PQ November/December Edition 2016

PORTLAND

Y M NOT

T N E D I S E R P

!

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2 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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PQ TEAM

LISTENING TO: SMILING FACES

Melanie Davis

Owner/Publisher melanie@pqmonthly.com

chris Àlvarez

Art Director chris@pqmonthly.com

editorial Sossity Chiricuzio Editorial Assistant

Matt Pizzuti

Reporter & Calendar Editor calendar@pqmonthly.com

OLIVIA OLIVIA

Brilliant Media Correspondent

monty herron

Brilliant Media Correspondent

Shaley Howard Regular Contributor

TJAcena

Arts & Entertainment

George Nicola GLAPN Historian

Suzanne Deakins,Ph.D.,H.W.M. Regular Contributor GLAPN

SALES TEAM larry lewis

Sales Representative larry@pqmonthly.com

lynda Wilkinson Sales Representative lynda@pqmonthly.com

National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com

photographers Dax McMillan Photographer

Nestor Miranda Photographer

Columnists &contributors

Samantha L. Taylor, Michael James Schneider, Summer Seasons, Marco Davis, Kathryn Martini, Sally Mulligan, Katey Pants, Max Voltage, Queer Intersections

I have been spending the last few days pouring over the pages of El Hispanic News, PQ Monthly, The Asian Reporter, Street Roots, The Portland Observer, The Skanner, and many other independent media outlets locally and nationally. See, many of my colleagues in the realm of independent media have been sharing the truths about our communities for decades. For the last 35 year El Hispanic News has shared the truths; for both legal and illegal around immigration, the servitude and the plight, the fight to end pesticides being sprayed on your food and on our backs, and so people would no longer have to die in the fields. We have shared the truths about the education system and prison systems, both police heroes and those who are brutal. With pride, we have shared the truth about those who have served honorably, and shamefully those who have not served as good citizens.

We have never shied away from our truths and who we are, where we come from, or what we do to feed our families or yours…We are honest about the crosses we bear and for the last, going on five years we have had the opportunity to commune together and grow our family. It has brought better creation and evolution of understanding. Now looking back on the many truths we have shared from PQ family over the years, we challenged the face of LGB, added the T and Q and Every letter, and Every color shared their story truthfully – The good, the bad, and the ugly. So I ask myself on Super Tuesday WTF? How did over half our country (Leaders of the Free World) say “that guy” is fit to be President Elect?

I have crunched many numbers this election and every time I said “do the math, he is going to win” no one listened. No one could figure out my formula even though I said it over and over again and it will be the same formula used for the elimination of our rights, and once we are gone, who will be left to fight for you?

As a person of color, Latinx, Queer alcoholic working my steps I know what it is to have to be vulnerable enough to give up absolute power and admit my truths about rape, abuse, being called names, taunted, and bullied. I know what it means to let the ego go and be thoroughly humbled and humiliated, and then have to make amends.

I have learned the Achilles tendon rips with little persuasion…

I share this as a brutal reminder to myself and others that despite the two candidates we had to choose from only one violated generations of women and girls and validated rape culture as a value into generations of men and boys. Men and boys, not just Gay/Bi/Trans/POC, but ALL men and boys – many of whom have been raped, molested, sexually assaulted, and physically and emotionally preyed upon. Bullied by the likes of this President Elect. And yet we as a nation have not acknowledged their abuse.

I know my male abusers learned abuse as a child from someone else. However, there are no resources for them to get help – so they suffer in silence and soldier on hating more and more all who seem different. And in my opinion, this indoctrination of our men is the original sin[.]

We are in a state of emergency – this election has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt how much the right hates themselves, and the crosses they bear are exposed. We can see in each of your eyes, you have been hurt… What we don’t know is who hurt you so badly that you unleashed the fires of hell on earth and are trying so desperately to justify it as righteous. So until you heal your many untold truths, we must organize, call on our allies to trust us when we say we need help, and our allies need to listen and step in when we need you. We need your privilege to survive these desperate times. Time to decolonise the food, body, and mind!

On the following pages, you will find ways you can support with your time and money. An organization that I feel is most vulnerable and can use our help in many respects is PortlandVOZ.org as many of you remember the Day Labor site lost $75,000.00 in funding when they stood with us in our fight for marriage equality. My recommendation is everyone who got married send them a check with a thank you card as our most vulnerable are going to need it. #ProudQueers time to #doomandbloom ¡Viva la Causa!

Melanie C. Davis Owner - Publisher

A SMATTERING OF WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE:

503.228.3139

Healing Our Community........................................ Page 5

Fearless Pursuit of Freedom..................................... Page 11

proudqueer.com

The Equi Institute We Will Stand Strong................. Page 6

Post Election: Getting Organized And Moving

HOROSCOPE- Stars Trend...................................... Page 7

Forward With The Q Center..................................... Page 14

A Latino Giant Awakens........................................ Page 8

Opinion: Two Spirit In The Wake Of The Aftermath. Page 21

EMBODY: When Politics Are Thicker Than Blood. Page 10

AND MUCH MORE!

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

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 3

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& November 17th 2016, 5P.M-7P.M: Chameleon Restaurant & Bar (2000 NE 40th Ave. Portland, Oregon) Like us on Facebook for details on the press parties & all things PQ Monthly!

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LOCAL

HEALING OUR COMMUNITY AND COUNTRY

By Suzanne Deakins

This is being written before the election. By the time you read this, the election outcome will have been decided. No matter how we voted, it does not matter. A nation is not healed because of its leaders. What is going to heal us as a nation is not more rhetoric, but an outraged idea of compassion and love?

Nothing we do, study, meditate, pray, or Translate has any meaning unless we take what we have learned about love to another level. This is more than loving your brother or sister; this is about infusing our consciousness with love and compassion to the extent that our leaders can lead with love.

It doesn’t matter what party you belong to, or who you voted for. What is important is that you have the courage to stand up and ask for leadership, which is based on love and compassion for the citizens of our country. This is a risk because you will be going against the very grain of what many think this country needs.

We have allowed our minds to be captive to those who

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would tell us we will be happy if we have more jobs, more money, more, more, and more. What ails this country has nothing to do with the economics it has to do with us allowing our minds to be captive to greed and prejudice.

We have allowed our thinking to be void of purpose and meaning that comes through love and compassion. The fear and angst are generated by a clear vision that democracy is failing. The emotional state (fear of losing control and power) of a country and communities is not a small idea.

It causes rebellions, violence, and destruction. We need to do something about the level of inequality in this country. This is not about socialism or communism but about making a kind of capitalism that also works for people at the bottom end of society.

As a country and a group we must reconcile what we feel is right with the agenda of those who are elected. To regain a sense of control and power, we will need our governments, local and nationally, to show us that the citizens, the nation, and communities well being are foremost in the agendas.

We must see them reconcile the divisiveness with reality.

As individuals, we can reclaim our sense of power and control by joining local groups that are facing issues such as inequality in income and housing and unjust laws. When we feel we are effective in our efforts, we become empowered, and our stress and fear levels drop. We can facilitate reconciliation between ideas and dogmas by showing compassion and listening to others with as little prejudice as we can muster.

I purpose we stand up and take our neighbor’s hand, standing together we let others know we are willing to take the risk, to be courageous. We don’t need to shout, “I am

not going to take it anymore.” We need to say I love you, and I carry you in my heart. We say it to our neighbors and our leaders until they hear us. We say it the morning and the evening and on the mountains and in the valleys. We say it until we break the chains of fear and greed. We say it until every child is loved, feed, and free to find joy. We say it until every person is free of the shackles of fear aggression drives. We say it until no mind, no leader, no country can resist the nature of reality, Love/Truth.

Only in this is there ever healing. The divisiveness of this electoral season has driven us to a new level of stress and worry. It is only through compassion and love that we will heal. Victor Frankle a noted psychologist, who survived the Holocaust, found that those who survived and were able to create a life after the concentration camps were those who could relate to loving someone, or an ideal greater than their ego or the need to be right. In this they found purpose.

There are no right or wrong paths in life. Only when we embrace something greater than our own ego and greed are we healed. It is only when we no longer swallow the bitter pills and infuse our very soul with love and compassion that any of us ever heal.

Say it, say it to one another… Say you love each other, say it to me. Write it on your forehead, write it in your mind, in the sand of the shore, shout it to the mountains, sing it in the valleys until every person in our community, outside of community, state, nation, and the world knows it to be so that we are a community of love and compassion.

Suzanne’s new book When God Whispers is now available on amazon.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 5

COMMUNITY

THE EQUI INSTITUTE: WE WILL STAND STRONG In the wake of the election results, we are feeling saddened, angered, and scared as we move to protect and care for ourselves and our LGBTQI2S community physically, mentally, and spiritually. We are already experiencing increased numbers of calls from patients wanting to access affirming health care. We want you to know that we are listening, working towards providing referrals for resources, and doing our best to serve as an anchor in the storm.

navigate the coming changes.

We are currently accepting new patients for our naturopathic physicians, who provide primary and trans related care, and also for our acupuncturist, chiropractor, and counselor. If you’d like to find out more information about their services or payment options, please see our website: equi-institute.org.

If you need support or are in crisis, please call:

We actively reject and fight the racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, xenophobia, bullying, and inciting of violence espoused by the presidential elect and many of his supporters. In its stead we will continue to work for a more just world through serving and fiercely advocating for our patients and community, organizing and allying with other organizations, engaging in intersectional struggles, and continuing to show up.

We are currently working on a legal paperwork clinic for changing names and gender markers, and exploring the best ways to share resources, information, and support that will help our community

6 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Multnomah County crisis line at 503-988-4888 The Trans Lifeline at the US: (877) 565-8860 Canada: (877) 330-6366 National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Your precious difference is so loved and valuable. You are beautiful, bright, and resilient.

“Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.”

-Clarissa Pinkola Estes (Excerpt: We were made for these times)

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HOROSCOPE

STAR TRENDS

A GENERAL READING FOR NOV/DEC 2016

By Robert McEwen

Planetary cycles bring out certain dynamics that are archetypal patterns of the Collective psyche. There is an undercurrent on a global level that tends to express certain psychological patterns through all peoples. The Sign of Capricorn represents form and structure in its many expressions: Physical form, governments, economics, and sexual definitions. Astrolo g e r s h a ve o b s e r ve d strong evidence that there are provable patterns of expression during the Pluto cycles through the signs of the zodiac. Pluto is a heavyweight planet and believe me…it is a planet, a very powerful one. During the Pluto transit through the zodiacal sign of Capricorn, people will behave certain ways. Ways of thinking about, economics, government, and sexuality will transform.

Huge government structures are dismantled and reborn defined in new ways!

This election season may have felt like it was dooms day, but a renaissance is happening! Pluto takes approximately 14 years to go through a sign, and about 248 years to complete its zodiac cycle. We are currently in a Pluto in Capricorn phase and have about another 7 years of crashing and burning, like the Phoenix bird out of the ashes will come to an entirely new and fresh expression that seems unpredictable The last cycle of this combination was in a close orb to 1776 it was the energy which helps bring about the United States of America where religion and economic

structures of England were dismantled, and a new country was created. We are currently under the power of this kind of change again. The appearances we are observing during this election process are shocking and often feel devastating.

Capricorn likes to define reality in polarities like good or bad, male or female. Pluto destroys that paradigm allowing for a more inclusive and holistic perception. There are infinite expressions of sexuality in unique patterns. This u n i ve r s a l i d e n t i f i c a tion makes it possible to be more accepting of diversity and free of gender labels. This same freedom breaks down structures that governments, economics, and family have built their identity upon. This dismantling will keep unfolding for another 7 years. About 2024 a new shape of boundaries will occur with new definitions and labels. Transformation is happening to all aspects of governments, laws, politics, and economics. These areas of society will transform the way we know them now. Enjoy this freedom, and with this knowledge, a new security that is much more expansive and inclusive will emerge as a result.

Sexuality and gender expression will change. Androgyny in infinitely unique creative expressions is unfolding letting us be ourselves without judgment. There are as many sexes as there are people seem to be the motto of Pluto going through Capricorn. It is consciousness based identification rather than form….it is transformative for our culture. Enjoy your rebirth!

Robert McEwen is an astrologer and has been practicing as a professional since 1977 around the planet and has settled here in Portland. Contact information for an appointment for your personal astrological consultation is: Phone 503-706-0396 and email is robbystarman@aol.com

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 7

COMMUNITY

A LATINO GIANT AWAKENS

By Alberto Moreno

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On this post-election November morning, brown us wakes to a different America. Wakes to a less kind America.

Wakes to a divided, unequal America. Wakes to an unforeseen unimagined Trump presidency.

Trump who has described us as “criminals,” as “drug mules,” as “rapists.” Trump who has threatened and threatens now to deport our families. Trump who wants to profit from the permanent militarization of a border wall while using our “illegal” work to build his real estate empire. This Trump. This hate elevated to the highest office in the land.

It is true that over the past year we have been spoken to. Spoken to unsweetly. Spoken to unkindly. Spoken to indecorously. Hate’s jawbones have spewed out profanities, profanely, against our tender skin. Against our mothers, against our children, black and brown.

And I am grateful to Mr. Trump. And to his uninformed followers.

Why you may ask? I am grateful because their loud intolerant noise, have finally awakened us from our slumber.

They have prodded. Have threatened our children and our families long enough, unkindly enough to awaken us from our own apathy. From our own inaction.

We saw this in the election results. Saw this in Florida and in California and all across this Nation. A giant rising.

A giant, unsteady but learning to speak the vernacular of choice. Saying no mas. Basta! Enough is enough.

Giant-us has been roused from our slumber. We have been manhandled enough by hate. Ignorance has had its say. For a long time now we have gazed into the horizon.

Expectant. Waiting for others to deliver us. For someone to rescue Mexican us, Guatemalan us, Salvadorean us, Dominican us, immigrant us. But we have grown tired of waiting. Have realized finally that “we are the ones we have been waiting for.” That no one else can speak for us, stand for us, but us.

Not only are we waking, learning to speak up but we are rooting down too. We are remembering that contrary to what you or we have been told, this continent is the cradle of our birth. And we are not leaving. Our children, born here are not leaving. And they will not soon forget how their parents have been treated.

We are learning that we are not helpless. Nor do we insist on a narrative of dependence. In my role as Chair of the Commission on Hispanic Affairs, we recently commissioned a statewide survey of Latino priorities. And what

came back is in stark contrast to the story that gets told about us. Our community did not tell us that they wanted welfare, free food or handouts. Instead, they told us that they wanted opportunities for employment. Think about this: Our community is not asking that others give us a free hand out. They are saying in unequivocal terms, give us a job and we can take care of those other things for ourselves and our families.

We are not helpless or powerless. We are instead, a people defined by, our beautiful irrational optimism.

Our very migration here is an act of hope and faith.

And while others may think of us as disease vectors alone, we carry, upon our backs, not only hope but an undying optimism: That it is possible to sow through our work and sweat, a better life for our children.

We portage within the sacred helix of our very DNA, resilience, and resistance. That it is this propensity for resistance, for justice, for the hope which is our greatest strength.

And we are growing as a community. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the US. But the simple majority does not mean equality or equity. We need to do more.

Act more, speak more, vote more. Too long now we have been defined by our resounding silence.

Today I would invite us to remember that silence is hope in repose. That we have to stop speaking sweetly to injustice. We must raise our voices. Speak truth to power and end our narrative of silence.

I worry that as a community, we are waiting for a single leader to deliver us. For a single leader to emerge and end the injustices faced by immigrant us. But I don’t think this is how it works. I think leaders like Cesar or Martin were just a mindfulness bell. Their lives an invitation to us to help keep the promise of justice for all of us.

I want to suggest on this November, here, that you are this legacy resting. That you are this justice, waiting.

Today we serve notice to President-Elect Trump. There are now over 55.3 million Latinos in the United States. And each month 50,000 Latinos become eligible to vote. Each and every month. And they will remember who treated them unkindly. Who kept their promises Left or Right.

Let there be no doubt. And we remind him again, that any party which ignores this reality risks political irrelevance for generations to come. Let that be clear.

The Latino Giant has been awakened. And for this, I want to say, Gracias, Mr. Trump! pqmonthly.com

LOCAL NEWS

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 9

VOICES

NEWS

EMBODY When politics are thicker than blood By: Sossity Chiricuzio

Always have supported LGBT rights, Always will.

I went to my father with my heart in my hands. Told him how terrified I was.

Reminded him of the beautiful black and brown people in our family. Of all the kinds of diversity we contain. Asked him to step up and stand beside me against hate.

He failed.

His failure was one of complacency, of an aversion to conflict, of the illusion of safety that comes with following a lead that seems stronger than your own. I am certain there was no intention of harm in his choice, but he aligned himself with hate, like so many people who confuse status quo with imminent domain. Like the ones that founded this country, and thought trees and water and land and bodies were theirs to use and sell and discard.

That vote helped to give the reins of power to a man currently pending trial for the rape of an underage girl, and a man that wants to electroshock me into compliance and control my body. Those men are being emulated all across the country this week as women’s bodies are assaulted and queer and trans bodies are assaulted, and people of color become, horrifically, even more of a target.

I spend my days working at a Trans and Queer clinic, and I can tell you without a single doubt that since those polls spiked into red, people have been terrified. Are considering suicide, or fleeing the country.

Are sure that they will lose their medication, their reproductive choices, and the chance to live as themselves. We are racing to find answers to anguished questions while wiping tears from our own frightened faces.

My father chose the party line over my well being. I cannot escape that knowledge.

It crawls up the back of my neck to nest at the base of my skull, next to the fear of being raped and the knowledge that my body is not as strong or as fast as it used to be. It keeps pulling my hands into fists and my stomach into knots until I’m shaking and pacing and trying to remember how to breathe. Looking up self-defense classes.

Keeping my back to the wall.

This is only the second day.

I keep reminding myself that this is not new; that this kind of virulent hatred has spread for centuries and terrorizes people with less privilege than me every day. That I was never really safe, just less obviously at risk.

That at least white people know now the true extent of our collective dysfunction, and how motivating that could be to come together to finally undo the damage and unlearn the bigotry. I am committed to that fight.

I am also fighting to stay present in my body like I haven’t for decades. I have also fully assessed my willingness to go down fighting, and not just for the sake of my own

skin. I’m afraid for my friends and family who are people of color, who are Jewish, who are queer and trans and disabled. I’m afraid for my people in Arizona, but I don’t fool myself that Oregon is any less dangerous.

The sirens have been screaming all day, and my news feed is full of stories of brazen daylight assaults.

With the usual American arrogance, we have done this to ourselves. Land of the free, we say, and then turn people into prison labor, deport families, and bomb the country they barely escaped from. Home of the brave, we say, using our national guard to protect corporate interests and attack American citizens, ignoring the veterans on the streets, the children dying of hunger and disease and abuse, holy when a fetus but not after.

We are liars.

We lie to ourselves all the time. We buy and sell the lies. We agree with them, wear them, torture our bodies for them, fight for them, pray to them. Even elect them.

So here we are. No more comforting facade of safety or fairness. Public permission given to hate with both hands. Dividing lines like fractures, with some family on the other side. Rage and fear like a molten rock between, but they try to say the burn is incidental. That they aren’t splashing the magma, they just agree with some of it’s melting points. That the ash we’re choking on isn’t personal.

My father chose something else over my safety. Knowing full well the dangers of men drunk on violence and unchecked by rules, he cast that vote. Knowing almost nothing about what I’ve already survived because he never asked, he cast that vote. Knowing the views of his church and how deadly they can be with the law behind them, he cast that vote.

I came to my father with my heart in my hands, and he didn’t pause to consider it.

Didn’t note how fragile the ribs that guard it, or the seams running every which way.

Didn’t ask about numb spots, or the stutters in the beat. Didn’t offer his hand to curl around it, helping me keep it safe. Just gave me some platitudes, a side step or two, and an empty space where the hate could creep through.

I will grieve for my lost father while I try to survive this patriarchy. Is that irony, or just a damn shame?

He will likely never know the ferocious beauty that is my community striving to hold each other up; to build treasure out of scraps and determination; to keep each other alive. He will likely never know the best parts of me, or understand my sacred, or see me clearly. He is on the far side of that fractured foundation, and we may never meet again.

Sossity Chiricuzio is a writer and columnist based out of Portland, Oregon. She is a regular contributor to PQ Monthly and focuses on social justice, communication, community, and changing the world. You can reach her at sossity@pqmonthly.com or follow her online @sossitywrites.

10 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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COMMUNITY

FEARLESS PURSUIT OF FREEDOM

By Suzanne Deakins

Through the years I have written much about fear. My sun sign is that of Capricorn, the negative aspect of Capricorn is to be afraid and to feel frozen unable to change that which is happening at the moment. The changes that we may now face within our GLBTIQ community are frightening.

Fear is a destructive emotion. It blocks us, keeps us static and worst of all allows seemingly outside forces to exert influences and control.

Our survival dynamic energies often influence the fear that rises to our surface consciousness.

These fears we can see and recognize and do away with in our consciousness.

The fears that reside deep within our unconscious mind are the ones that end up using our ego as a puppet to put us through all kinds of traumas and gyrations trying to protect ourselves from them. We perform all sorts of rituals, chants, and even magic trying to ward off what we feel is the evil brought on by the fear.

As a collective consciousness, we share spirit as well as our fears; collective fears such as early demise, diseases, and change. It is this collective fear that others use to trigger fear in us and control us through the fear.

Just recognizing that we are afraid is not enough to release us from fear. We must liberate the consciousness that produces the fear to be at-one with our divine nature.

As long as we are in a state of fear, we will consent to many things to seemingly protect ourselves. We are mesmerized by the fear. And in this open to suggestions that are probably not for our better good.

As long as we are mesmerized by fear, we will be the puppets of those who are fear mongers. These people use the very nature of deep-seated fear to manipulate us into giving our fundamental freedoms, money, and state of being. Fear mongers keep us in a state of deep sleep and unable to know our true state of being as Truth and children of one spirit.

Within every change, there is power waiting for us to recognize and use to make a situation more holistic for us all. If we get caught in our fears, they will be used against us to manipulate us into committing acts of prejudice, hate, and violence.

The 2016 election was won by fear mongers. As a nation, we have been told to be afraid of immigrants, Islamic faith, socialized capitalism the list could go on ad nauseam. Starting with 9/11 we have been fed a steady stream of these types of fears. The answer to the fear mongers, who are trying to manipulate the circumstances, is to think critically. Don’t allow fear replace your common sense and what you know to be the nature of humanity. The fear mongers are conquered by straight thinking in the abstract. To bring about freedom, political justice, and social morality requires a fearless pursuit of truth.

From When God Whispers available on amazon.com

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 11

CALENDAR

1

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

GET

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

--MATT PIZZUTI, CALENDAR EDITOR PQ MONTHLY

Screening: We Were Here: The AIDS Years in San Francisco.

A 2011 documentary by Portland’s own David Weissman. “Of all the cinematic explorations of the AIDS crisis, not one is more heartbreaking and inspiring than WE WERE HERE… The humility, wisdom and cumulative sorrow expressed lend the film a glow of spirituality and infuse it with grace… ONE OF THE TOP TEN FILMS OF THE YEAR.” ~ Stephen Holden, New York Times.

Learn more at http://wewereherefilm.com, Get tickets at http://cstpdx.com. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Clinton St. Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Bridge Club After Dark. Bridge club presents Pocket Rock-it, Orographic and Hold My Hand. $5. Starts at 10 pm.m at at the Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont Ave.

important than ever. “In large part, racism stems from the human brain’s tendency to engage in prejudice, a process that allows our brains to make judgments based on visual information in milliseconds. These preconceived opinions about other people are not based on reason or experience but on instinct—and they have a basis in neuroscience. But why does the brain do this? More importantly, can we use what we know about the neuroscience of prejudice to overcome this reaction, potentially developing methods to combat prejudice and end racism?” Tickets $8 online or $10 at door. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

2

DANCE

IT OUT

EVERY MONDAY

Family Home Evening. A weekly, post-work lounge party every 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.

12 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

Dan Savage Holiday Special.

The Savage Lovecast returns to Revolution Hall for a live taping of Dan Savage’s popular sex-and-relationship-advice podcast! Join Dan, Nancy, the tech-savvy, at-risk youth for a very special holiday extravaganza and get all your sex-and-relationship questions answered before

You and your racist brain: The neuroscience of prejudice. Back by popular demand!

If you missed it the first time, come see it again—it’s now more

EVERY SUNDAY

The Best 80’ New Wave lov

Drag Queen Bingo with Poison Waters and Friends. The perfect way to get through a hump day! Join us at the McMenamins Mission Theater for a fabulous evening hosted by Poison Waters with drag performances and win great prizes. Tickets $15.00. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at McMenamins Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Drag Brunch: Testify at Stag with Alexis Campbell Starr. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. every Sunday, Starr brings you the city’s hottest drag performers, drink specials (5 for $5 mimosas, $5 American Harvest Bloody Marys), and tasty brunch. Be there promptly at 11, children—it’s a sell-out crowd. Stag, 317 NW Broadway.

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, plus a variety of diverse talent. 8 p.m., CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis. Free!

the holidays! P sold out quickl Revolution Hal

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

Hard Yes presents: Yes Please! Yes Please is a monthly queer dance party for the dark, dirty and fabulous who just wanna dance.

The party also features guest performers from Portland and beyond plus resident DJ Sappho alongside a rotating lineup of guest DJ’s providing you with a healthy dose of: House, techno, deep disco and hard f*ggotry. Cover $7. 21+. 9 p.m. at Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. 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.

Pop Rocks! 80s music aficionado DJ Matt Consola (Bearracuda) is hosting a very special 80s anthem night at Euphoria Nightclub. The space will be enhanced with an 80s theme featuring dancers, games and an official Dungeons & Dragons Gaming Table, visuals, rad 80s movies, drink specials, a photo booth, coat check and special guest DJs. 10 p.m., Euphoria, 315 SE 3. No cover.

Pants Off Dance Off. Come get bold and bawdy at Crush Bar’s monthly clothing-optional dance event, a bar-as-you-dare safe space to break character without risking your day job (no cell phone photos allowed, folks!) Come early—the place gets packed and space is limited. $5 cover after 9 p.m. with a clothes check for $2. 1400 SE Morrison St.

Sound Of Mu Julie Andrews fun with happy

Lumbersexu Support the RC Portland 2017 you 13 bingo

firming space for music and mingling. Correction: Bi/Pan/Fluid/Q 8 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison.

SECOND FRIDAYS

Slo Jams is a Queer Modern R&B & Neo Soul Dance Night at Local Lounge. DJ II TRILL (TWERK) and DJ MEXXX-TAPE lay down everything 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. Welcom all women, queers, and their allies. DJ Lauren joins Wildfire, and night features dancers from up and down the I-5 corridor. 6 p.m p.m., Trio, 909 E. Burnside.

CALENDAR SPONSORED BY

SECOND TUESDAYS

Bi Bar—every second Tuesday at Crush, and it’s an open, bi-afpqmonthly.com

Past live tapings of the Savage Lovecast at Revolution Hall have ly—get your tickets now! Tickets $35.00. 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at ll, 1300 Southeast Stark Street #110.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

’s Prom Ever! (So Far) w/ Nite Wave + DJ Van Beezly. 80’s vers, it’s time to dust off your old Prom look for The Best 80’s Prom Ever! (So Far) at Bossanova Ballroom in Portland!

Known for their high energy show, Nite Wave continues their 80’s dance ways performing New Wave hits from Duran Duran, INXS, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and more! Most noted for being handpicked by Billy Idol to open for the legendary 80’s rocker at Showbox SoDo in October 2012, Nite Wave has helped raise over $17,000 for Northwest Harvest, American Red Cross and Planned Parenthood. $10 advance or $20 at the door. 21+. 8 p.m. at Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E. Burnside St.

plus hundreds of dollars worth of other fabulous prizes. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Embers Ave., 110 NW Broadway.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Tig Notaro Does Portland. STG Presents Tig Notaro at Revolution Hall. GA seating. All ages. Tickets are $35.00 (not including fees). 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 1300 SE Stark St. #110.

3

FEATURES CALENDAR

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Celebration of the Mexican Revolution at Revolucion Coffee Shop. Celebrating and commemorating the 106 Anniversary of Mexican Revolution with speakers tying the Mexican Revolution to the fight for social justice and equality in the U.S. today. The event will also address next steps on confronting Trump’s anti-Latino policies.

Revolucion Coffee Shop will donate a percentage of the sales of the day to the work of Voz Hispana Cambio Comunitario for social justice and equality.

Maria Garcia is the proud owner of Revolución Coffee Shop will prepare a traditional and delicious Mexican Brunch: Pozole, flan, Empanadas, Tamales, Authentic Mexican Coffee and Hot Chocolate, and much more. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Revolución Coffee House Downtown Portland,1432 SW 6th Ave.

Pride Preview

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5 AT 6 P.M.

usic Movie Night at Crush Bar. This 1965 classic featuring is a beloved treasure and sing-a-long! Join us for cocktails and y hour all night long! 6 p.m., 1400 SE Morrison St.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

ual Bingo Night. Come out of the woods and play some Bingo.

CSA as we fundraise for the 2017 Gay Softball World Series, 7. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door and that gets cards to play on for a chance at the $500 cash grand prize

THIRD MONDAYS

Queer.

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ming this m.-10

Bump, grind and crash into your favorite queer friends at Gay Skate. 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.

THIRD TUESDAYS

Beareoke PDX is BACK! Invite all the bears & chasers you know who karaoke. Free! 9 p.m. at Scandals, 1125 SW Stark St.

THIRD WEDNESDAYS

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

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 SATURDAYS

Burlescape! Burlesque & boylesque wrapped in a taste of tease! Zora Phoenix, Isaiah Esquire, Tod Alan. 9 p.m., Crush, 1400 SE Morrison. $10. We’re featuring all of Zora’s events online, so get on the net.

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 entry. Clothes check and raffle prize provided by Cub Cleaners.

Eagle Portland, 835 N. Lombard.

Stranger Disco. An always-packed North Portland favorite queer dance party on North Williams; DJs Stormy Roxx, Vera Rubin and pqmonthly.com

Sappho. 21+, $10, starts at 9 p.m., District East, 4306 N. Williams Ave.

FOURTH FRIDAYS

Twerk. 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.

Club Kai-Kai. A crazy, cozy, packed dance party for queers at Saucebox. Club Kai-Kai (at it’s most basic) is an experimentation of nightlife, performance, and your gender preference. If you have questions, we don’t have answers; we just have a space for you to Kai-Kai. $5 cover, 21+ at Saucebox, 214 SW Broadway.

Blow Pony. Check out the classic PDX party’s new venue. Here’s your raunchiest, fruitiest, grittiest, freakiest most fabulous packed dance party. 9 p.m., Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St. $7.

FOURTH SATURDAYS

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.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

LGBTQ Youth Holiday Celebration by Pride Northwest. Pride Northwest is excited to host our second annual holiday celebration for our LGBTQ Youth! A fun, casual evening of Food, Music, Games-and Community! (While this event is intended for youth, there will be adults present helping to work the event). 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Q Center, 4115 N Mississippi Ave. http://pridenw.org/event/2948

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

Heroes of HIV: Join Cascade AIDS Project in commemorating World AIDS Day with a celebration of the people and organizations dedicated to preventing HIV, caring for and empowering people living with the virus, and eliminating HIV-related stigma and health disparities. The 2016 honorees include Wayne Miya, Genentech, Bill Dickey and Morel Ink. Tickets $50. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sentinel Hotel, Governor’s Ballroom, 614 SW 11th Avenue. More info/tickets at http://www. heroesofhiv.org.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 13

FEATURE

POST ELECTION: GETTING ORGANIZED AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE Q CENTER tion, LGBTQ rights, higher wages, and equal pay and respect for women. We are not alone in this struggle, and we have millions of allies who are willing to show up for us. If there’s nothing else, that alone is a major reason to have hope and look for opportunities in this very scary time.

PQ: Have there been specific requests for services, and are those different than usual?

By: Sossity Chiricuzio

Our Queer/Trans communities are struggling to find answers and some sense of safety in this recent upheaval of the political landscape. Fear and anxiety levels are understandably high, and many people are feeling hopeless, or helpless, or unsure what to do next. This is when we most need community, and somewhere to gather, and some sense of what to do. I spoke to Justin Pabalate and Stacey Rice, the co-directors of the Q Center, about what they see as our next steps, and how they are responding to the many calls for help.

PQ: What is the biggest single effect you’ve seen since the election results came in?

Q Center: Hearts are heavy, and people are scared but more than anything, people are coming together. Since the election, there have been countless national conference calls addressing legal concerns, and there have been multiple gatherings to support each other from friends hosting wellness nights to organizations like Q Center and Pride NW hosting safe space gatherings with pizza and hugs. This togetherness that we’re seeing is a reminder that we are not alone. On a conference call this morning, we were reminded that if Hillary Clinton does indeed win the popular vote, then the majority of the country that voted do indeed support her positions on immigra14 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Q C e n t e r : We’ v e had lots of requests for self-defense and trans legal questions. We’re working with three different agencies who are offer ing self-defense courses, and we are working with community leaders who will be offering a documents clinic for our Trans community members. Those details are being worked out, and we will share out the events on our events page.

PQ: What do you see as the most important steps for the Q Center to take in the coming months?

Q Center: Our ears and arms are wide open. We are seeking input from our communities, and we’re meeting with organizations that work with communities of color and brainstorming ways to increase access to both safe spaces and activism, and we’re looking for opportunities to educate our people on how to increase representation in our various levels of local and statewide government.

These next 2-4 years will be potentially very rough. With that in mind, we’re going to be working with our community partners to formalize wellness clinics to be available for people. The first pay as you can clinic will be a drop-in ear acupuncture session held on Sunday 11/20 from 2-4 PM in the Gallery at Q Center. This will be in partnership with The Equi Institute and services provided by Rowan Gaverard, LAC. This session will be pay as you can, and no one will be turned away if they aren’t able to pay.

PQ: What kind of support would be most MOVING FORWARD page 15

pqmonthly.com

MOVING FORWARD Continued from page 14

helpful from straight allies right now?

Q Center: Get involved and start organizing yourselves. With the uncertainty that comes with this election, we are working on ways to increase our reserves in case there is a recession. Volunteering is always welcome, and please commit to making a monthly donation to Q Center or your favorite nonprofit.

PQ: Has there been any outreach from local politicians to the Q Center?

Q Center: Not yet. However, we have unyielding relationships with our local politicians from city and county levels to the state and federal levels. If there are particular areas of needs that people are noticing and don’t feel comfortable contacting your elected official directly, please reach out to us, and we will forward them on.

PQ: Do you have any resources to share for folks looking for legal advice?

Q Center: Some of the national organizations that are putting out information are Basic Rights Oregon, the Equality Federation, Marriage Equality USA, The Center for Transgender Equality, and the Transgender Law Center.

PQ: Do you have suggestions for white and/or cisgendered community members regarding how to support our most vulnerable community members?

Q Center: Yes, support organizations that are led by LGBTQ, POC, and immigrant community members.

We look to you for leadership and support. Please don’t wait. We told you that there was still work to be done in LGBTQ communities and the at the intersections of race and economics and this election has underscored that message to the nth degree. Please show up for us so that our communities can rise, thrive and survive the emboldened blatant racism, homophobia, and transphobia that are already manifesting.

Local resources and places to get involved: pdxqenter.org inotherwords.org sankofanw.wordpress.com facebook.com/APIPRide/ latnet.org smyrc.org sageusa.org equi-institute.org pridenw.org surjpdx.org equityfoundation.org cascadeaids.org basicrights.org Sossity Chiricuzio is a writer and columnist based out of Portland, Oregon. She is a regular contributor to PQ Monthly and focuses on social justice, communication, community, and changing the world. You can reach her at sossity@pqmonthly.com or follow her online @ sossitywrites.

PQ Monthly is published the 3rd Thursday of every month.

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503.228.3139 •PQMONTHLY.COM pqmonthly.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 15

VOICES

HOW TRAVELING ABROAD GIVES YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE

By Summer Season, PQ Monthly

When I was in 7th grade, my Spanish teacher Senora Brugh put together a trip to Mexico as an extension of our immersion into the Spanish language. I remember we had to sell candy bars for $1 and beg and plead that our parents would help make up the difference so that we could go. I knew the trip was not going to be cheap, but my parents set up chores for me to do and I EARNED my way there.

No amount of preparation could prepare me for the world I was about to see. The place was bustling. There

were cars and people everywhere, and the architecture was magnificent! I remember going along in my bus and passing a bank with armed guards with ak-47’s, and I thought for sure that they were going to shoot me, even though I’d done nothing wrong it was downright terrifying to see. The hustle and bustle of Mexico City danced to its own drum, and I was about to immerse myself in my first out of country experience.

I was thankful to have my mother by my side as she had traveled frequently and was able to make the transition smoother. Although she didn’t speak much Spanish together, we were able to get by, but we also had the help of my classmates and my teacher of course.

We set out to Tenochtitlan and arrived at our first Aztec ruins. No picture could prepare me for the breathtaking beauty of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.

Here were these magnificent pyramids seemingly in the middle of nowhere built out of stone when modern day tools weren’t available, and I was about to climb this 1,000-yearold beauties. I climbed to the top of every pyramid we went to as a matter of fact in places like Chitzen Itza and another set of ruins which had a pyramid called the magician’s pyramid where local folklore says it appeared overnight.

The one thing I learned the most is the deep amount of respect the Mexican people had for their history. It was an incredibly awe-inspiring experience to be in the jungles of Mexico climbing pyramids communing with nature and learning about the past.

The pace of the people of Mexico is just different too.

They never seem in a rush, and they were always so incredibly friendly. You couldn’t help but notice how incredibly hardworking each of them were and their passions for their jobs and that they were doing what they love to

do. Even those that were homeless just seemed to have a different attitude about it too they’d find a way to make handmade goods and sell them to tourists. It definitely made me understand how much easier my own life was and how very fortunate that I was taught to work hard to get what I wanted.

In this last year, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Mexico twice. In January I found myself in Cozumel as it was one of the port stops on the cruise my boys and I were on, and while I enjoyed my day there we mostly went to a resort sat on the beach and had unlimited food and drinks for the day. It was fun, but nowhere near the experience, I had this past week.

We went to Puerto Vallarta, a destination that many gay friends I knew had been to and a place I’d always wanted to visit. This town was incredible, there were gays everywhere, from all over the world and the people who lived there were all so incredibly welcoming.

While I mostly wanted to go on the trip for a week away from the demanding schedule I usually have, I was also bound and determined to do some touristy/local things too! What is incredible about PV is that almost every place we went to in South Puerto Vallarta was gay-friendly; it reminded me a lot of my trip to Palm Springs a few years back.

On this journey, my friends and I went Zip Lining in the middle of the jungle and boy was it hard work. Our tour guides were funny and flirty, and we hiked what seemed like a million miles and a zillion steps, but we went across 10 lines flying like superman or upside down and spinning.

As I looked across the vast canyon somewhat scared, but incredibly thrilled I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that this was my real life. The people of Mexico were once A NEW PERSPECTIVE page 17

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FEATURES

A NEW PERSPECTIVE Continued from page 16

again welcoming with open arms, and we were having a fabulous time.

On Tuesday night we found ourselves at an American owned sports bar watching the results of the election, I was surprised to see so many native Mexicans there. When I asked one of them why they were watching, they politely smiled and said, we’ve got a lot riding on this too. This gentleman told me of his family who had immigrated there, who sends back nearly 2/3 of his paycheck back home and was currently in the process of trying to become a US Citizen. He was worried for not only his family up there, but his family down here. Without them working in the US they’d never survive he told me. As the results became clear and we all silently sad there, many of us shedding a tear and realized that for the first time in our adult lives we were genuinely afraid.

As luck would have it, we had scheduled a gay boat cruise the next day, and as many of us gathered from the US, Canada, The UK, and Mexico, we all sort of agreed we’d let the events of the previous day go and vow to have a good time. Somehow the gods had shined on us, and we were able to set aside our fears and relax, snorkel and of course flirt with some very gorgeous GOGO boys. I’ve no doubt we made some lifelong friends from that cruise.

Thursday found me taking a bus to the Puerto Vallarta Zoo where many of the locals chatted me up and were genuinely interested in where I was headed several of them welcoming me to their city and being excited about my travels. As I walked the ½ mile up to the zoo, I looked at the local culture with a church sitting right there, and adobe house kind of crumbling to the ground right next to it the juxtaposition was staggering. While waiting for my friend Steven to arrive the guy

at the zoo told me he was sorry for the way things were happening to us and that if I ever needed to find a new home PV would definitely welcome me. I excused myself outside and quietly shed a tear. He had no reason to be kind to me and yet here I was in a place I’d never been, being offered some of the sweetest gestures I’d ever received. The day was only compounded with greatness as I got to feed and pet a giraffe, pet little mini ponies and play with baby Lions. Little Chocolate was my favorite lioness and is pictured in this story.

As I sit on the plane home and write this, I can’t help but be anxious about what is to come for my new friends in Mexico and my current friends in the US. I’m humbled by the love and support we received from every Mexican we encountered and thankful they gave me a trip I’ll never forget. I can’t help but sit here and cry when I think of the way that our next government wants to treat them. Obviously, I know that not everyone from there is perfect, but the hundreds of them we met are just waiting to have the opportunities as you, and I have had and that were afforded to us early on. I can’t help but wonder why another human being would be afraid of someone wanting to better themselves or because they had a different color of skin. At the end of the day, they are all just the same as you and me.

Despite all the offers and jokes to move amongst friends that we’ve met here, it made me realize something about myself and the people I choose to surround myself with. We are all fighters and activists, and now more than ever we see the call, not from just one side, but from another side as well. I’m slightly comforted knowing that we are gonna fight. We are gonna fight together, to maintain the rights that we fought so hard for and I’m comforted knowing that our new friends are fighting with us.

Because together we are better and divided we will crumble.

JOIN US! NOV 17th

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November 17th 2016, 5P.M-7P.M: Chameleon Restaurant & Bar (2000 NE 40th Ave. Portland, Oregon) pqmonthly.com

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love has no labels

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 17

FEATURE

WHAT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR TRUMP

Elena Shore, New America Media

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two days after Donald Trump’s victory, immigration experts told reporters to keep a close eye on the president-elect’s transition team and his appointments to key government positions, for clues as to what to expect from his administration once he is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017.

“We’re hearing a lot of questions and, honestly, a little bit of panic,” said Sally Kinoshita, deputy director of Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

But, she said, it’s important to put the election in context.

“When you look at the popular vote [which Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won], “the majority of Americans did not vote for Trump and his anti-immigrant rhetoric,” Kinoshita said on a national press call organized by New America Media and Ready California, a coalition of nonprofits that serve immigrant communities.

“This election,” she cautioned, “is not a reflection of Americans in general and their views of immigrants.”

What the polls got wrong The election of Donald Trump came as a surprise to pollsters, who had estimated Clinton’s chances of winning at 70 percent and up.

“From a historical standpoint, the polling was wrong for the following reasons: Turnout in urban centers [that traditionally vote Democratic] was slightly lighter than expected; and turnout in rural areas was higher than expected,” explained Anthony Williams, special project director of the 18 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Miami-based public opinion research firm Bendixen & Amandi International.

This had the effect of “flipping three states that nobody thought were in play: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, and, to a certain extent, Florida,” he said.

But a look at the total numbers shows that Trump prevailed in the Electoral College, not because of a swell of enthusiasm for the Republican candidate, but because of a lack of enthusiasm for Clinton.

Trump’s vote total was roughly equal to GOP candidate John McCain’s total in 2008, and he got fewer votes than GOP candidate Mitt Romney got in 2012.

Clinton, meanwhile, got about 60 million votes – six million fewer than Barack Obama got in 2012, and 10 million fewer than Obama got in 2008.

While there was “very little evidence” of an insidious effort at voter suppression in this election, said Williams, there were “other forms of voter suppression, not the least of which was the overwhelming sense that it was over.

“You could make the argument,” he said, “that the perception of [Clinton’s] victory suppressed turnout [in urban areas that would have voted for Clinton].”

An increase in Hispanic, Asian voters and Senators “The notion that there was a Hispanic wave was real,” noted Williams. “In Nevada, the increase in Hispanic turnout was the difference in the election.”

But Williams said that in other states, such as Florida, there were not enough Latino voters to overcome the increase in the rural, white voter turnout.

Christine Chen, executive director APIAVote, also saw an increased level of voter

Stag

IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES page 19

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participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), over two-thirds of whom are first-generation immigrants.

Continued from page 18 Based on early voter turnout, she said, the AAPI vote doubled in Florida, Arizona, Virginia and North Carolina, and tripled in Georgia.

Two Asian American women were elected to the U.S. Senate, joining Mazie Hirono of Hawaii: Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who is Thai Chinese, and Kamala Harris of California, who is African American and Indian.

In Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto became the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

A challenging time ahead The election of Trump, a candidate who made fear and xenophobia a central part of his campaign, has spurred advocates to pledge to fight for the dignity of all families.

“There’s no doubt we are entering a challenging period.

The election was divisive and damaging. We saw hate crimes, hateful rhetoric,” said Kamal Essaheb, national director of policy and advocacy for National Immigration Law Center.

“President-Elect Trump has called for unity in his election night speech, but obviously his actions are going to have to speak louder,” Essaheb said.

The most important thing to do now, he said, is to make sure immigrants are prepared and know their rights.

One thing to keep in mind, he said, are the limits of presidential power.

“The Constitution protects everyone,” Essaheb said.

IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

“Law enforcement has to show you [a warrant to enter your house]. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to call an attorney.”

“There are things he can do that will be harmful,” said Essaheb. But, he said, “Trump cannot take away the Constitution. He cannot take away the people’s rights.”

Another thing he can’t take away are state and local laws, such as California’s AB 60, which allows undocumented immigrants to get a driver’s license. “State and city-level policies did not change on Tuesday night,” Essaheb said.

“The same opportunities are there; the imperative to act is higher.”

Trump has said that he would repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the executive action taken

by President Obama in 2012 that gives certain undocumented immigrants who came here as children access to a work permit.

He has said that he would eliminate federal funding to so-called “sanctuary cities” whose policies limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.

He has talked about stepping up deportations, with “zero tolerance for criminal aliens.”

He has also talked about building a wall, something that experts say is neither practical nor feasible.

He has even hinted at a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants, Essaheb noted, saying that once we enforce our laws, we can start to have a conversation about the people who are already here.

What families can do now Although it is hard to know exactly what to expect under

a Trump administration, there are some steps families can take now to stay safe and plan for their future.

Sally Kinoshita of Immigrant Legal Resource Center noted that Trump is not president until Jan. 20, 2016. Until then, the DACA program remains in effect.

It takes several months for DACA applications to be processed, Kinoshita said, so if people have not applied for DACA, it might be too late.

Trump has said he would get rid of the program; the earliest this would happen is his first day in office.

Renewals, which take eight weeks to be processed, would be much less of a risk, said Kinoshita. Some people are renewing their DACA now while Obama is in office, in order to get a two-year work permit.

Anyone planning to renew DACA now should know that the price for DACA increases to $495 on Dec. 23, 2016.

Loans are available through the Mission Asset Fund, SelfHelp Federal Credit Union, the Mexican Consulate or local service providers.

Because there is expected to be an increase in enforcement, prioritizing those with criminal records, she said, people should avoid brushes with the law.

“Something like a DUI or a drug conviction can have permanent immigration consequences,” Kinoshita said.

Those who live in California can get certain felonies reduced to misdemeanors under Prop 47.

Kinoshita encouraged all immigrants to go to a qualified legal services provider to be screened for other forms of immigration relief.

To find free or low-cost nonprofit legal services providers near you, go to the Immigration Advocates Network’s national directory.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 19

20 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

pqmonthly.com

VOICES

OPINION: TWO SPIRIT IN THE WAKE OF THE AFTERMATH and pulling a traffic camera down. My reward? Three intellectually challenged young men t hreatened me a nd surrounded me. I dealt with it. I don’t blame the whole crowd for it. Other people were unhappy about it, and directing traffic around the intersections. My videos on social media PROVE this.

By Monty Herron, PQ Monthly

Well, post-election, after Super Tuesday, and it’s a brave, new, orange, racist, bigoted, and homophobic world. On day four of Portland’s protests, I decided to embed myself as a human rights observer, and lend my voice and body to the message that we will not quietly allow this next administration to undo forty years of hard-won gains in civil rights, and cessation of wars.

So to recap my experience: No one is being paid to protest.

People are exercising their RIGHT to free speech, and their right to assembly as well.

Now be careful when answering these next questions, you may find yourself feeling a little uncomfortable, or heaven forbid; admitting you enjoy the privilege or are out of touch with those who have to fight for their rights.

Do a few or a small number of people invalidate an entire movement? Answer me this- do you condemn all Christians for the behavior of the Westboro Baptist Church? Do you vilify all Muslims because of the few who adhere to sharia law? If your answer is no, then stop citing the few who damage property as your reason to vilify protesters. And that’s saying something.

Because I PERSONALLY took protesters to task last night for kicking someone’s truck

Next up: Wah Wah Wah, these people are inconveniencing me, they aren’t accomplishing anything... That’s what they said about the Vietnam War, that’s what they said about civil rights in the sixties, that’s what they said about the Iraqi war, that’s what they said about marriage equality, shall I go on? In EACH of these cases, when public opinion swayed enough, a new direction in our social policies was achieved, or a war ended. But if it makes you feel better to gripe like Archie Bunker, or some other grumpy old person, who am I to judge, knock yourself out.

Ok, my next to last point: If you weren’t there to see it, don’t swallow whatever the media is trying to spoon feed you. Don’t contribute to, or repeat narratives if you don’t know what you’re talking about. You say you saw a video on the local news? Hmm, I don’t doubt that, but it was about 15 seconds of video, from a protest that spanned 8 hours, thereabouts.

Oh yes, what a clear picture about the WHOLE thing you must have. If you care enough to talk about it, care enough to go and witness or observe for yourself.

Okay, I swear, this WILL be my last pointMANY of you have rallied, shared posts, donated, and supported the movement at Standing Rock, but now when it’s an issue in our front yard this is how you act? Y’all can be some fickle, fishy, weak-sauce mother truckers.

I love you Portlanders, regardless of your stance on this, but please, don’t expect me or others to change our ways. I enjoy the heavy-lifting of advancing society and spreading more equity and love in the world, and there’s plenty of work to do, so lend a hand, or get out of the way.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • 21

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“THE ESSENTIAL RUPAUL: HERSTORY, PHILOSOPHY & HER FIERCEST QUEENS”

by John Davis, Illustrated by Libby Vanderploeg

c.2016, Smith Street Books $14.95 / $19.95 Canada 95 pages

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The Queen has spoken.

Everyone listens because, well, how can they not? Her bearing, her stature, her very demeanor demand attention from all her subjects and in the new book “The Essential RuPaul” by John Davis, illustrations by Libby Vanderploeg, these queens have a lot to say.

When RuPaul Andre Charles was a little boy, his mother told him that he would be a star someday, and she’d given him an unusual name just so he’d stand out. That’s what he did, starting in his teens when he dropped out of the North Atlanta School of Performing Arts and began to “find his calling.”

On his way, he was a member of a punk rock band, he performed as a go-go dancer, hosted a talk-show, and “hosted numerous local events” in Atlanta. Later, he moved to New York and acted in films. By 1989, after a few pauses in his fabulosity, he became “RuPaul the Glamazon” and went on to even bigger fame in fashion, modeling, music, TV, and cosmetics.

Following the 9/11 attacks, RuPaul briefly and “quietly” stepped back from show biz to “take a break,” but he couldn’t stay away long: in 2009, he launched RuPaul’s Drag Race, a television show that featured snarky judges and competitors in performance, sewing, comedy, and (of course) drag.

In this book, we meet some of them…

There’s Santino Rice, a Drag Race judge whose comments cut

like a razor blade. Adore Delano, whose last-minute debut came on YouTube after her creator, Danny Noriega, appeared on American Idol. Alaska, a “Tacky Blonde Bombshell” who hailed from the state she was named after. There’s Cameroon native BeBe Zahara Benet, who arrived following a modeling gig from “an unexpected no-show of a female model.” Drag housewife BenDeLaCreme has created her own cosmetics line, featuring cruelty-free products. Following her taping of Drag Race in 2010, Carmen Carrera is now a trans TV star. Cher impersonator Chad Michaels has been fortunate to perform with Cher herself. Manila Luzon’s first appearance was as Cruella de Vil, and performer Nina Flowers enjoys her own “day” in the Denver LGBT community.

“The Essential RuPaul” is one really quirky book.

Despite that its subtitle promises “Herstory” and more, there’s really very little here about RuPaul; four pages, to be exact, and one of those is almost entirely just an illustration by artist Libby Vanderploeg. The rest of this book, alas, only has tentative relevance to RuPaul, through the drag queens that appeared on her show.

And that’s fine – if that narrow subject is what you want. Author John Davis does a good job in bringing together a bedazzle of performers in this book, but the list is frustrating in its incompleteness, and the mini-chapters with mini-biographies are woefully short and quite repetitious. That, plus the misleading title may frustrate some readers, but yet, fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race probably won’t care.

They’ll enjoy this book no matter what.

If that’s you, then you’ll be happy when you find “The Essential RuPaul.”

And long live the queens.

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