tions follow the film. Rebecca Vipond Brink at The Frisky Rape is traumatic, yet in our society, survivors are meaning to New York Magazine. She said it’s nine month argues this makes the piece a participatory art work, which seldom believed. The word of those who have violated duration was symbolic, the length of a pregnancy. She incorporates the comments—the decision by viewers to them is, almost without exception, given equal or greater said, as well, that most observers misinterpreted her out- respond—into its meaning. weight than theirs. Survivors thus carry both the pain of look, explaining, “People think I was supposed to have this The comments, as one might imagine, are horrific. Sarah the act, and the knowledge that nothing is protecting them warlike relationship with it and it was supposed to be this Seltzer, at Flavorwire, characterizes them as a collection of from its repetition. Sulkowicz spoke about this terror to object that I was angry with, but . . . to me, the piece has very “explicit anti-Semitism, rape apology, crude objectification, Time magazine when explaining her work. much represented [the fact that] a guy did a horrible thing harmful memes, (and) poorly spelled insults dripping with “Every day, I am afraid to leave my room,” she said. “Even to me and I tried to make something beautiful out of it.” misogyny and hatred.” Indeed the mere fact of Sulkowicz’s seeing people who look remotely like my rapist scares me.

Sulkowicz’s latest project is a video, with an accompany- agency, her choice to find empowerment in expressing the Last semester I was working in the dark room in the pho- ing website, titled, “Ceci N’est Pas Un Viol,” French for “This truth of what happened to her through art, appears to act tography department. Though my rapist wasn’t in my class, Is Not A Rape.” Provocative, and potentially enormously as lightning rod for our culture’s worst, most viciously inhuhe asked permission from his teacher to come and work in triggering, the eight minute piece, released in early June, mane forms of misogyny. the dark room during my class time. I started crying and depicts a sexual encounter between Sulkowicz and a male With “Carry That Weight” and “Ceci N’est Pas Un Viol,” hyperventilating. As long as he’s on campus with me, he partner that begins consensually and becomes an assault. Emma Sulkowicz focuses directly on a topic, sexual assault, can continue to harass me.”

The work shows the encounter from four cameras, that our culture’s been woefully negligent in reckoning with, What was remarkable about “Carry That Weight,” was bringing to mind security surveillance, the banality of the seemingly forever. In challenging those who denied or hid the way the project literalized the burden the act had aesthetic stripping away the titillation and ambiguity nor- away from her claims, she’s given us new ways to frame caused her. Her bed, an item that should seemingly repre- mally associated with filmed sex, and focusing the viewer this epidemic we remain in denial about, and exposed the sent privacy, rest, domesticity, and, perhaps, pleasure, was instead on clear dynamics of what transpires. hatred and ugliness that fuel it. She’s helped bring rape out transformed into an albatross, an inescapable monument The project’s title is an obvious allusion to Magritte’s famous of the shadows and into the cultural imagination.

SAVE THE DATE! PQ PRESS PARTY SEPTEMBER 17th AT: • SEPT 17, 2015, 5P.M.-7 P.M. Stag PDX (317 NW Broadway, Portland, OR 97209)

26 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

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VOICES

VOICES

THE LADY CHRONICLES Why I Walk: An AIDS Walk Retrospective

By Daniel Borgen, PQ Monthly

I still remember Wednesday, August 7, 2013 vividly. I was in the middle of working on stories for the August print issue of PQ Monthly when I started receiving texts from friends. Sean Sasser, former Portlander and husband of Cascade AIDS Project’s former (and beloved) Executive Director, Michael Kaplan, passed away after a brief, furious battle with mesothelioma, a rare cancer linked to weakened immune systems in some people living with HIV. For me and all the other ‘90s kids I know, Sean was one of the first gay faces we saw on our television screens; he appeared onscreen with then-boyfriend Pedro Zamora on MTV’s “The Real World: San Francisco.” Sean was gay, black, out, and HIV-positive. He was a game-changer; he was a life-changer.

Before our community heard the news about Sean’s passing, I spent some time talking to Michael Kaplan about our community’s response to HIV. “Our community has decided to live with this, not talk about it, but live with it,” he said. “Heads held high as we fight for same-sex marriage, employment nondiscrimination, and so much more—but please, just please don’t talk about sex, let alone AIDS. But the thing is we don’t have to live with HIV. I mean, some of us do—I do— but as a community, we can end this. We can all know our HIV status tomorrow, we can get into treatment, and we can be the ones who write the last chapter of this epidemic, the ones who finally stop the band from playing on and on.”

Here’s the thing: today, now, in 2015, some folks still ask me why HIV is my primary, personal cause—they’ll ask, isn’t HIV manageable? Wasn’t that cured already? (A real quote from someone in my workplace last weekend.) Isn’t the crisis over? The short answer: No. Sure, much progress has been made, welcome progress, but we still have so far to go when infection rates are rising and communities are still affected.

As a gentleman approaching his 40th birthday, my earliest memories of HIV and AIDS were scary ones. I remember watching Rock Hudson get sick and die on my TV screen, and I remember watching my grandmother cry about it. Growing up in a Pentecostal church, I heard nothing but horrific things about “the gays” and “the gay plague,” the disease sent from God to punish the sodomites. In 1993, while a junior in high school, I saw Philadelphia at our local movie theater with my best friend, Amy. As church-going Christians, we weren’t allowed to see films, but Amy and I were sneaky and saw dozens. I cried when I watched Philadelphia; at the time I mostly cried because, then, I believed gay men like me deserved to die from AIDS. In August of 2013, right before Sean’s

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passing, I talked to my friend Karol about her ongoing support for CAP. “I remember the first time I learned about AIDS,” she remembered. “I was a young kid watching some disastrous TV movie about it, I’m sure meant to instill fear in those who didn’t know better. As an adult, I learned quickly there is nothing to fear.

We should not abandon people because they have a disease they did not ask to get.

We should not stigmatize people who need our support and love. We should be the best that humanity allows when it comes to HIV/ AIDS care and support. I support AIDS Walk because there needs to be a constant, visual, loving support of people living with HIV.” When we walk, we show we are not living in fear. We show our support for those living with HIV and AIDS and we give all our love.

When I walked in my first AIDS Walk, way back in the 1990s, I was a young, scared kid still coming to terms with his sexuality and identity. My friends and I were frequent patrons of The City Nightclub, a magical underage club that only old people remember. I worked as an assistant manager at the Gap and I walked in my first AIDS Walk with a dear friend, Lindsey, who worked at Nordstrom. We sure thought we were fancy, two glamorous retail girls who spent their evenings dancing away on The City’s lit-up dance floor. Then, my family definitely didn’t know about my activism because I didn’t dare discuss it. Now, they not only support me, but they support AIDS Walk. They give money every year.

“Scared, ashamed, angry, shocked. These were just some of the emotions I felt in March 2004 as I opened the letter from my doctor, a letter informing me I had tested positive for HIV,” my friend James told me.

“I had been on a self-destructive path and it had caught up with me. Luckily, I heard about CAP and I booked my intake appointment that week. While there I learned about AIDS Walk, how it raises money for programs and services for those living with HIV and AIDS. It was also a time to come together with other people living with the disease. It was the first step out of the darkness—into what is now my passion, helping educate people about HIV/AIDS.” His words have stayed with me since: It was my first step out of the darkness.

AIDS Walk is our community’s most powerful and enduring response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I walk to support, show love, and to, hopefully, join others in helping one more person take that first step.

Join us: http://aidswalkportland.org/.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 27

VOICES

OUR MIDLIFE ADVENTURE (NOT CRISIS!), PT. 4

By Kim Dunn and Laura Waters, Special for PQ Monthly

So we needed to spend three months in the UK and didn’t know where we were going to stay the first month.

Writing that just now I realize it sounds kind of strange.

Who needs to spend three months in the UK, right? Well, if we wanted to stick to our plan to spend nine months in Europe—we did. The rules of the Schengen agreement, which relaxed travel between Schengen borders, also limited how much time you could spend within the territory if you don’t belong to a member country.

We could basically stay in mainland Europe for only three months and then we would have to leave for another three months in order to return again. It’s complicated. We lost hours of our lives reading travel blogs with differing opinions on how the law is interpreted.

We had to go to the UK. For three months at least. After weeks of looking for a place in the whole of the UK that wouldn’t blow our budget (the dollar wasn’t strong last year), we found a last minute Airbnb in London. The family who lived there was leaving for a one-month holiday and on a whim placed their flat on Airbnb. They wanted someone to stay one month, no more no less. The ad read like it was written for us. London was great.

Tatum enjoyed riding double-decker buses, walking across Tower Bridge, playing in our huge neighborhood park and the museums. Museums are free in London! And while London was a wonderful surprise stop for us, we were ready for a little break from the chaos of the giant city. Enter more cows!

My mom came to visit us at this point in the trip and she had chosen a quaint little Lancashire English country cot-

tage for our stay. It was charming; there was a babbling brook, lots of cows, breathtaking gardens, a pub next door, and lots of time and space for quiet contemplation. It was paradise, unless that kind of quiet is your idea of hell (like it may or may not be for Kim).

We s e t t l e d into our Waddington cottage, two charmingly cobbled miles walk from anything. It was here, at the beautiful pub and inn next door that we began to learn about the English

culinary delights they’ve been keeping secret— the desserts! Sticky toffee pudding, let me tell you. Just Google a recipe and make it today. Actually no, wait until fall when you want a warm bowl of o.m.g. And spotted dick is delicious, too. And cream scones. I developed a bit of a cream scone addition. These treats are not to be

LIFE IS GOOD. ENJOY THE RIDE!

missed on any UK adventure, in our opinion.

We visited a couple nearby towns during our stay. The coolest part of my mom’s visit is when we would realize how special it was that we were standing on the other side of the world, surrounded by so much history, with our 3 little generations.

A highlight (or something like it) was our weekend getaway to Blackpool, which calls itself the UK’s Vegas. It is not. It is a dirty, seedy sea-side wonderland of rickety piers and run-down arcades and casinos.

It’s the place where Grandma and granddaughter were able to gamble together (precious), where Tatum saw her first fireworks, and where we all played in the Irish Sea. Totally unforgettable.

After this month in the countr y, we saw more countr y. We stayed outside of Leeds and visited ma ny cha rming Eng lish tow ns : York, Hebden Br idge, Newcastle, Scarborough, Harrogate. All worth a visit—for the cream scones alone if nothing else. And afterward, we finally made it to Bristol, where we stayed with Bea, whom we’d talked to on Airbnb for nearly a year. It was wonderful. She was a proper English host and we miss her to this day. And Bristol is lovely, a place we could live. It reminded us of Portland a bit—colorful, liberal, creative, friendly, beautiful. We highly recommend a stop there. And, if you do, bring back a cream scone for me?

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Gabriela Kandziora - Real Estate Broker Call or Text 503-481-9870 • Gabriela@RealtorGabriela.com 5000 Meadows Suite 150, Lake Oswego, OR 97035 Office: 503-670-9000 pqmonthly.com

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 • 29

DYKES ON BIKES® & FRIENDS PORTLAND LATINO GAY PRIDE HOLDS COMMUNITY

FEATURE

TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

By George T. Nicola, GLAPN

Come join the Oregon DYKES ON BIKES® Portland Chapter! www.DykesOnBikesPortland.com Dykes&Allies on Bikes

Please email President@DykesOnBikesPortland.com to get on mailing list

RIDE LOUD & PROUD WITH US!

Portland Latino Gay Pride (PLGP) is a volunteer run organization founded ten years ago, with the mission to recognize and celebrate the Latino/a LGBTQ experience.

The current PLGP Board is chaired by Liz Rodriguez, a 2015 Mariposa Award recipient, and made up of members from “various organizations that serve the Portland area LGBTQ and Latino community as a whole.”

One of PLGP’s central goals is to broaden the Pride experience in Oregon by bringing the community together. Fotos y Recuerdos (Pictures and Memories) is the theme for the group’s tenth annual celebration.

The major event so far this year has been Voz Alta, Spanish for “Out Loud.” Voz Alta was held on June 23, with a repeat on June 24. Voz Alta is an evening of music and poetry that celebrates the Latino American experience through poetic narratives that feature the lives of Portland’s Latino and Latino LGBTQ communities, performed by actors and orchestrated live with Latin American folk songs. This year’s theme was “status” and featured “four distinct Lati-

nos and their experience of a change in status in their life: socioeconomic, gender, HIV and path to citizenship.” Participating were Carmen Rubio, Executive Director of Latino Network; Gisella Contreras, transgender Zumba instructor; Maricela Beruman, HIV/ AIDS activist; and Argentinian born U.S. resident Christian Baeff. Food was provided by La Bonita, a family owned restaurant that serves traditional Mexican food.

PLGP presents the annual Mariposa Awards to recognize organizations and individuals making a difference in our community. In addition to Liz Rodriguez, this year’s Mariposa Award recipients included immigration rights couple Jensi Albright and Carmen Gutiérrez; and HIV/AIDS care facility Our House of Portland. PLGP’s annual scholarship was given to Gonzalo Garcia, a recent graduate of Centennial High School in Gresham.

PLGP invites us all to join their annual festival celebration block party on Sunday, August 23rd 5 p.m. to midnight. It will take place at, and outside of, Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison. For additional details, please see the Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/846780965376014/.

Your LOCAL source for reaching the multi-faceted, multicultural market, from enclaved & remote to sophisticated & mainstreamed.

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