By Daniel Borgen, PQ Monthly

PQ Monthly’s own Andrew Edwards, author of The Comeback Kid, had a chance to chat with Jinkx Monsoon fresh off her Drag Race win. As expected, The Monsoon was lovely, charming, easy breezy to talk to–and she remains wildly in love with her hometown: Portland (and I think it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual). Their conversation, which covers Drag Race, Detox Icunt, Poison Waters, Carla Rossi, The Escape–and much, much more–follows:

PQ Monthly: Hi, Jinkx! First off, congratulations! I was going to say condragulations, but you’ve probably heard that a million times already.

Jinkx: [laughs] It’s something I don’t mind hearing over and over.

PQ: I’m sure it’s not the worst thing in the world. The past week must have been one the craziest of your life!

Jinkx: Absolutely. It’s something I don’t think I ever prepared myself for when I started doing drag, that one day I would win such a prestigious title in the drag world. I have to feel a mix of shock and awe but also a sense of accomplishment because I really feel like this was something I was meant to do, and I’m just excited that I was able to pull it off.

PQ: Well, all of us here in your hometown were certainly rooting for you. How would you say being from Portland has shaped your drag career?

Jinkx: Portland is such a wonderful little Mecca for its queer community and it has such a diverse community at large. I first was exposed to an actual drag queen – like, face to face with a drag queen – at the Sexual Minority and Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) in Portland, which is an outreach center for queer teens of all walks of life. Some of my best friends were trans teenagers and I met all kinds of people who expressed their gender and their identity in different ways. I learned at an early age to have a very open mind to all the different kinds of people out there, and I’ve always tried to bring that open mindedness and that embracing of all different kinds of culture and personality into my drag work. And I think that’s what made me the kooky, eccentric anachronistic enigma that Jinkx Monsoon is.

PQ: Right. I grew up in Eugene, and I spent my teen years coming to Portland with my secret boyfriend and going to the Escape Nightclub, which I hear is where you had your first full drag performance.

Jinkx: Absolutely, yes it is.

PQ: I have a lot of silly, silly memories of being a 17-year-old at the Escape.

Jinkx: [laughs] Oh every gay teen in Portland has a lot of silly memories of the Escape.

PQ: Speaking of, what are some of your favorite memories of gay Portland and the drag scene from back in the days when you started performing and getting into local drag culture?

Jinkx: In Portland, I made some amazing connections with people that have lasted a lifetime. When you as a drag queen find other drag queens you really relate to and really get along with – and I call them my sisters – when you find people like that it’s very, very exciting because it’s such a competitive field and it’s always more fun when you have people you work with and not against.

I don’t think any of us would have ever expected that my drag would have evolved and shape-shifted the way that it has, because I used to be the most eccentric and quirky queen. I was the only drag queen in my teen years doing vaudeville acts or portraying myself as twenty years older and a cougar-MILF. But because Portland is the community that it is, even though my drag was different from every other queen my age, it never didn’t have a place here. And they really embraced me when I started singing live and bringing that kind of talent to the stage as well.

PQ: Are there any queens, from today or back then, that have influenced you or helped get you to where you are now?

Jinkx: I actually went to high school with Jackie Daniels; we started drag at the same time more or less, and we both competed and won the Rosebud [and Thorn] Pageant, which is the longest running under-21 drag pageant in the country. I also worked with a number of drag queens at the Red Cap Garage when it was still around, and they were my really good friends: Sabel Scities, Vivica Valentine, Tommy Girl, Hairica St. James, Brita Filta, and Jade Jolie actually worked with us for a short amount of time. And then there are the more established queens that really took time to make me feel welcome in the community, like Maria Peters Lake, Poison Waters, Darcelle, and Tiara Desmond.

Nowadays, some of my best friends are reclaiming the Portland drag scene for the weirdos. One of my best friends and favorite performance artists in Portland is Carla Rossi. Anthony (Hudson), who plays Carla, and I have been friends for many years and have collaborated on a lot of projects. When he started doing drag and told me what he wanted to do with it I was his hugest fan, and I still am. Kaj-anne Pepper is a friend of mine; I really love what he does in terms of intellectually examining gender and gender expression. I don’t think either of them do straight drag – they do gender performance art, and I really love that.

PQ: Speaking of friends, Ru really hyped up the fan participation on “Drag Race” this season to help make his final decision. As it started dwindling to the final contestants, it seems like people came out in droves to support Team Jinkx. Do you think your fan popularity had much to do with your victory?

Jinkx: Ru always reiterates that the final decision is hers to make. I think she opens it up to the fans so that they feel like they get to participate, and also to double check that the fans see what she sees. I think the fans aren’t the end-all-be-all, but if you can win over your fan base that’s another thing that makes you right for the position of America’s Next Drag Superstar. Of course there are the critics out there who say that I wouldn’t have won without the fan vote, or that it could’ve gone to Roxxxy (Andrews) if it was just based on drag talent. What I would like to say to them is even before it was open to fan voting – even before the fans got to chime in – the judges and RuPaul herself ranked me in the top three for eight weeks in a row. So I don’t think that I needed the fan vote to make it to the top three or even to win, I just think it’s nice to know that not only was I Ru’s choice, but I was the people’s choice as well. It connects me with the community and makes me feel like I won this not only for myself but for all my supporters and all the people who really get what I’m going for and have received my message.

PQ: What was it like filming three different endings for the show?

Jinkx: We filmed the three endings so the people in the audience that night couldn’t turn around and blab. It would’ve been one thing if we just had to contain it between three drag queens but it’s another thing when you have a whole live audience. I’ve talked to some people on the road who say, “How could that have been your honest reaction to winning on the reunion episode? If it had been me I would have been bawling and speechless.” And it was kind of hard to synthesize that moment, so I just had to play up victory rather than shock. But I think it made it more exciting to draw out the suspense even longer.

PQ: When did you actually find out that you were the winner?

Jinkx: I did not find out until it aired. I was in New York at the time and I didn’t find out until all of America found out.

PQ: Oh my god, you actually didn’t know that you won until everyone else knew?

Jinkx: Absolutely not. They filmed the three endings and then they told us that whatever ending aired, that’s who won.

PQ: Wow. That’s crazy.

Jinkx: There’s footage online of me actually finding out for real for the first time, and that’s when it really hit me like a ton of bricks.

PQ: I can’t even imagine. On another note: You’re a trained stage actor with a pretty impressive resume. What does drag do for you that simply acting doesn’t?

Jinkx: I always say that for me there’s no theater without drag and there’s no drag without theater. Even when I’m playing male roles in theater I tackle them the same way I would one of my drag personas. I think characters have to have whole, fully realized personas – they can’t just be talking heads that deliver lines. But for me, all of my favorite roles in movies and plays are the female characters. I was always more drawn to the female villainesses in Disney movies, for example, than the leading man. And in all my favorite shows, too: the witch in “Into the Woods,” Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd,” Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” even in “Rocky Horror” – my favorite character is a man, but he’s a sweet transvestite. So my hope is to get to marry my passion of drag and my drive to be a professional actor together as much as possible, and to play female roles on the stage.

PQ: Do you think this idea of drag queens as fully realized characters with backgrounds and habits and mannerisms – what you call “high-concept drag” – is the future of the art form?

Jinkx: It’s not just the future; it’s what it’s always been. Before “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” you had to really work your ass off to be a successful drag queen nationally. Drag is very much a regional thing. But if you look at the queens that have been successful for a while now, it’s Lady Bunny, Coco Peru, Varla Jean Merman, Dina Martina, Lypsinka, Jackie Beat. And then locally in Portland, it’s Jackie Hell, Carla Rossi… These are the people who are making a career out of drag nationally, because they have invested that kind of time and work into high-concept drag.

I think we lose sight of that when we turn our focus to supermodel drag and pageant drag, where it’s really just about the look. No one asks pageant queens to create back-stories for their personas. And that’s a form of drag that’s completely valid and a huge part of our community, but it can’t really carry the attention of an audience. True, pageant audiences go to see a pageant. But a show audience wouldn’t sit and watch that – they want to see the high-concept characters that have been successful and prevalent in their time. So it is the future, but it’s also the past.

PQ: So, taking that fully realized persona to an even further level, you said at the finale that you want to use the crown as a platform for social change, and you particularly mentioned same-sex marriage. How does Jinkx plan on helping bring about such change?

Jinkx: I think the way that I as America’s Next Drag Superstar can use the crown to promote social change is to take every opportunity in front of an audience that I have to talk about my passion for equal rights. Gay marriage is the hot button issue right now, but [there’s also the issue of] nationwide anti-discrimination laws to protect trans and homosexual individuals, for example. I’ve been given a huge straight audience in addition to my gay audience, so I think it’s about talking at every opportunity about those issues, bringing them up to people who maybe wouldn’t have heard about certain things if I hadn’t, and aligning myself as a spokesperson with organizations that are doing the logistical work. I can be a face that people recognize and relate to.

PQ: It’s a lot of responsibility that’s been suddenly thrust on you. How is life different post-Drag Race than before it?

Jinkx: One thing I didn’t expect is that I get people all the time telling me I’m an inspiration to them, not because of my drag and not because of my win on the show or in the challenges, but because I persevered in a very high stress, negative environment at times, and never let it get the better of me, and never turned into the person who I was fighting with. It’s a good reminder for people that it’s easy to lose yourself in competition, but it’s so much more rewarding if you can overcome that and really stick true to what you believe in.

PQ: It didn’t seem to be quite so easy for all the other girls to do that. How are you and Roxxxy now? Are you guys friends?

Jinkx: Roxxxy and I are great friends and the thing is, there’s always the question of how much they edit the show and how much do they make it look like something is happening that isn’t. Roxxxy will be the first to admit that she absolutely did say those things, and at that time she was going through her own struggles with the competition and she reverted to what pageant girls would do in the middle of a competition, which is try to get into the head of their competitor. Roxxxy has apologized to me, but she didn’t just apologize because of all of this. She and I never ended the day fighting. That’s the only thing they edited out, that even though we’d get into these horrible fights we’d always find a way to put it aside at the end of the day. We still had to have dinner together at the end of filming, and go back to the hotel together, so we always found a way to maintain a working friendship.

And I really think the only reason we fought is because we both are so passionate about this art form and even though we express that passion in very different ways, all she was doing was being passionate. And it did kind of manifest in some questionable behavior at times, but she’s such a devoted artist that I can totally understand how she let that high stress get to her like that.

PQ: Sure, and that’s one thing that I think the viewers could see the three of you [Jinkx, Roxxxy, and Alaska Thunderfuck] in the final had in common. The three of you showed an insane amount of real passion and drive, like there was nothing that was going to get in your way, which couldn’t always be said of the other queens. Even Detox [Icunt], who was such a frontrunner in people’s minds – I know a lot of people have asked why didn’t she bust out that amazing black-and-white reunion look during the show. Why do you think some queens didn’t quite bring their A-games?

Jinkx: I always think back to, “Oh, I wore that wig with that dress, and now in reflection if I were to do that look over it would be ten times better.” That’s the catch-22 of the competition, is you have to make all the snap decisions by yourself – you don’t have the chance to reflect with your friends – and just hope it’s for the best. There’s a lot of stuff you have no way of learning until you do the show. Doing “Drag Race” forces you to step your drag up to the next level and to become someone worthy of being one of the 14 people chosen that year. It forces you to put your money where you mouth is, which forces most of the queens on the show to evolve and become much stronger artists and performers. But you can’t get that fire lit under you unless you do “Drag Race.” I wish I could do “Drag Race” knowing what I know now, but I never could have learned what I know now had I not done it the way I did it.

PQ: So what’s in store for Jinkx in the near future?

Jinkx: I actually have quite the full dance card right now [laughs]. I’ll continue to tour the country performing, and of course I’m headlining the Absolut Drag Race Tour. In June I’m playing the role of Velma Von Tussle in [Seattle’s] 5th Avenue Theater’s concert version of “Hairspray,” and I’m doing “Freedom Fantasia” at the Triple Door in Seattle, the show I do every Fourth of July weekend, which is a satirical look at patriotism in the gay community and what it is to be an American when you’re growing up a liberal gay boy. Then I have my show “The Vaudevillians,” which I co-created with my music partner Richard Andriessen, in July at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York, which will be our New York debut. For personal goals, I really want to continue to act and play female roles in theater productions, and I have a personal fantasy to be the first drag queen host of “Saturday Night Live” [laughs].

PQ: I can definitely see a Betty White-type campaign happening to bring Jinkx Monsoon to “SNL.”

Jinkx: [laughs] I would just die. I would love, love, love that opportunity.

PQ: Are you planning any Portland appearances soon?

Jinkx: I don’t know when my next one is, but I absolutely am going to jump on the chance next one I get to go to Portland. I just love getting to go home and see all my friends. And even though none of us saw this in my future when I started drag in Portland, now that it’s a part of my reality everyone’s just all smiles and support.

Sing it, queen: 

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By Nick Mattos, PQ Monthly

According to an analysis of recent cable news coverage, Fox News completely ignored the passage of marriage equality legislation in Delaware and made only passing mentions of Rhode Island and Minnesota’s new marriage laws at the times that the laws passed — summing up to only one minute of coverage.

Progressive research and information center Media Matters for America recently conducted an analysis of cable news transcripts for mentions of the passage of marriage equality legislation in Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota. The results, while illustrating some problematic issues with all three of the big cable news organizations, were particularly damning for Fox News — the network dedicated only one minute to coverage of the marriage equality wins in three states. Media Matters provides the details of their analysis:

Fox News Made Just Three Mentions Of The Passage Of Marriage Equality In Rhode Island, Delaware, And Minnesota. According to an Equality Matters analysis, Fox News mentioned the marriage equality victories in Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota a total of three times. CNN and MSNBC made 13 and 35 mentions of the stories, respectively.

Fox News Mentioned Rhode Island’s Marriage Equality Law Only Once. Fox News dedicated just sixteen seconds to covering Rhode Island’s marriage equality legislation during the May 1 edition of Fox Report with Shepard Smith. CNN and MSNBC spent about one minute and 10 minutes covering the story, respectively.

Fox News Ignored The Passage Of Marriage Equality In Delaware. No Fox News program mentioned the passage of marriage equality legislation in Delaware. Both CNN and MSNBC covered the story.

Fox News Mentioned Minnesota’s Marriage Equality Law Twice. Fox News devoted 44 [seconds to covering Minnesota’s marriage equality legislation during two mentions on the May 14 editions of Special Report with Bret Baier and Fox Report with Shepard Smith. CNN and MSNBC spent about two and 37 minutes covering the story, respectively.

Perhaps even more horrendous: rather than give coverage of the marriage equality wins, Fox News dedicated their time to sharing stories about how marriage equality threatens the network’s target audience. Carlos Maza of Media Matters explains:

On May 1 – just one day before Rhode Island’s vote – Fox News host Bill O’Reilly criticized a speech by Masha Gessen, a Russian gay activist who claimed that marriage equality would – and should — “change” the institution of marriage, adding “it’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist.” O’Reilly cited the speech as evidence that “a lot of gay activists” might secretly want to destroy marriage – a plot that O’Reilly refers to as “the Swedish model”:

The whole segment was pure, unadulterated Fox News nonsense. Marriage is on the rise in Sweden. Gessen is not a spokesperson for the marriage equality movement. She gave her speech year ago at a writers’ festival (though it recently resurfaced on several anti-gay websites). And people from across the political spectrum have been calling for the abolition of marriage since long before marriage equality was a serious possibility.

This wasn’t Fox’s only baseless attack on same-sex marriage. On May 10, the crew at Fox & Friends criticized the “P.C. police” for including gender-neutral language on certain federal forms in order to accommodate same-sex couples.

Fox’s failure to report on major state victories for marriage equality in May wasn’t a result of having too many news stories to cover; the network had more than enough time to air multiple throw-away segments about the supposed dangers of same-sex marriage.

 
Media Matters also reports that Fox News downplayed and mocked NBA player Jason Collins’ coming out, dedicating less than ten minutes to the story. “Fair and balanced” indeed, right?

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CLICK HERE to download the issue as a PDF.

Won’t you be my gaybor?

Mark your calendars for June 13, when PQ’s Pride Press Party returns to :vendetta (4306 N Williams Ave, Portland), from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Photo by Izzy Ventura, PQ Monthly

Pride, the queer community’s prime opportunity to come together, approaches swiftly — acts get booked, businesses and groups plan their booths, folks of all persuasions start hitting the gym furiously and gussying up their homes to prepare to celebrate what it means to be queer in 2013 with their friends and families. However, all throughout the year, our community coalesces — in bars and online, individually through our art and collectively through our activism. The season of Pride is critically important, certainly; however, more and more, our community gives us reason to be proud of ourselves and the work that we do all year long.

The wonderful but unsettling fact is that the idea of the “gayborhood” is evolving — assimilating into the larger society while still setting itself apart, occupying spaces that it has never been visible in before, engaging technology to create new opportunities for individuals to connect while some of the physical spaces that provided such opportunities disappear. This can be scary or even unfortunate, certainly, but this evolution also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate that we — as queer individuals and as a community — are a dynamic, progressive force that can positively impact our local neighborhoods and the world at large.

The act of stepping up to redefine “gayborhood” to fit the situations and needs of the times can serve as an illustration that we are more than the sum of our parts, both personally and collectively. We here at PQ Monthly have ample reason to believe that this is true — and in this issue, we aim to give you reason to believe it, too.

-The PQ Monthly Team

News & Community

News briefs

Pop-up lesbian bar creates space for queer women

Riders rev up for motorcycle season

A fine bromance: Friendship and support in YouTube’s transgender community

On the rocks or blended: The future of the gay bar

Get Out! Calendar

Arts & Culture

Art Briefs

So many parties, so little time: A Pride preview (plus a teeny, tiny taste of the rest of the Pride buffet)

Keeping it cute: Pablo Cáceres makes a statement with his bear pin-ups

DJ Nark moonlights in Bridgetown

Triangle Productions readies for 24th season of LGBTQ theater

Perspectives

The Lady Chronicles, by Daniel Borgen

The Home Front, by Steve Strode

Everything is Connected, by Nick Mattos

Ponderlust, by Erin Rook

Cultivating Life, by LeAnn Locher

Eat, Drink, and Be Mary, by Brock Daniels

The Fun Stuff

Whiskey & Sympathy

Queer Aperture Q&A

Astroscopes with Miss Renee

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The Q Center was standing-room-only on April 23 when a panel organized by Kathleen Saadat (standing) spoke on racism in the LGBTQ community. Photo courtesy of Q Center

LOCAL

John Brennan, the gay Portlander who made national headlines for his naked protest of the Transportation Security Administration’s policies at the Portland International Airport in April 2012, appeared in court May 14 to appeal a fine for “disrupting the screening process.” He was found not guilty of indecent exposure last summer. According to Brennan, the hearing is noteworthy because it marks the first time the TSA has followed through on penalizing someone for a nonviolent and non-obstructive interference as well as the first to have an administrative record resulting from a public hearing. To find out how the hearing (which was taking place as PQ went to print) was resolved, watch our blog.

Washington State Republicans introduced a bill on April 26 intended to provide religious exemptions to the law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity after state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland for refusing to provide flowers for a gay couple’s wedding. The bill would protect “the right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, philosophical belief, or matter of conscience.”

Basic Rights Oregon recognized Oregon Health and Science University with the 2013 Equality Advocate Award at its 20th annual Oregonians Against Discrimination Business Leaders Luncheon for its leadership in providing trans-inclusive healthcare to its employees and their dependents. OHSU President Dr. Joe Robertson accepted the award via a video recording, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion the university’s culture, and recognizing the leadership of Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Norwood Night Richardson, M.D., Associate Director for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion Sue Orchard, Psy.D., and employee group OHSU Pride.

Glen Gilbert is the new executive director of Cascade AIDS Project. Photo by Julie Cortez, PQ Monthly.

Cascade AIDS Project welcomed Glen Gilbert as the organization’s new executive director at its annual CAP Art Auction. Gilbert most recently served as director of the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation and brings 18 years experiencing managing nonprofits, including the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, the World Forestry Center and Museum, and the Berkeley Public Library Foundation. Gilbert, who lives in Portland with his wife Tori and children Marina and Matthew, started at CAP on May 1. Mary Marshall, CAP’s director of finance and operations, had been serving as interim director since Michael Kaplan left last fall to work as executive director for AIDS United in Washington, D.C. Kaplan announced his departure just before the 2012 AIDS Walk in September.

John Paulk, a Portland caterer and former poster boy for the ex-gay movement, released a formal apology April 24 for his role as a spokesperson and high-profile advocate for the idea “sexual orientation could be changed through a close-knit relationship with God, intensive therapy and strong determination.” The statement came about two weeks after Paulk renounced his past in an exclusive interview with PQ Monthly. Paulk’s estranged wife, Ann Paulk, with whom he co-wrote the book “Love Won Out” and went on speaking tours promoting an ex-gay ministry until 2003, also released a series of statements via the Facebook page for the Restored Hope Network — an organization “committed to serving those seeking Christ-centered answers for sexual and relational problems.” She said she would pray for her soon-to-be ex-husband and encouraged others to do the same.

Ismoon Hunter, a librarian for Q Center and the Forest Grove City Library, has been appointed by Gov. John Kitzhaber to the Oregon State Library Board of Trustees. Hunter also works with the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN) to preserve and share the history of the LGBTQ community.

A panel of gay and lesbian people of color spoke to a standing-room-only crowd about their experiences with racism in the LGBTQ community on April 23 at Q Center. The Our Voices panel included organizer Kathleen Saadat, Rupert Kinnard, Cliff Jones, and David Martínez. Though the event was ostensibly a response to the community debate regarding a gay bar’s booking (and cancellation) of a blackface drag performer, the panelist made no reference to the incident, instead emphasizing the importance of self-examination, self-education, and active opposition to racism. During a question-and-answer portion, audience members asked questions about topics including self-care for people of color and advice for white people who want to take action against racism.

A poll conducted by DHM Research in the last week of April found that Oregonians support amending the state constitution to legalize same-sex marriage by a 7-point margin. Almost half of those surveyed (49 percent) supported the change, while 42 percent where opposed and 9 percent were undecided. If Oregon United for Marriage succeeds in collecting enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot, voters will decide the issue in 2014.

Charles “Chuck” Knapp, who co-founded the Portland chapter of PFLAG chapter 40 years ago, passed away on April 19 after a long period of illness. He and his wife Rita joined together with Ann and Bill Shepherd after each couple’s daughters came out to start a support group originally called Parents of Gays and affiliated with the national PFLAG organization in 1982. Knapp also helped lead the First Congregational United Church of Christ to become the first “open and affirming” congregation in the Central Pacific Conference and took a leading role in the effort to defeat Measure 9. A celebration of Knapp’s life (open to all who knew him) will be held May 25 at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park Ave. Gifts to the Charles M. Knapp Fund for New Music can be sent to the church. Gifts to Fellowship of Reconciliation can be made in Knapp’s memory at: salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2507/donate_page/donate.

David Zagel (left) passed away on May 8. Photo courtesy of ByronBeck.com

The local LGBTQ community is also mourning the loss of David Zagel, a childhood friend of former mayor Sam Adams, who passed away unexpectedly on May 8. As news of his death spread, friends and community members shared moving tributes on Zagel’s Facebook page. Adams described him in a public post as “smart, funny, and with a heart of gold.” Zagel — a University of Oregon graduate and Ducks fan — was a transportation planner who worked for Trimet for nearly a decade before joining URS Corporation.

NATIONAL

Marriage equality jumped ahead a few steps in the last month with bills legalizing same-sex marriage passing in Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota. As of press time, a similar bill was under consideration in Illinois, while Nevada lawmakers were working to repeal a ban on same-sex marriage. In related news, civil unions went into effect in Colorado on May 1. Same-sex couples are still denied legal status and protections in 25 states.

Republican members of the Senate Gang of Eight warn that an amendment to allow U.S. citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for green cards could kill the entire bipartisan immigration reform bill because it lacks the broad support needed to pass in the House.

A number of athletes have come out in the last month, including two professional basketball players. Brittney Griner, the number one WNBA draft pick, acknowledged that she is gay in April, and NBA center Jason Collins came out in May. Few expressed surprise at Griner’s coming out, while Collins’ was hailed as a breakthrough. NFL hopeful and college football star Kevin Grayson also came out recently.

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Katy Davidson started Temporary Lesbian Bar in March to help fill the void left by the closure of the E-Room. Photo by Sarah Meadows

By Erin Rook, PQ Monthly

It’s been almost two years since Portland’s last lesbian bar went out of business — or longer, depending on how you view the E-Room’s last ditch rebranding as the more inclusive but still quirky Weird Bar.

The Division Street building that housed the bar for some 15 years has been torn down to make way for new developments, but its spirit lingers like a phantom limb. Amid the repeated assertions that “someone” should open up a new establishment, 35-year-old Katy Davidson is doing her part to keep the dream alive.

In March, she hosted the first installment of an event she calls Temporary Lesbian Bar. Featuring DJs, games, and plenty of ladies, it seeks to recreate the space venues like the E-Room provided, if only for one night.

Davidson talked to PQ Monthly about how the event got started, why it matters, and what folks can expect at the next installment – coming to Mississippi Pizza May 24.

PQ: Where did the idea for Temporary Lesbian Bar come from? Is anyone else involved in organizing it?

Davidson: The idea was delivered to me on a beautiful ray of light. I am the main organizer. I generally also involve some of my friends as DJs and co-promoters.

PQ: How would you describe the event to someone who hasn’t attended?

Davidson: Temporary Lesbian Bar is a conceptual event with a physical manifestation. It is romantic and sweet and friendly and inclusive. It is genre-less, other than being housed under a gigantic queer umbrella, and geared essentially toward women. Picture a mind opening and expanding like the universe. Picture something free from bullshit.

PQ: Is anyone excluded from attending? Do you have to be a lesbian to attend?

Davidson: No one is excluded.

PQ: When was the first event held? What has the response been like?

Davidson: I hosted the first Temporary Lesbian Bar on March 29 of this year. All kinds of people came out of the woodwork in support of this event. I saw a variety of ages and ethnicities represented. It was crowded and perfect. Some people danced, some people played board games, everyone ate pizza. The room felt like it was bursting with love.

PQ: Why did you choose Mississippi Pizza as the location? Is there a cover? Is it 21-and-over?

Davidson: I occasionally promote events at Mississippi Pizza. I have found it to be such a welcoming venue for whatever crazy idea I concoct. Though they are clearly a mainstream venue that does not specifically cater to any segment of the population, they seem to be incredibly thankful for the support of the queer community. There is no cover, and yes, the event is 21+, just like at any other bar.

PQ: Why is it important to have lesbian-specific spaces? Do you frequent other such spaces (i.e. Hot Flash/Inferno Dances, etc.)?

Davidson: Though the event is clearly not limited to lesbians alone, it feels powerful to set aside a space to encourage women to commune. I purposely keep the volume of the music at a level in which it is loud enough to dance, but also quiet enough to converse. I personally rarely frequent other such spaces, but only because I am weird and I will often stay home and listen to Doobie Brothers or whatever. I think Mrs. is fun, and Sugartown seems really positive, too.

PQ: Do you think the lesbian bar is a dying breed or is there hope for a rebirth in Portland?

Davidson: I don’t necessarily think it’s a dying breed — I’m inspired by the longevity of the Lexington Club in San Francisco, for example. Purely from a personal standpoint, I hear fewer and fewer people identify themselves exclusively as “lesbian,” and because of that fact, I must admit I employ the use of the word in the title of my event somewhat ironically (sincere emphasis on somewhat). Beyond the irony, I use the word “lesbian” as a tip of the hat to our elders, who fought in the trenches for us, and who made our lives a hell of a lot easier and more awesome for us today. Let’s face it, we live in a world now where lines are becoming more and more blurred. In spite of this, women are still oppressed in our country, even in the most seemingly innocuous of ways. Women should have a space! It doesn’t have to be exclusive, but I believe women should be encouraged to interact together in meaningful ways.

PQ: What would you like to see Temporary Lesbian Bar become?

Davidson: I honestly have no idea. I’m happy to have it be a regular event for now, and to continue the theme of love and friendship and positivity. If someone wants to open a lesbian bar in Portland for real, they should consider hiring me as a consultant. I have a million ideas about what works and what doesn’t, and experience to back it up, specifically as a promoter and organizer and vibe-creator.

Temporary Lesbian Bar, 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., May 24 at Mississippi Pizza Pub (3552 N. Mississippi Ave.), featuring DJs Walking Tour, Ladyfingers, and Weird Cactus; no cover; 21-plus. Find it on Facebook.

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The Border Riders Motorcycle Club is the largest and second oldest gay motorcycle club in North America.

By Shaley Howard, PQ Monthly

There is something iconic about the lone biker tearing down a highway, beholden to no one, but for many queer motorcycle enthusiasts, riding is about connecting with people of similar interests and sharing the on-the-road experience.

“I personally love long-distance riding and do about 18,000 miles a year on my bike”, says Dave Failing, president and “Road Captain” for The Border Riders Motorcycle Club. “Much of that is alone, but I also enjoy the group riding and ability to share the experience of the rides.”

Anyone looking to ride with gay men — on motorcycles, that is — need look no further than the Border Riders, the largest and second oldest gay motorcycle club in North America. Founded in 1969, the club provides social and educational opportunities for gay men interested in recreational motorcycle touring. Made up of seasoned riders as well as novices from all over Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia., the 65 club members ride a variety of makes and models, ranging from sport to touring motorcycles.

Failing joined the Border Riders five years ago when he moved to Portland. “The Border Riders Club is about riding and the friendship of gay men,” he says. “It is a great group of very mixed people who do not concern themselves with age, type of bike, or how you look. The group is not about sex, but it is strongly about ‘family.’”

According to Failing, the Border Riders continually strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment. “Some other clubs have died off over the years, and I believe it was [due to] their inability to change with the times,” he says. “We have tried to be dynamic and inclusive — welcoming sport bikes when other clubs did not. We’re large enough that during our monthly camping runs the day rides can break into smaller groups of similar riding style. The people who want to go fast, do the curves, do the long or the short distances, etc., can group together.”

Portland’s Border Riders are very active and go beyond the once-a-month campouts and monthly day rides. Coming up in August they have a camping and white water rafting trip planned, and with the nice weather recently they’ve done informal day rides each weekend. They continue to socialize during winter months when they don’t ride, scheduling bowling nights, miniature golfing, and other social events.

Dykes on Bikes are a staple at the head of Pride parades.

For women who enjoy having a roaring, vibrating machine between their legs (and who doesn’t?) while in the company of other women, Dykes on Bikes offers a sense of community as well as a proud history. The chartered lesbian motorcycle club made their first formal appearance at the front of the 1976 San Francisco Pride March. With chapters all over the world — including New York City, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Tel Aviv, and beyond — Dykes on Bikes are a staple in the LGBTQ community and at the head of Pride parades, including Portland’s, where riders use the name Dykes & Allies on Bikes. The Pride Northwest website describes Dykes & Allies on Bikes as “a group of lesbian/bi/trans/women-supportive bikers and their friends, family, and allies who enjoy the sport of motorcycling.”

“It’s empowering being a woman rider,” says Kate Bergsgaard, who has been riding since 2006. “To be in a sport activity that is mostly populated by men and succeed is a great feeling. It doesn’t take big muscles to be able to ride, but brains, common sense, and courage. And the lesbian community is so small it’s always nice to meet new people and open new doors.”

Gabriela Kandziora, who rides often with and without Dykes & Allies on Bikes, also enjoys the strength she finds within female motorcycle culture.

“Most women, gay and straight, seem to feel more independent and empowered,” says Kandziora, who was introduced to motorcycle culture as child when her German parents would share stories of their rides all over Europe. “There’s a wonderful sisterhood of female riders, and we are well-respected by our male-rider friends. It’s amazing to see the beautiful women who ride, what they ride, and how well they ride.… These women become your friends for life; it is a very strong bond.”

Despite the sense of community, however, there are times when the call of that iconic lone rider can be heard loud and clear over the roar of an engine. For Kandziora, the solo riding experience and motorcycle culture are two very different beasts.

“There is such an intense feeling when I ride of freedom from all the cares, responsibilities, worries, emotions, etc.,” Kandziora says. “The liberation I feel is incomparable to anything I have done in my life. I fire up my Harley, put on my iPod, and just go — sometimes with a destination planned and sometimes not.”

Learn more about the Border Riders Motorcycling Club at borderriders.com. To connect with Dykes & Allies on Bikes and register to join them in the Portland Pride parade, visit pridenw.org/?p=1143.

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Wes Chernin (left) and Kendon Fisher (right) met via YouTube’s transgender community and have been close friends ever since.

By Erin Rook, PQ Monthly

When he first learned about gender transition in 2006 from a character named Max on “The L Word,” Kendon Fisher was a lesbian-identified teenager who had never met or spoken to a trans person. Seven years later, he has a large circle of trans friends and an extended family of brothers on YouTube.

“When I first discovered YouTube I was scared. I would try to convince myself that I wasn’t transgender – even the word transgender freaked me out,” Fisher, now 21, says. “I know it’s ironic because I live in Portland, but at the time I honestly felt like the only trans person on this planet. It’s crazy how only a couple clicks around on YouTube and instantly I knew I wasn’t alone.”

Fisher lurked on the recently launched video site for three years before posting a video of his own. He would spend hours each day watching the lives of strangers change on his laptop. With the volume down low and no interest in leaving comments, Fisher wasn’t ready to be seen.

But eventually, he began posting personal video logs about his struggles with identity, family, and the world around him, as well as connecting with other users via comments and private messages.

Many of the videos from Fisher and others like him feel like one-half of a video chat between close friends. In between updates about transition-related milestones are everyday life updates — getting a puppy, having a frustrating day at work, meeting someone cute, catching a cold. Nothing is too mundane, too profane, or too intimate.

Wesley Chernin, a 26-year-old trans man, says that level of vulnerability can be scary. But it’s gotten easier as he’s grown more comfortable with himself.

Like Fisher, Chernin’s engagement with YouTube’s trans community evolved along a familiar arc — support seeking, story sharing, documentation of physical changes, discussion of social and theoretical concepts — as his own transition unfolded.

The two first met at a downtown Portland Starbucks not long after Fisher posted a video about his experience at the 2011 Portland Pride Festival. At this point, he still hadn’t met any other trans folks, and was disappointed with what he saw as a lack of trans visibility at Pride. Chernin reached out and the two shared a nearly instant bond.

“We hit it off right away and kind of became attached at the hips for a few months. Come to think of it, Kendon was the first friend I made as a guy,” Chernin says. “It was kind of like meeting my best friend at 3 years old — we were stepping foot into this huge, unknown world together and we had our whole lives ahead of us. Sticking by each other provided irreplaceable support and made things less scary; more laughable.”

Together, they navigated through pronoun and name changes and even accompanied one another to their first support group meeting at Q Center.

“We talked for hours … I’m sure we could have talked all night,” Fisher says of the now-best friends’ first meet-up. “Under any other circumstances, I would never meet someone in real life that I met on the Internet, but when Wesley left a comment asking if I wanted to meet up I knew it was time I created real life community for myself.”

Kendon Fisher and Wes Chernin

While the meeting helped Fisher find his way to a larger community, it also sparked a lasting “bromance.” He jokes that it’s hard to talk about Chernin without making it sound like they are partners, but the love the two have for one another is apparent.

“Wesley has been my rock for the majority of my transition and has always been there for me,” Fisher says.

Chernin was even there the night Fisher first met his now-fiancée, Lissy Richards. The two mention the cute girl with the scarf working at Q Center’s front desk in a video filmed with a friend in the summer of 2011. All parties agree she’s attractive, but only Chernin is single at the time.

YouTube has played such an integral role in their transitions that the two young men struggle to imagine life without it. For both, the online community served as a primary source of information about big questions around identity as well as the day-to-day logistics of things like chest binding, hormone shots, and coming out to friends, family, and dates.

“YouTube was such a safe haven for me,” Chernin says. “It provided me with incredible knowledge on the transition process and some of the people I’ve met on YouTube are my best buds now. It’d be wild to have never jumped into that.”

Fisher agrees: “I couldn’t count the ways YouTube has changed my life. YouTube gave me community online and eventually in real life too,” he says. “If I had never found YouTube, I would still be that scared, confused, lonely 15-year-old with an ace bandage under my shirt.”

Both men hope to keep their YouTube channels up indefinitely, even as their interest in posting wanes — not because there is a shortage of transition stories on the site, but because each one is different, and that diversity is important.

“Prior to watching YouTube videos I was under the impression that in order to be trans I had to have known I was a boy since I was a toddler,” Chernin says. “Having access to YouTube videos enabled me to learn, straight from the source, the diversity in transgender stories. I then was able to figure out my own.”

As new generations of trans youth turn to the internet to find stories that resemble their own, Fisher and Chernin’s videos will join the vanguard of voices young people look up to.

“I don’t think of myself as a role model,” Fisher says, while acknowledging that he has shifted into the role of the people he once looked up to. “I just think of myself as a queer kid with a camera.”

Check out Fisher’s channel at youtube.com/djkendonn and Chernin’s channel at youtube.com/yourpalwes.

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Ross Milam mixes it up at Red Cap. Photo by Izzy Ventura, PQ Monthly

By Erin Rook, PQ Monthly

Chances are, you’ve heard the rumor. The gay bar is dead, dying, going the way of the dodo. Some blame assimilation, others, diversification.

It’s hard not to believe. Four Portland-area LGBTQ bars have gone out of business in the last two years. The Egyptian Club/E-Room/Weird Bar and Vancouver’s North Bank in 2011, Red Cap Garage in 2012, and Hamburger Mary’s in 2013.

But for every bar lost, something new has emerged. There’s SHINY Music Hall (an all-inclusive venue run by promoter Samuel Thomas), Vancouver’s Tiger Lily Restaurant and Bar (started by NW Gender Alliance President Jackie Stone), and, more recently, Temporary Lesbian Bar, an occasional women-focused space at Mississippi Pizza Pub dreamed up by Katy Davidson (read more on page 6).

Meanwhile, some of the city’s most popular dance nights are being held at mainstream venues like Holocene, the Foggy Notion, White Owl Social Club, Mississippi Studios, Jones Bar, Branx/Rotture, and The Know. But despite the recent losses, Portland still boasts a significant number of gay (if not lesbian) bars, including Boxxes, CC Slaughters, Hobo’s, Crush, Local Lounge, the Eagle, Casey’s, and Joq’s.

So why all the anxiety and hype about the death of the gay bar? Times are changing, it’s true — just not in the ways people fear.

What makes a gay bar?

Justin Leon Johnson catches some rays on Scandals’ patio. Photo by Jules Garza, PQ Monthly

As more and more queer events crop up outside of traditional gay establishments, it begs the question — how many gays does it take to turn a bar? How important are ownership, programming, and intent?

“To me, a gay bar is a designated space for homosexual individuals to meet, feel comfortable about themselves, not have to ‘explain’ themselves, have drinks — obviously — and hopefully flirt a little bit if that’s important,” says Craig Olsen, co-owner of North Portland neighborhood bar :vendetta.

Olsen doesn’t think a gay bar needs to be gay-owned, though it helps to have some familiarity with the community. On the flip side, just because a bar has a gay owner (like his does), doesn’t mean it’s a gay bar.

“I guess I would define a gay bar as a place where people feel safe. It doesn’t have to be boys or girls or leather or whatever,” says Scandals owner David Fones. Regardless of ownership, he adds, it should feel like the opposite of a straight bar — with gays in the majority and heterosexuals as outsiders.

While queer nights at mainstream establishments increasingly offer that security and, at least temporarily, that dynamic — neither is guaranteed.

Wesley Walton (aka DJ Ill Camino), the promoter behind the popular dance night Maricón, says he’s not likely to bring any more events to straight venues after a challenging experience hosting his night at Northwest Portland’s Matador Bar.

“There were issues that occurred with the Matador being a ‘straight’ bar,” Walton says. “The regular clientele didn’t always jive super well with our crowd. Nothing like physical violence ever happened, but there were occasional verbal insults exchanged. The staff was super awesome about ejecting unruly people — gay and straight — but I wouldn’t wanna deal with those headaches again.”

Yet gay bars aren’t always a safe space for the entire LGBTQ community, either. Norma Ballhorn, a Vancouver trans woman who has filed discrimination complaints against a number of local bars, says she chooses bars based on where she feels most comfortable.

“Sometimes straight bars are just as comfortable as gay bars,” Ballhorn says. “Some gay bars I have had issues [at] as some don’t understand transgender.”

Why do we need our own spaces?

If straight bars are increasingly safe spaces for queer people and often host popular parties, why bother with gay bars?

Fones acknowledges that the community doesn’t need gay bars in the same ways it once did. His bar, Scandal’s, recently celebrated its 34th anniversary and is one of only two remaining gay bars in Portland’s Pink Triangle. At its peak, the gayborhood boasted more than 10 gay bars, Fones says, and a bathhouse. Since then, a number of socio-economic factors have pushed them out of the neighborhood and out of business.

“When the gay bars all sort of clumped [together] here, it was low rent and I think there was more of a need to travel in packs for safety,” Fones says. “You could hop from bar to bar with relatively minor exposure to bashings and whatever else was going on. I think there was a more significant need for that insular kind of community.”

The other function traditionally served by gay bars — cruising — has moved largely online, Fones says. Now, bars are largely social spaces, and ones where non-gay friends and family are often welcomed.

Tiger Lily’s bar serves PQ Press Party guests. Photo by Jules Garza, PQ Monthly

But outside of Portland, there is a greater need for the safety and camaraderie that gay and lesbian have historically provided. Take Vancouver, for example.

“The Tiger Lily is more of a community center than anything else — a place where Vancouver’s LGBT community socialize with the straight community,” says owner Jackie Stone. “Any given Friday you can find a dozen T-girls having lunch and a few feet away a group of Vancouver’s best known attorneys.”

What does it mean when gay bars fail?

If “three is a trend,” as the saying goes, then Portland-area gay bars are officially failing. But do business closures really have greater meaning beyond their own circumstances?

“I do not believe it is a personal shift any more than the recent string of ‘straight’ bars closing would mark a shift for them,” says SHINY Music Hall owner Samuel Thomas. “Bars come and go all the time, it’s the very nature of the beast.”

Erin Ellis worked for the E-Room from 2006 to 2010. She started as a security guard, moved to cooking, then bartending, and eventually wound up managing the kitchen. In that time, she saw attendance take a nosedive.

“We used to be so busy that we needed two security people every Friday and Saturday night, then that went to one, then none,” Ellis says. “I used to make a ton of money bartending a day shift, and by the time I quit, I would be lucky to make $20 in tips during the day.”

She attributes the decline to the one-two punch of economic downturn and more options closer to home. When the bar down the block is hosting its own queer night, the lesbian bar across town has to do something special to motivate customers to make the trip. Gay bars can no longer rely on drawing customers solely based on the queer factor.

“I think it’s an inevitable change. People love their normal hangouts that are close to home, and it is in the bars’ best interest — unless they are bigots — to cater to the queer community,” Ellis says. “Going to a new club or bar every weekend is exciting, especially when it’s a comfortable environment where all your friends are going to be.”

So how do you keep your favorite gay bar from closing? It’s simple, says Robby Bricker’Voyles, who’s been going to gay bars since he was 17. Show up and spend money.

“I choose to support the places I like. Most of those places are LGBTQ-run. However I also go to straight bars,” Bricker’Voyles says. “So I would say support the bars you like, but don’t bitch if your favorite place closes its doors because you never went.”

This is the first in a series of three articles examining how we can maintain a sense of LGBTQ community in changing — and sometimes distancing — times. Check out the June and July issues of PQ Monthly for the rest of the series.

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British minimalist rockers The xx will grace the Schnitzer Concert Hall May 27.

Portland native Jinkx Monsoon took home the Season Five win of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Monsoon, née Jerick Hoffer, began performing in drag at age 16 at Portland’s Escape night club while attending Grant High School before relocating to Seattle in 2006 to attend Cornish College of the Arts. Monsoon took home the title of ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar’ after winning eight consecutive weeks at the top of the reality show competition, including one notable win for her impersonation of Grey Gardens’ Little Edie. Watch our blog for an interview with the victorious Ms. Monsoon.

The Oregon Community Foundation has announced a five-year, $32-million investment in strategies and programs that will support education and the arts. Of this amount, $13 million is allotted specifically towards arts education via the School to School program, an initiative providing multiyear support between arts organizations and schools; the Creative Heights program, which supports the creation and dissemination of innovative artworks; and small arts and culture grants that support the state’s smallest creative organizations. RPFs will be released throughout the year for these grants via the Oregon Community Foundation website at oregoncf.org.

North Portland modern art space Disjecta announced that Amanda Hunt, curator of Los Angeles contemporary center LAXART, has been chosen to curate the Portland2014 Biennial of Contemporary Art — a survey of Oregon artists that spans multiple venues for three months of exhibitions, events, and artist talks later this year. Hunt marks the first Biennial curator from outside the region. In a statement issued by Disjecta, Hunt explained: “I intend to use the biennial to make art in Oregon more visible and accessible across the U.S., and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Disjecta on a large-scale, yet local and flexible biennial.” To introduce artists and other community members to both Hunt and Disjecta’s recently-appointed curator-in-residence, Summer Guthery, the center will host an open presentation and dialogue on May 18 at 6 p.m. at 929 NW Flanders (next to PDX Contemporary Art); for more information, visit Disjecta.org.

Now is the time to apply for Literary Arts’ 2014 Oregon Literary Fellowships. Intended to help writers initiate, develop, or complete literary projects and to support small presses and publications, the merit-based fellowships are open to all, but targeted towards those in the early stages of their careers. Applications are accepted until June 28; for more information and application materials, go to literary-arts.org.

Catalyst Art & Cultural Space and Nikki Lev Glitter Beast Productions present an evening of Erotic Figure Drawing on May 25. Genderqueer models Ynigma and Nikki present scandalous poses for your sketching pleasures from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. As only 15 spots are available, this event will fill up, so contact Nikki Lev at littlenikki78@gmail.com for more info and to book your space.

British minimalist-rockers the XX will make everyone in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall weak in the knees on May 27. Let’s put it this way: if you haven’t heard their most recent album, “Coexist,” you may not yet know what love is. Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets are $47.50 and available at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts box office and at TicketsWest outlets.

The Portland Art Museum will be adding three new patron-selected works to their permanent collection. Patrons at the Museum’s recent “New for the Wall” event selected Itō Jakuchū’s “Carp Ascending a Waterfall,” Albrecht Dürer’s “Madonna Crowned by Two Angels,” and Irving Penn’s “Marcel Duchamp” for addition to the collection. The Japanese painting “Carp Ascending a Waterfall” was purchased outright and given as a gift to the Museum by Mia Hervin Moore in honor of her mother Maria Hervin, a noted member of the Asian Art Council.

Diamond Way Buddhist Center Portland brings Danish Karma Kagyu teacher Lama Ole Nydal to the Brunish Theater on May 28. Teaching from his new book “What Happens When We Die,” Lama Ole delivers distinctively incisive (and even confrontational) Buddhist wisdom on the art of dying. Lecture begins at 8 p.m.; for more information and tickets, visit DiamondWay.org/Portland.

Oregon Ballet Theatre presents Celebrating Balanchine, a celebration of the seminal choreographer George Balanchine’s contribution to dance. Through three radically different works — “Stravinsky Violin Concerto,” “Prodigal Son,” and “Square Dance” — OBT presents a compelling look into Balanchine’s continuing relevance and import in the world of expressive arts, even 30 years after his death. Celebrating Balanchine runs June 14-16 at the Keller Auditorium; for more information on showtimes and tickets, go to OBT.org.

Get wet: The Second Annual Recycled Rain Show brings together 25 local artists to show original works created using only collected rainwater. While the subject matter in the paintings varies widely, the show brings to light many simple ways in which we can rethink water and our usage of it. The show, hanging in the Olympic Mills Building (107 SE Washington, Portland), opens with a reception on June 1, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Take our advice: kick off Pride with Testify!: A Drag Storytelling Revival. Hear inspiring true testimonies of terrible, terrible shame presented by Melody Awesomazing, Jason Myers, and more, all presented amongst “Songs of Werqship” by Shitney Houston and PQ’s own Gula Delgatto. Seriously, mark your damn calendar now: June 9, 7 p.m., Floyd’s Coffee (118 NW Couch, Portland). The door’s only $5, so come out, get on your knees, and play!

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Bomb Ass Pussy, an underground queer powerhouse fronted by (left to right) Christopher Sein, Kitty Morena Montenegro, and Jeau Breedlove, are fresh off a triumphant Red Dress performance and will be all over the Pride circuit.

By Daniel Borgen, PQ Monthly

Say what you will about Stark Street and Red Cap, but here’s one irrefutable fact: no matter how gentrification changed the face and nature of our city’s once-gayest street, and no matter how many exceptional parties were thrown elsewhere, one could always count on Red Cap’s block party as a destination. Like a family or high school reunion (except with people you actually want to see), time and time again the party served as the community’s de facto meeting spot.

Queers of all persuasions from all backgrounds would descend on Stark to see Sharon Needles, Poison Waters, and Amanda Lepore — along with several hundred of their closest friends. Now where will you see all those people you usually only ran into every June? Hard to say, certainly, but, as usual, our city is hardly lacking for options. (Some of them are actually still downtown-adjacent.) So as you make your Pride weekend plans, keep these big gay events in mind:

Saturday, June 15

Control Top: A Queer Experience — This newer, quarterly party (Pride marks its second incarnation) blends skillful music, stunning visuals, and photography with lots of “cute people you are dying to make out with.” Party architect Katey Pants (Roy G Biv) promises “sweaty bodies, rad outfits, and nasty fun.” The parade of headliners is impressive — and wildly entertaining: Double Duchess (from SF), Ononos (Seattle), Bomb Ass Pussy (Portland). Add Serendipity Jones, Roy G Biv, Mr. Charming, Bruce LaBruiser, Hold My Hand — this Pride shindig will be the talk of the town. 9 p.m., White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8. $10.

Taking Pride on Stark — Maybe just ignore all those things I said in the opening paragraph about Stark Street? The last of the Pink Triangle stands tall and proud, and aims to entertain you all weekend long. Little art/BIG CAUSE kicked off Scandals’ festivities, and for this year’s outdoor extravaganza — their eighth — Scandals brings Saturday night headliners Magic Mouth, fresh off a Gossip tour and successful Kickstarter campaign. Sunday: Saturday Night Orphans. Music all the day long by DJ Robb. Important point: Scandals’ block party doubles as a fundraiser for local charities (Cascade AIDS Project and Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund). Art by Pablo Cáceres. Saturday/Sunday, Scandals, 1125 SW Stark. Cover tbd.

Sunday, June 16 — after the parade

Latrice Royale, Drag Race Season 4 phenom, headlines A Big Gay Boat Ride June 16.

Gula Delgatto’s External Delusional Lounge — See what she did with the name there? One of just a few outdoor, daytime block parties, Eagle Portland reunites Ms. Delgatto with her old sidekick, Fannie Mae Darling, and welcomes relative youngsters Shitney Houston, Bomb Ass Pussy, and Kitty Von Glitterbox. Along with that impressive array of drag talent: Cakes Da Killa (New York) — this queer rapper has been tearing it up stateside and was dubbed a “hip hop pioneer” by Details. Do yourself a favor and YouTube some of his videos. Maricón resident deejay Moisti and Eagle regular Danimal will make the music all afternoon long. There’ll also be a fancy Absolut lounge and lots of Joe’s Burgers. 2pm, Eagle, 835 N. Lombard. $10.

Of course, everything isn’t all parties and Absolut — keep reading below for a list of events that include arts and all-ages goodness. And mark your calendars for June 13 — our official Pride issue will offer a comprehensive list of people, places, and to-do lists. Learn more  about Gospel with Alaska Thunderfuck, the Sunday night party put on by Seattle’s Nark and Portland’s Glitterbear., on page 31. Get rested — this year’s going to be a wild, star-studded (or drag-studded) ride.

But wait, there’s more: A teeny, tiny taste of this year’s Pride buffet

June 7-9: Amy and Freddy Live in Portland, a benefit for Camp KC and Our House. An evening of music and comedy at The Melody Ballroom. Tickets are $25 at amyfreddy.brownpapertickets.com.

June 9: Portland’s drag treasure, the Darcelle XV Showplace, presents their 18th annual All Ages Show to benefit the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund. Folks from 1 to 100 are invited to enjoy a show that is both historically important and unbelievably fabulous, featuring a jaw-dropping array of special guests and surprise performances. Show starts at 5 p.m.; for more info, visit DarcelleXV.com.

June 11-13: The OUTwright Theatre Festival celebrates the contributions of the LGBTQI community to the theatre world through stagings of original and classic works which shine a light upon the queer experience. This year’s offerings include the West Coast premieres of “Consider the Oyster” and “Man Boobs,” the world premiere of “Harmony,” and certain-to-be-delightful presentations of classics “Sordid Lives” and “Romeo & Juliet.” All plays will be presented at Theater! Theatre!; each show is $5-and-up by donation, with a $20-and-up festival pass available. For full show listings and tickets, visit FusePDX.org.

June 12: Pride Northwest and Portland Black Pride present “Brother Outsider,” a film commemorating the life of seminal queer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, in Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom (Third Floor). Present at the screening will be special guest Walter Naegle, Rustin’s partner and executor of his estate. Film starts at 7 p.m.; tickets are $5 and available at PrideNW.org.

June 13: Homo Ha!, the fourth annual LGBTQ comedy showcase at Curious Comedy Theater, keeps it funny with Ant and PQ’s own Belinda Carroll. Shows begin at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Pride Northwest. Info and tickets available at homoha.brownpapertickets.com.

June 13: Queerlandia makes its much-anticipated return, creating new pleasures with its extravagant hybrid of queer Portland magic. A who’s who of deejays — Mr. Charming, Hold My Hand, Kasio Smashio, Orographic, Huf N’ Stuff — plus Carla Rossi, Serendipity Jones, and you. Last year packed Embers, and they’ll surely do it again. 9 p.m., $5 and a portion of the door goes to Bradley Angle. Queerlandia doesn’t happen every day — mark your calendars.

June 14: BMP/GRND presents a special Pride edition with a screening of “Velvet Goldmine” and a hot mix of music from the 1970s and ‘90s — think Studio 54 meets MTV’s “The Grind” — at Foggy Notion. Featuring resident DJs Amy Kasio (Temple, Deep Cuts) and DJ Rhienna (Ruthless, Housecoat, TRNGL) with special guests ONE-900 (Seattle’s Dirty Deeds @ Pony) + DJ Go Ask Your Dad (Housecoat). Nail art and hair-crimping stations — need we say more? Free from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. and all night for those in ‘70s or ‘90s attire, $5 otherwise; 21+.

June 15: Gaylabrate good times, gay on! It’s a Gaylabration — the third annual one to be exact. An official fundraiser for Pride Northwest, Gaylabration fills the Crystal Ballroom with the pretty party people and the hot sounds of San Francisco’s DJ Grind. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.; limited presale tickets available for $15, $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $50 VIPs. More info and tickets are available at Gaylabration.org.

June 16: Apocalysp! presents an all-ages punk rock Pride alternative at Slabtown. Queercore and underground bands including The Need, Labryse, Fucking Lesbian Bitches, Cockeye, and Thank You Holy Spirit will make your heart race and your ears bleed in the best way possible. Start time, schedule, price, and a full roster of performers and DJs to be announced — visit Facebook.com/Apocalysp for info.

For many more Pride-related goings-on, click here, watch for our June issue — hitting the streets a week early on June 13 — and keep an eye on the PQ Monthly blog and online community calendar.

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