GOES BIG - PQ Monthly

Transcription

EX-EX-GAY?
JOHN
PAULK
MONTHLY
FREE
PQMONTHLY.COM
Vol. 2 No. 4
Apr./May 2013
GAY PORTLAND
A STRANGE FICTION
A PQ EXCLUSIVE
RACE DRAG
SQL DEBATE CONTINUES
LOCKED OUT
HOW THE STATE STYMIED
A Q CENTER VOLUNTEER
QDOC
GOES BIG
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2 • April-May 2013
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PQ TEAM POLICY OF TRUTH
Melanie Davis
Owner/Publisher
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Principal & Business Development
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julie cortez
Editor-in-Chief
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Art Director
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editorial TEAM
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Staff Writer/Calendar Editor
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nick mattos
Staff Writer
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erin rook
Web Editor/Writer
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SALES TEAM
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How does a community hold itself accountable without
tearing its members down? How can we seek and report upon
the truth while remaining cognizant of its subjectivity? We —
as a community, and as a publication — have wrestled mightily with these questions lately.
Human beings are incapable of true objectivity; as a result,
the best any journalist or publication can aim for is fairness,
balance, and thoroughness in their investigation and reporting. As you will see in a letter to the editor on page 10, some
feel that PQ has fallen short of this aim and of our mission to
represent “every color and every letter” of the LGBTQ community. We have not and will never claim that our coverage
is above criticism; however, we strive to report the facts as we
find them — and the words of those involved as they are delivered to us — without malice towards particular individuals,
groups, or entities. If you have a perspective that you feel isn’t
being represented in our coverage, we urge you to make yourself available as a source by contacting us at info@pqmonthly.
com; we also welcome letters to the editor (be they critical or
complimentary) at that address.
Over the last few months, tensions have surfaced around
race, privilege, and accountability in the community; as
individuals and as a movement, queer people have struggled
to understand how to talk about and ameliorate these issues
respectfully and constructively. As we have seen it, one of the
most positive outcomes of this situation has been its ability to starkly illuminate two ways to consider the question,
“Why did you do that?” — as an accusation or as an inquiry.
We need more of the latter.
We must be willing to ask the hard questions, both of ourselves and of those around us, and accept the answers. We
need to be able to account for our own missteps and the missteps of others in the community while also recognizing our
shared, flawed, glorious humanity. As journalists and as a publication, we believe that this is the only means by which we
can make real progress towards justice, reconciliation, and
understanding. Seeking truth is hard, and it often hurts quite
a bit. But, like setting a broken bone, it’s the only way we are
ever going to heal.
-The PQ Monthly Team
Photo by Julie Cortez, PQ Monthly
A SMATTERING OF WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE:
ON THE COVER
Dream it, speak it, do it at the 2013 Oregon Queer Youth Summit................ page 6
How the state is keeping one Q Center volunteer from giving back........... page 6
izzy ventura
Is John Paulk ready to renounce his ex-gay gospel?.................................... page 9
Staff Photographer
[email protected]
media
Debate continues over booking of blackface performer.............................. page 10
Director of Video Productions
Strange fiction: The virtual reality behind Gay Portland................................. page 13
503.228.3139
QDoc goes big with ‘Divine’ opening night..................................................... page 21
proudqueer.com
Radical Faerie Film Fest makes Portland debut.............................................. page 22
Sammi Rivera
Our anonymous model reads from one of
John Paulk’s books — “Love Won Out,” about
Paulk’s “conversion” from homosexuality.
Has truth won out? Read more about Paulk’s
current perspective on the ex-gay movement
— and the LGBTQ community’s views on
Paulk — on page 9.
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pqmonthly.com
Photo by Julie Cortez, PQ Monthly
‘Herstory/History’ is our story............................................................................. page 26
Hawks bathhouse celebrates one-year anniversary..................................... page 30
Columns: LGBTQ Legal Outlook; What a Riot!; The Lady Chronicles; Ponderlust; Everything is Connected; Cultivating Life; and Eat, Drink, and Be Mary. Plus Astroscopes, Queer Aperture, See and Be
Seen … and more!
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NEWS BRIEFS
BREVITY ROCKS! NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR
Left to right: George Nicola is the recipient of the 2013 Pride NW Community Activist Award (photo by Jules Garza); Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) hosts its annual Art Auction Gala April 27 (photo by Izzy Ventura); Portland DJ Monika MHz was one of three Oregonians recognized in the
inaugural Trans 100 (photo by Jules Garza).
LOCAL
Robert Paul Patton, the 44-year-old publisher of LGBTQ
blog FabulousPDX.com and former Sherwood High School
principal, was sentenced to two years in prison April 8 after
pleading no contest to the attempted first-degree sexual
abuse of a 12-year-old boy, according to the Oregonian.
Patton, who was convicted in 2003 of sexually abusing a
16-year-old boy and possessing child pornography, was
arrested on new charges July 18.
The Trans 100, a joint project of Jen Richards of We
Happy Trans and Antonia D’orsay of This is H.O.W.,
revealed its inaugural list of honorees April following a
launch event in Chicago on March 29, corresponding with
International Transgender Day of Visibility. The list was
culled from 350 nominees and reflects a diverse group of
leaders, including local activist and musician Monika MHz
(who first shared her trans history publicly in PQ Monthly
in January), Executive Director of Portland-based TransActive Education & Advocacy Jenn Burleton, and Oregon
State University Queer Studies professor Qwo-Li Driskill.
Pride NW announced the recipients of its 2013 Spirit of
Pride and Community Activist awards April 14. The annual
Spirit of Pride Award, which recognizes an LGBTQI-identified group who works to better the community, goes to
Peacock Productions President Maria Council (aka Maria
Peters Lake). In addition to putting on Peacock After Dark,
the annual fundraising event for the Audria M. Edwards
Scholarship Fund, Council serves as Rose Empress XXXVI
and is the first female Empress is Court history. The Community Activist Award, given out every other year to organizations or individuals doing grassroots work with limited resources, goes to George Nicola, who has been active
in the fight for LGBTQ equality since the early days of the
movement.
Portland Latino Gay Pride is currently seeking nominations for its annual Mariposa Award. The award is given to
someone who has a history of involvement in and support
of the Latino and/or LGBTQ community, a commitment to
arts and culture, and dedication to social justice. Nominations can be submitted via email to laluchachair@yahoo.
com or online at latinagayprodepdx.com. Recipients will be
recognized July 20 at PLGP’s event “VOZ ALTA” at Q Center.
Portland-based Veterans for Human Rights, an LGBTQ
veterans group, will discuss its goals and directions for the
coming year at its annual general membership meeting
April 28 at 2 p.m. at Q Center. The meeting, which is open
to the public, will also include election of officers and planning for the Color Guard for the Portland Pride Parade. The
group is extending a special invitation to veterans with an
“other than honorable” military discharge due to homopqmonthly.com
sexuality and an offer to assist in obtaining a discharge
upgrade. For more information, visit vfhr.org.
Dining Out for Life will raise funds for HIV/AIDS organizations across North America April 25 as participating
restaurants donating 20-30 percent of the day’s profits to
local organizations. In Portland, funds raised will go to
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) HIV Day Center
and the OHSU Partnership Project. Find a participating
restaurant near you at www.diningoutforlife.com/portland.
Portland Women’s Crisis Line and the Portland State
University Women’s Resource Center host the annual Take
Back the Night event April 25 from 6 to 8 at PSU’s Smith
Memorial Student Union Parkway North. The event will
include a speak-out, resource fair, entertainment, and a
candle light/paper lantern vigil.
Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) hosts its annual Art Auction Gala April 27 at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. The
gala is presented by the Hedinger Family Foundation
with honorary co-chairs Ann and Mark Edlen and seeks to
raise funds to support CAP and its programming for people
affected by HIV/AIDS. The auction is the largest contemporary art auction in the Pacific NW. Individual tickets to
the Patron’s Dinner are $250; tickets to the Grand Event
are $100. Both are available online at capartauction.org.
Kathleen Saadat will host a panel on race and racism
called Our Voices with David Martínez, Cliff Jones, and
Rupert Kinnard April 30 at Q Center. The panelists will share
their experiences in movements for social justice and civil
rights as well as personal stories about race and ethnicity.
There will time at the end of the presentation for dialogue
and questions. For more information visit pdxqcenter.org.
Equity Foundation will honor women who work in service of equality at its annual Women Who Lead event May
15 at the Portland Art Museum. The first Leadership Award
will go to Samantha Swaim of Samantha Swaim Fundraising LLC and the lifetime achievement award with go to Susie
Shepherd, chair of the Bill and Ann Shepherd Legal Scholarship Committee. Learn more at equityfoundation.org.
NATIONAL
PFLAG National honored LGBTQ allies at its fifth annual
Straight for Equality Awards Gala on April 5 in New York
City. This year’s award-winners included Sir Patrick Stewart (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Star Trek: The Next
Generation”), author John Irving (“The World According
to Garp”), NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo and Chris
Kluwe, and the Whirlpool Coorporation. Among those
who spoke at the event was former NFL commissioner and
longtime PFLAG parent Paul Tagliabue.
Boston’s Fenway Institute has released a policy focus
on cervical cancer and women who have sex with women,
noting that lesbian and bisexual women are up to 10 times
less likely to be screened for cervical cancer despite being
just as likely as heterosexual women to develop it. The
lack of screenings is attributed to the misconception that
sexual minority women are not at risk and the fact that
they face other general barriers to healthcare. As a result,
cervical cancer poses a greater risk for women who have
sex with women. Cervical cancer is typically caused by
the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which Fenways says
can be passed through skin-to-skin genital contact, as
well as potentially through oral-vaginal and digital-vaginal contact. In other words, you don’t have to sleep with
men to get HPV and therefore be at risk for cervical cancer.
Anyone who is sexually active and has a cervix is at risk.
The Fenway Institute notes that transgender men should
also be included in outreach efforts aimed at increasing
screenings. Learn more at fenwayhealth.org/cervicalcancerfocus[2].
Concern over bacterial meningitis is growing in light
of the deadly outbreak among gay men in New York City
and the recent death of a gay man in Los Angeles. Health
authorities in New York are recommending vaccinations for
gay men in New York who are HIV-positive or non-monogamous, as well as for men in those categories who visited
New York City since September 2012. But the Los Angeles
case is increasing awareness on the West Coast. According
to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial meningitis
is spread through contact with saliva (i.e. kissing, sharing
drinks, people who spit while they talk), but not through sex
or casual contact. People with compromised immune systems are at increased risk. To learn more about the symptoms of bacterial meningitis and the vaccine, visit cdc.gov/
meningitis/bacterial.html.
Kansas HIV/AIDS activists are concerned that the broad
deregulation of quarantine policies in a measure approved
by the state Senate could put write discrimination into the
state’s laws. In an effort to prevent the unnecessary quarantine of people with HIV/AIDS, state Sen. Marci Francisco
tried to restore an amendment that would exempt people
with HIV/AIDS from medical isolation. As of press time, the
legislature had not approved the amendment.
WORLD
Uruguay’s Senate voted 23-8 to approve same-sex
marriage on April 10, sending the bill to President José
Mujica, who has indicated he supports it. If he signs
the measure, Uruguay will become the third nation in
the Americas, and the 13th in the world, to grant samesex couples equal marriage rights. Argentina legalized
same-sex marriage in 2010.
NEWS
NEWS
DREAM IT, SPEAK IT, DO IT AT THE
2013 OREGON QUEER YOUTH SUMMIT
By Nick Mattos
PQ Monthly
Queer youth, it’s your time to shine. The 2013
Oregon Queer Youth Summit wants your presence and your voice at Portland’s Jefferson High
School on May 11.
A conference by and for LGBTQA youth age
24 and younger, the OQYS focuses on identity,
acceptance, youth empowerment, and social
change by bringing folks from around the region
together to foster fun times and community
transformation.
Now in its 10th year, the OQYS is known for
its fully youth-driven offerings of diverse and
engaging workshops on every aspect of the
young queer experience. In keeping with this Youth participants at the Oregon Queer Youth Summit celebrate identity and community.
year’s theme “Dream It. Speak It. Do it,” attendees will explore activism, queer identity, and
youth empowerment by leading and participatthat I co-led a zine-making workshop for other youth, and,
ing in the conference’s offerings. Past years’ workshops have remembering how alone and isolated I’d felt out in Clackincluded such topics as GSA management, safer sex edu- amas County, was thrilled at the idea the summit could be
cation, sexuality and faith, drag performance 101, gender bringing youth together from across Oregon.”
identity, social media as an activist tool, and makeup for
Young people from all backgrounds are encouraged to
queers.
apply, especially younger students, youth of color, trans
While the conference is focused upon youth under the teens, and students from small towns and rural areas;
age of 18, many of the workshops are relevant for older high to help the latter group in particular, OQYS’s organizers
school and college students as well.
offer honorariums to offset the costs of transportation
This year’s keynote address will be delivered by queer and lodging.
storyteller, author, and teacher Sassafras Lowrey, who will
While the conference is explicitly by and for youth,
deliver the speech via Skype.
adult allies are welcome to attend and lend their support
“In 2003 I was part of the organizing of the very first by volunteering, co-leading youth-led workshops, and
Oregon Queer Youth Summit,” Lowery said a post from their quietly supporting the attendees as they create the conblog. “I’d been living on my own for over a year and felt solid ference for themselves. Adults currently involved in supas a youth organizer and leader in that space. I remember porting a specific group of youth — say, school staff acting
Photos by Ryan Mahler, via CHATpdx
as GSA co-facilitators — are also welcome to attend.
The Oregon Queer Youth Summit is sponsored by groups
including the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition, Cascade AIDS Project, SMYRC, the Portland Gay Men’s
Chorus, PFLAG and PFLAG Portland Black Chapter, and the
City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement. Most
importantly, though, it’s created by youth, driven by youth,
and informed by youth to empower youth. So, if you’re a
queer under the age of 25: the Oregon Queer Youth Summit
wants — and needs — you.
The 2013 Oregon Queer Youth Summit will take place Saturday, May 11, at Jefferson High School (5210 N Kerby Ave., Portland), 8:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Meals and snacks are provided free
to all participants. For more information or to register, go to
chatpdx.org/OQYS/ or contact Edgar Mendez at 503-223-5907.
LOCKED OUT: HOW THE STATE IS KEEPING ONE Q CENTER VOLUNTEER FROM GIVING BACK
By Erin Rook
PQ Monthly
Photo by Erin Rook, PQ Monthly
A failed state background check is keeping Q Center’s 2012 Volunteer
of the Year from continuing her work.
When Natalie Marie was released from
prison to a halfway house in January 2012,
she’d been out of society for seven years.
She’d gone in knowing she was queer,
but started exploring her gender identity
while incarcerated in a men’s facility. Upon
Marie’s release, a Bureau of Prisons staff
member pointed her toward Q Center.
She visited on her first day free from
prison and never really left — until the state
pushed her out.
The LGBTQ community center offered
her a home base and much-needed support. During the six months she spent at the
Northwest Regional Reentry Center, Marie
says she had to fight for fair treatment and
access to medial care.
“While I was in the halfway house I was
continually targeted for my gender identity. I was told how I could and could not
dress, [what] functions I could participate
in in the community, and finally what type
of medical treatment I could receive,” Marie
says. “The solace I found was in friends and
staff at Q Center who supported me and
empowered me.”
Q Center helped Marie connect with
advocates at Basic Rights Oregon and the
ACLU, who helped her file a grievance that
ultimately forced the Northwest Regional
Reentry Center to provide her medication.
Marie has been giving back to the center
for the past 14 months. The list of roles she’s
had in a little more than a year is far longer
than the list of drug-related property crimes
that landed her in prison for close to a decade.
She’s welcomed visitors at the reception
desk and during special events (including
Portland Pride). She has lifted up community members as a peer support group facilitator for the male-to-female trans group
that meets at Q Center and as a cultural
competency training organizer. She’s even
expanded the reach of the LGBTQ community center by volunteering with its media
team, serving as its volunteer coordinator,
initiating discussions about diversity and
inclusion, and developing the business and
job skills training model for Market Q.
Q Center recognized this over-the-top
dedication when it named Marie “Volunteer
of the Year” at its annual fundraising gala in
January. But all Marie’s contributions came to
a screeching halt shortly after she learned that
Q Center’s staff and volunteers would have
to submit to background checks in order to
comply with government grant requirements.
“Due to the nature of Q Center’s programs and services, we are obligated to
follow the state of Oregon’s background
check policies and procedures, as are many
other nonprofit organizations throughout
the state,” says Logan Lynn, Q Center public
relations manager.
Open about her criminal background,
and hoping to eventually leverage her volunteer work into a paid position at Q Center,
Marie volunteered to get her background
locked out page 14
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NEWS
FEATURES
IS JOHN PAULK READY TO RENOUNCE HIS EX-GAY GOSPEL?
And is the LGBTQ community prepared to welcome him back into the fold?
By Byron Beck
PQ Monthly
It was late in the evening at The Eagle Portland, a notorious gay bar that hosts a oncemonthly queer dance party, Maricón, on the first Saturday of each month. Maricón
(roughly the equivalent of “faggot” in Spanish) is popular and attracts a big crowd of queers.
That night it also attracted John Paulk, a short, stocky ,and perpetually tan 50-year-old
man who is the owner and executive chef of Mezzaluna Catering.
Paulk’s company website says Mezzaluna is an “exclusive, upscale alternative to
mundane, run-of-the-mill catering companies.” His client list has included numerous
politicians, local leaders,
and nonprofit agencies tied
closely to the LGBTQ community — as well as possibly the most powerful gay
man in Oregon, Terry Bean.
What Paulk’s site fails to
mention: he’s also probably
the world’s most recognized
member of the ex-gay movement and for many years was
a poster boy for conversion
therapy — also known as
“reparative therapy,” pseudo-scientific treatments that
aim to change sexual orientation from homosexual to
heterosexual.
Paulk was the movement’s
face — until he was spotted at a gay bar in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19, 2000,
by Wayne Besen of Truth
Wins Out. Then, Paulk was
founder and leader of the
ex-gay ministry Love Won
Out, as well as the chairman
of the board of Exodus International, an organization
that offers “freedom from
homosexuality through the
power of Jesus Christ.”
Not long after Paulk’s
“outing,” his leadership
position in the ex-gay movement was greatly reduced —
John Paulk’s biography on Mezzaluna’s website boasts that his “client list reads like a who’s- although his wife, Anne, a
who of sports figures, national celebrities, CEO’s, and politicians.”
“former lesbian,” is a star of
the movement to this day.
Confrontation
Stephen Cassell, a public relations expert and queer activist, was among the first to
spot Paulk at The Eagle, and he wasn’t about to let the chance to speak to the ex-gay
poster boy pass him by.
“The work John has done is exactly the kind of work I have fought against my entire
adult life,” Cassell told PQ Monthly. “When I saw John I was conflicted. I decided I couldn’t
let my feelings go. I approached him and asked him if he would mind having a hard discussion with me.”
The two chatted, and Cassell asked John if he’d publicly come out against his work with
the ex-gay movement. According to Cassell, Paulk said he couldn’t because of his “relationship with his children.”
“I told him by not saying anything he validates the work that his wife does against our
community,” Cassell recalled. “He then offered me an apology for the damage he caused
if he hurt me. He was tearing up.”
Roey Thorpe, former director of Basic Rights Oregon and a leader in the national LGBTQ
rights movement through her job with the Equality Federation Institute, is familiar with
Paulk’s work and words. She first heard about him when the Love Won Out tour came to
Portland in June of 2003.
“It was aimed toward LGBT people, telling them that they could be cured by Christianity, but also toward our families, telling them that acceptance is not the loving thing to
pqmonthly.com
do, but instead pushing LGBT people to repent and change,” Thorpe said. She and BRO
put on an alternative conference called Love Welcomes All, aimed at those hurt by the
ex-gay movement.
Thorpe is concerned Paulk is currently pursuing catering work in Portland’s LGBTQ
community without disclosing his past. She believes people have a right to know about
his background.
“John Paulk isn’t just a conflicted man who hasn’t been able to reconcile his sexuality with his faith — we are all sympathetic to that and many of us have had that struggle.
This is different,” Thorpe said. “Thousands of young people have been forced into religious conversion programs, shamed into believing they are sinners. Families have been
encouraged to reject their children, and queer kids end up on the streets or committing
suicide. Others live silently, filled with shame. This is how the Paulk family has made their
living. I have dear friends who have been through hell and are still exiled from their families because of John Paulk. It’s important for people to know who they are doing business with.”
Michael Sorensen, director of development for Cascade AIDS Project (CAP), heard
about Paulk from friends who worked for him as servers and bartenders. Sorensen said he
was aware of Paulk’s work in the ex-gay movement and what Paulk refers to as his self-described efforts at “reparations.”
“I interviewed him over
the phone and email,”
Sorensen recalled. “I talked
to others who had used
him.” Sorensen then hired
Paulk for an event but said
CAP cancelled the contract
due to what he called “community pressure.”
When asked if he
thought the LGBTQ community has a right to
know about Paulk’s past,
Sorensen replied, “I think
people have a right to
work.”
Doing business
Paulk began Mezzaluna
in 2005 — not long after
Photo by Jules Garza, PQ Monthly
he and his family moved
“I don’t think there’s any group that’s done as much damage to gay kids as Love Won Out,” says
to Oregon — as a personal
Terry Bean, seen here with his frequent sidekick, former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts.
chef business and over a
few years it grew into catering and executing larger events.
“Honestly, I love catering non-profit events,” Paulk told PQ Monthly. “I am passionate
about causes and giving back to the community. I get as excited about my clients’ passions as they are and want them to feel that, as their caterer, I have their back and am
going to represent them well.”
One of the nonprofits Mezzaluna has served is Our House, which provides healthcare,
housing, and other vital services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Last year
Paulk was a celebrity chef for two of Our House’s popular dinner series.
“We appreciate the sentiment that John showed when he offered the donations of his
time and services ... to the Our House Dinner Series for 2012-13,” said James Lindqust,
Our House associate director of development.
One of those dinners was for longtime partners Gary Nelson and Minh Tran. The couple
had no knowledge of Paulk’s involvement in the ex-gay movement until 24 hours before
the dinner — too late to change the caterer, according to Tran.
“We just kept it quiet,” Tran said. “We had no other choice but to work with him.”
Reckoning
Wayne Besen does anything but keep quiet about John Paulk. The founder of Truth
Wins Out, which works actively against the ex-gay movement, Besen said Paulk’s long
career in anti-gay activism began in 1992, with appearances in the propaganda films
“The Gay Agenda” and “Gay Rights Special Rights,” which portrayed LGBTQ people as
mentally ill, disease-spreading sex fiends, subversive elements hell-bent on undermining society, and pedophiles.
According to Besen, Paulk’s position in the ex-gay movement put him in the spotlight,
with appearances on “Oprah,” “60 Minutes,” and “Good Morning America.”
“John was quoted in nearly every major newspaper in America,” Besen said. “It is no
JOHN PAULK page 14
NEWS
FEATURES
RACE DRAG: DEBATE CONTINUES OVER LETTER
BOOKING OF BLACKFACE PERFORMER TO THE
EDITOR
By Erin Rook
PQ Monthly
Three months ago, North Portland leather bar The
Eagle publicized an upcoming performance by blackface drag queen Shirley Q. Liquor, an “ignunt” Southern Black mother on welfare portrayed by Chuck
Knipp. Accusations of racism quickly followed.
The incident has exposed deep divides around
race, the meaning of art, and approaches to accountability in the LGBTQ community.
Eagle booking manager Michael Talley cancelled
the event within a day of announcing it, apologized
for the booking, and said the bar would hold an “open
forum about race” on March 27.
When that date came and went without a forum,
or further public statement about the booking, a
group called Queer Racial Justice PDX — formed in
response to the incident — delivered a letter to the
Eagle listing suggested actions the bar could take to
demonstrate accountability to the surrounding (historically African-American) neighborhood and the
larger community.
Dear PQ,
QRJPDX
“We believe that booking this racist and misog- Community members respond (clockwise from top left): Poison Waters (photo by Xilia Faye); Anthony Hudson, aka Carla Rossi (photo by Erin
ynist event, as well as your poor handling of the Rook); Kourni Capree Duv; Tobin Britton; Monica Lee Noé (photo by Mia Nakano, visibilityproject.org); and Wesley Walton (photo by Eric Sellers).
outcry that resulted, has been painful and damaging to our community on the whole, to your North Portland neigh- when a person says to me, ‘Blackface is artistic expression,’ and I have
bors, to African American women, and specifically to LGBTQI people an actual black face.”
of color,” QRJPDX wrote in the March 29 letter (available online at
PQ sought an interview with Knipp through his booking agency,
pqmonthly.com).
Divas and DJs, as well as via Twitter. The request sent to Knipp’s agent
While the letter encouraged the business to take the “opportunity” was denied. Knipp had not responded as of press time.
to “establish a process of restorative justice,” many who read it took
African-American drag queen Poison Waters says that once she realissue with a tone perceived as demanding and were upset by a request ized SQL was a white man, she knew it wasn’t good.
for financial reparations.
“There isn’t — or shouldn’t be — one grown person who doesn’t
Monica Lee Noé, a queer Asian Latina not affiliated with QRJPDX, know that white people painting on black face is just plain wrong.
thinks reparations are appropriate, whether the bar ultimately made Period,” she says.
money off of SQL’s act or not.
Fellow African-American drag queen Kourtni Capree Duv agrees
“I think it is enough that they planned on profiting from racism,” and says she doesn’t buy Knipp’s claim that SQL is a celebration of the
Noé says, “[and] that they didn’t even see it as a problem.”
black women he’s known in his life.
The letter also suggested that the Eagle owner and staff attend
“It was like a white person calling me a nigger,” Duv says. “Shirley Q.
anti-racism trainings and participate in a community dialogue about Liquor wants to say that she is paying homage to her nanny? You disrace. The group said it was open to other ideas and asked the Eagle to grace my race, poke fun at our struggle, perpetuate stereotypes, start
respond within 10 days.
racial riots in communities, and call it art? I think not!”
The Eagle made no formal response to the letter’s requests. Owner
Anthony Hudson, a Grand Ronde Indian who performs in drag as
Patrick Lanagan declined an interview, but gave a brief statement: Carla Rossi and was scheduled to open for Shirley Q. Liquor at the
“Eagle Portland is focusing on other issues at this time. Kudos to those Eagle, says intention isn’t everything.
most active in our fight for equality,” he said.
“Any good performer should go into a piece with a willingness to
The Eagle may not have much to say, but community members cer- engage with whatever criticisms or consequences their work will incur,”
tainly do. A few people shared their thoughts on the record; not every- Hudson says. “To reject criticism or consequence, or to simply defer to
one we asked was willing.
intention rather than acknowledging the actual effects of one’s work,
These interviews brought up a number of issues: Is blackface racist? regardless of intention, is bullshit — and the sign of a lazy artist.”
If so, is anyone who supports or condones it a racist, too? How should
Hudson says he had planned to perform a number “lampooning
LGBTQ communities respond to these actions and when is an apol- whiteness and post-racial discourse” and hoped to meet Knipp and
ogy enough?
gain insight into the racism he says “informs, if not drives” Knipp’s act.
Hudson pulled out of the show when he realized his participation was
Is it racist? Does it matter?
seen as condoning that racism.
In online debates, a number of people defended SQL’s act and the
Eagle’s decision to book it, arguing that blackface is “just comedy.”
Some said that it is racist, but it doesn’t matter as long as it’s funny.
Others said that “offensive” art makes people think and is therefore valuable.
“I want people to recognize there are humans attached to these
stereotypes that Shirley Q. Liquor is performing,” says Equity Foundation Executive Director Karol Collymore. “My feelings are attached
Ripple effects and unintended consequences
Wesley Walton, who hosts the monthly dance night Maricón at the
Eagle, says he was disappointed that Shirley Q Liquor was booked at a
venue with which he is affiliated. Still, he thinks the continued criticism
and shunning of the Eagle is undeserved and rejects claims that the bar
is misogynistic or racist. He’s also frustrated by calls to boycott the Eagle.
RACE DRAG page 21
Your motto is “Every Letter,
Every Color,” but in a recent web
article you posted (“Queer Racial
Justice PDX Urges Further Action
from Eagle on Shirley Q. Liquor
Booking”) it was apparent that,
again, not everyone was represented. Instead the piece read
like a match to a moltov cocktail.
The writing was tilted in support of the letter, which is not
reporting, but opinion. This bias
was evident as the article fully
focused on a group demanding
reparations because they, specifically, feel offended, while the Q
Center’s tried and failed attempts
to hold a discussion, and the fact
that many community members of color came to the support of The Eagle and their booking choices, went ignored and
unreported.
QRJ and The Eagle are not the
only voices on this issue. And
while I can understand and sympathize with portions of QRJ’s
letter, the fact remains that PQ’s
coverage of this issue has been
“radically” one sided.
Portland is not free from
racism, and for the record I am
not a fan of Shirley Q Liquor. But
in all the coverage of race relations
I’ve seen in PQ, I have yet to see
comprehensive reporting. Instead
I see writing specifically attached
to the most radical of Portland’s
queer people of color, while any
time someone in our community
voices concern it has been shot
down as part of the “oppressor
race” or “white washed.”
As a queer Jewish boy who
grew up in a rural community, I
understand oppression, maybe
not on the same level as some
QPOC, but enough to see that
it can happen in many different
ways. I am continually disappointed in how biased and one
sided PQ has been in our community, and at the lack of fair and
broad coverage.
Including radicalism and
activism is excellent, we need it,
but I hope to see you also include
more of how the whole community is responding to an issue,
report when you say you are
reporting, and actually live up
to your motto one day.
- Samuel Thomas
pqmonthly.com
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FEATURES
STRANGE FICTION: THE VIRTUAL
REALITY BEHIND GAY PORTLAND
With the exception of Quezz Burton (upper left), all of the photos on Gay Portland’s “staff
members” page were fraudulent.
By Nick Mattos and Ryan Jay
PQ Monthly
Quezz Burton sat in the sunny window of a SW Portland café, running the stud of his tongue piercing along the
inside of his lips. The “founder and CEO” of start-up online
media source Gay Portland, Burton calmly launched into
the story of how he arrived in the city.
“I moved out here from Northern Minnesota,” he
explained. “My mother lives out there, so I was taking care
of her. She’s mentally ill.”
Soon after arriving in town, Burton said he met a woman
named Emily Larsen who would shortly thereafter become
his business partner.
“Emily is a lot of fun,” he said. “Without her, I probably would have shut [Gay Portland] down after the second
day,” noting that it was Emily who compelled him to change
Gay Portland from a personal blog into a “media and event
source” soliciting donations and selling advertisements to
the region’s LGBTQ community.
However, there is reason to believe “Emily Larsen,” along
with many other personae connected with Burton, may
not exist.
THE PHANTOM STAFF
In February 2013, many prominent members of Portland’s queer community began to receive friend requests
from Burton, along with messages inviting them to “like”
the forthcoming media enterprise Gay Portland. While the
site was slated to launch April 1, GayPortland.org went live
in March, with much of the first month’s content already
linked and available.
At first glance, the site seemed like a folksy, upbeat consideration of the city’s queer scene; its blog posts covered
such topics such as Drag Out PDX, the Portland Gay Men’s
Chorus, the Equity Foundation (misidentified as “The
Equality Foundation”), and a CC Slaughters bartender. Each
was credited to one of five staff people — Burton, Larsen,
Dao Ling, Alex Ferro, and Tasha Baxter.
Prominently featured was an essay, credited to Ferro,
pqmonthly.com
A WORLD OF PURE IMAGINATION
introducing Burton as “The Face of Gay Portland.” In it,
Ferro described him as a former “fashion icon, host of
PQ discovered this was not the first time in recent hisan internet talk show, facilitator of an GLBT group, fashion designer, teenage runway model, runway hair styl- tory that Burton was found at the center of a strange conist, reporter for a gay magazine, journalist for a major troversy of false identities. Only a year ago, Burton allegedly
newspaper, spokesperson and speaker for an [sic] cancer used an online virtual reality game called InWorldz to fake
his own death — and in doing so attempted to garner donaorganization.”
Gay Portland’s “Sponsors” page listed some of the tions from unsuspecting members of the virtual commuregion’s largest queer nonprofits, including Cascade nity, just as he is now soliciting funds from Portland’s realAIDS Project, Oregon United for Marriage, Q Center, and life gay community.
A user-created virtual world similar to “Second Life”
the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. An edited version of the
page, posted a few days after PQ’s interview with Burton, or “The Sims,” InWorldz bills itself as a means to give its
renamed the groups as “Supporters.” PQ Monthly was users “the freedom to create, express and be themselves
listed amongst these “Supporters,” along with a state- or something completely different” by buying credits that
ment that PQ was partnering with Gay Portland as a allow them to customize their user avatars and abilities
within the game. Inside the larger InWorldz universe are a
media ally.
However, PQ never agreed to any form of partner- number of smaller themed “cities,” including a queer-oriship with or sponsorship of Gay Portland. When que- ented destination called Gay City.
On Jan. 29, 2012, GayWorlds News (a blog affiliated with
ried by PQ, representatives from all the nonprofits listed
said they hadn’t authorized the site to identify them as Gay City) posted a bio written by Quezz Burton introduc“sponsors” or “supporters” either, nor had they heard ing himself and a woman named Genkido Ramaty, claiming that they were “not only the Gay City area foundof Gay Portland.
“I’m not sure how they got that information [about the ers,” but also real-life brother and sister. The article was
sponsorship or support],” said Ricky Armendariz of the accompanied by a roughly-rendered 3D-animated image
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus to PQ, “or how they got the of a bodybuilder — Burton’s InWorldz avatar — and a
buxom blonde female avatar in a skimpy bathing suit,
information for the article that they wrote about us.”
Gay Portland’s staff also seemed to materialize out ostensibly Ramaty. Burton and Ramaty stated that their
intention with Gay City was to
of nothing; research indicated there
“create a place of acceptance for
was no record that any of the writall, no matter what gender or sexers had any previous publication
uality they are.” Burton was eviexperience, social media presence,
dently heavily into InWorldz; PQ
or means of contact. A Google image
even discovered two online televisearch revealed that, with the excepsion shows, “the QT Show” and the
tion of Burton, every Gay Portland
“OMG It’s Quezz Show,” in which
staff person was represented by a
Burton talks at length about the
photo of someone else — actress
virtual world, expressing joy and
Lynn Chen for Dao Ling, Evangeliamusement at the alternate life he
cal author Jonathan Merritt for Alex
enjoyed within it.
Ferro, and a private citizen in ChiIn a Feb. 24, 2012, GayWorlds
cago for Tasha Baxter. Emily Larsen,
News post titled “The Passing of
whom Burton claimed to know intiQuezz Burton,” Ramaty claimed
mately, used a stock photo on the Gay
that Burton was killed in a car acciPortland page as well as her Facedent two days earlier; she gave
book account; her photo appears on
numerous details of Burton’s death,
hundreds of pages listing Russian “Quezz Burton” and “Genkido Ramaty” avatars from InWorldz
including the iciness of the roads,
mail-order brides.
When confronted about the findings, Burton claimed Burton’s presence in the car, and that he had died on the
that he had never met Ferro, but was interviewed by scene while awaiting help.
On March 17, 2012, a user named “Chrystyna Violette”
him for the “Face of Gay Portland” article via Facebook
(despite there being no one by that name listed on the posted to a Topix forum discussing InWorldz, identifying
social network as living in the area). Burton also claimed herself as Burton’s other real-life sister and asserting that
to have met Ling and Baxter in person, but said that “Dao he had in fact passed away; she also claimed that his family
[Ling] didn’t look like her picture.… She was whiter in had tried to “wipe his existence clean” for homophobic
person,” and that Baxter “looks exactly like her photo.” reasons, and had somehow barred the press from reportBurton identified “Larsen’s” photo as hers, but claimed ing anything about the serious car accident that killed her
brother. “I don’t want to believe he’s gone,” Violette wrote,
that her hair color was different.
In response to the community organizations listed as “[and] I feel that he is not.”
On March 30, 2012, InWorldz user “Sunbeam” posted
“Sponsors” or “Supporters,” Burton initially said that he
spoke with each of them before listing them on the web- a blog to their personal WordPress account saying that
site, but later said Larsen spoke with others to verify. When after the announcement of Burton’s death, they and their
asked for Larsen’s contact info to get her comment on the partner, “Duderz Lebowski,” investigated the claim and
situation, Burton said that he did not know how to contact discovered that Burton had faked his death and, using
the persona of “Genkido Ramaty,” had proceeded to
her other than via email.
“Good luck getting ahold of her,” he said.
gay portland page 22
FEATURES
FEATURES
JOHN PAULK: “I no longer support the ex-gay movement or efforts to attempt to
change individuals — especially teens who already feel insecure and alienated.”
Continued from page 9
Paulk does have his fair share of local supporters.
exaggeration to say that the ubiquity of [his] media efforts
suggest that he might, in fact, be moving toward accept“Chef John is an amazing person to work for,” said ing who he is.
ensured that the vast majority of Americans were subjected to testimony that Paulk had ‘prayed away the gay.’” Jeremy Neel, Mezzaluna’s openly gay catering captain.
“Until recently, I have struggled all my life in feeling
As Besen sees it, Paulk’s impact in this arena only grew “He is very compassionate, friendly, caring, encouraging, unloved and unaccepted,” Paulk said. “I have been on a
with his ascension to Focus on the Family, where he helped and supportive…. I love my job. It is sad that some people journey during the last few years in trying to understand
in the LGBT community are saying negative things about God, myself, and how I can best relate to others. During
found its Love Won Out national ex-gay road show.
“At these splashy Love Won Out shows, Paulk sold a him yet have not given him a chance. One’s past should not this journey I have made many mistakes and I have hurt
vision — for a profit — that offered false hope and heal- define who they are.”
many people including people who are close to me. I
ing to desperate and vulnerable Christian parhave also found a large number of people
ents who were terrified and confused when their
who accept me for who I am regardless of
children came out of the closet,” said Besen,
my past, any labels, or what I do.”
who attended several of these events. “The most
Paulk continued, “I no longer support the
heartbreaking part of these events was when
ex-gay movement or efforts to attempt to
these parents were either blamed for turning
change individuals — especially teens who
their children gay, or they were falsely told their
already feel insecure and alienated. I feel great
child’s homosexuality was the result of molessorrow over the pain that has been caused
tation.”
when my words were misconstrued. I have
In a letter to Paulk, Besen outlined a series of
worked at giving generously to the gay comkey steps he thinks Paulk needs to take locally to
munity in Portland where I work and live. I am
help begin to compensate for his earlier actions
working hard to be authentic and genuine in
against the LGBTQ community. They include
all of my relationships.”
renouncing Portland Fellowship, a local “exGay activist and political fundraiser Terry
gay” organization and Exodus affiliate; going on
Bean, who booked Mezzaluna for an event
a speaking tour with fellow LGBTQ advocates to
at his home before he discovered the comshow that he has come full-circle; and supportpany’s ties to the ex-gay movement, would
ing an Oregon bill prohibiting so-called reparalike to see Paulk do much more than say he
tive therapy for minors.
is sorry.
Thorpe, too, thinks Paulk needs to take action
“I will personally encourage people to boyif he wishes to atone. “I believe that people can
cott him until he rectifies some of the damage
change and that we need to recognize change
he’s done,” said Bean, who in addition to his
when it occurs,” she said. “But even though John
high-profile political work is the owner of
may be personally reconsidering his views, the
Bean Investment Real Estate. “He needs to
Photo by Izzy Ventura, PQ Monthly
fact that he has remained silent and not publicly
go on a nationwide tour — to tell people what
renounced the ex-gay movement has allowed “The process of learning to be who you are is tough,” says Kurt Granzow, aka “Sister Krissy Fiction” of The Sisters of Perpetual
a sham the ex-gay ministry is, and tell people
Anne to continue to earn a living as an ex-gay Indulgence. “I’ve just tried to be a compassionate friend [to Paulk].”
nationwide he understands the damage he’s
Kurt Granzow, aka “Sister Krissy Fiction” of The Sisters of done and he encourages other people not to do it. Until
leader who lies about her family and her husband. It’s
appalling that his silence perpetuates her lies and the direct Perpetual Indulgence, has a background similar to Paulk’s. he does that, I think it’s critical that people boycott him
damage to LGBT people and our families. It’s good that he “I was in the ex-gay movement and a conservative Chris- and his business.
wants to help the community, but it is meaningless until he tian minister for over a decade before I moved to Portland
“It’s much bigger than Oregon,” Bean continued. “This
speaks out and puts a stop to the bad things that are hap- and came out,” Granzow said. “I’ve been trying to support is damage he’s done to millions of kids — kids who tried to
John in his process of leaving that stuff behind. I remem- ‘pray the gay away’ and when they couldn’t, killed thempening because of this lie.
“John Paulk has blood on his hands,” Thorpe added, “and ber what it was like to look in the mirror with shame and selves. Every hour he waits to do this, there are kids being
he does not deserve our acceptance until he stops the damage self-loathing. The process of learning to be who you are is badly hurt by the stuff that’s out there — the things he conthat he is allowing to continue. Then he can give back, and not tough. I’ve just tried to be a compassionate friend.”
tinues to not refute publicly. I don’t think there’s any group
in a way that builds his need for attention and his business,
that’s done as much damage to gay kids as Love Won Out.
Coming clean
but in a way that is selfless and non-self-promoting. It’s time
John is in a unique position to make a very real difference.”
for him to come to terms with himself and stop being at the
Daniel Borgen contributed additional reporting to this story.
Paulk’s emailed response to PQ’s interview questions
mercy of his own shame, and inflicting it on everyone else.”
locked out Continued from page 6
check out of the way early. She made a point to include the
kind of supporting documentation the Oregon Department
of Health and Human Services says it weighs in its decisions — the impact of several years struggling with addiction, the amount of time that’s passed, and her considerable achievements since been released.
“I also submitted a detailed explanation of how my
success to date has been largely possible because of my
involvement with Q Center and being able to engage in
service to the community,” Marie says, adding that she can
finally look at herself in the mirror and be proud of who she
is — a “trans/genderqueer, Latina, radical, feminist, activist, organizer, rebel rouser, conflicted, conflict instigator,
second class citizen, and queerdo.”
But it wasn’t enough. Marie failed the background check.
She’s appealing the decision and hopes that community
support and thorough documentation will be enough to
overturn the state’s decision. In the meantime, she’s had
to stop volunteering at the center.
“[I] feel hurt at the possibility that I may be kicked out
of that community that I’ve given so much time, energy,
and love to,” she says.
While Marie is hopeful that her appeal will be successful, she also wants to raise awareness about the barriers to
equality LGBTQ people with criminal records face.
“The state of Oregon is perpetuating a system of oppression that alienates people and treats them as second-class
citizens,” Marie says. “The ‘law’ is not serving justice until
the laws are no longer applied disproportionately with
regard to race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. They
are discriminatory. Period.”
Lynn says that it’s a difficult balancing act. Q Center supports Marie to the extent that it is able, but it can’t compromise its funding sources.
“Q Center understands the complexities of these issues
and we continue to challenge these policies and procedures within our capacity, while also accepting the
responsibility of ensuring the safety of those most vulnerable in our care, and maintaining the fiscal integrity
of the organization.”
Marie gets it. Though she doesn’t work with children or
youth at Q Center, she says she understands the impulse
to protect them.
“I strongly believe that as a community we have a
responsibility to protect our youth, and people who abuse
children are a danger,” Marie says. “I also feel that the communities/organizations that are being directly affected
should have the determining voice or at least weigh heavily into the considerations … rather than having their community voice silenced by the state board’s determination.”
Stay tuned for the outcome of Natalie Marie’s appeal and
continuing coverage of LGBTQ people and the prison system.
pqmonthly.com
OPINION
pqmonthly.com
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pqmonthly.com
FEATURES
LGBTQ LEGAL OUTLOOK
HOW SCOTUS COULD IMPACT
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
By Mark Johnson Roberts
PQ Monthly
It has been 20 years since Hawaii’s
Supreme Court held that state’s marriage
law unconstitutional, and 17 years since
Congress passed the Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA) in response. This year, the U.S.
Supreme Court heard oral argument in two
marriage cases. “United States v. Windsor” challenges DOMA’s limitation of federal marriage laws to opposite-sex couples.
“Hollingsworth v. Perry” is a federal challenge to Proposition 8, California’s constitutional prohibition of marriage for same-sex
couples. Depending on the court’s ruling, the
outcome in these cases could have a major
impact here in the Northwest.
In the DOMA case, Edith Windsor was
charged with a $365,000 federal estate tax
bill when her wife died, which she would
not have incurred had she been married to
a man. It appears to most commentators,
myself included, that DOMA will likely be
overturned. The attorney for the members
of Congress backing DOMA did a masterful
job of trying to define the issue as something
other than discrimination, but the justices
were having none of it. The court’s five more
liberal justices — Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan,
Kennedy, and Sotomayor — peppered him
with questions throughout the hearing.
Ginsburg famously referred to the federal
statute as creating a “skim-milk marriage”
for gay people. While the precise reason for
the court’s ruling remains unclear, it seems
unlikely that DOMA will stand.
A favorable ruling in “Windsor” would
mean a great deal for Washington residents, as marriages celebrated in that state
would now be honored by the federal government. It likely would have little immediate impact in Oregon, as the state does not
yet have marriage rights for same-sex couples. For those Oregonians who have married elsewhere, some federal laws will start
to cover their marriages where they haven’t before. One of the peculiarities of federal law, though, is that sometimes it turns
on the law of the state of residence. In other
words, because Oregon doesn’t recognize
same-sex marriages, some federal benefits
may still be out of reach.
It is possible that the federal government
will begin treating civil unions as marriages.
If that is the case, it would have a major
Oregon impact, as couples registered under
the domestic partnership law would immediately become eligible for federal rights and
benefits as though they were married. While
it may seem counterintuitive, we already
have seen examples of both the federal and
some state governments treating civil unions
in this way.
The outcome in
“Hollingsworth” is
very difficult to predict. Sometimes, in
the process of litigating a case, the court
concludes that it shouldn’t have taken it in
the first place. The outcome in such cases
is a dismissal of the case as “improvidently
granted.” Based on the justices’ statements
and questions at oral argument, there is
clearly some sentiment on the court for disposing of the case in this way. While this disposition would make marriage once again
legal for same-sex couples in California, it
would have little impact elsewhere.
If the court decides the merits, there is a
strong likelihood that the court will rely on
its already-developed case law for viewing
discrimination based on sexual orientation
rather than creating new law. Those older
cases hold, in essence, that a state that wants
to discriminate must advance some legitimate government purpose for doing so. So
far, the states confronted with that burden
have been unable to carry it, and California
cannot do so here, either. Each of the reasons it advances to justify the distinction has
already been undercut by its own law, which
gives all the rights and obligations of marriage through its civil union statute.
This is the Obama administration’s
so-called “eight-state solution,” and it would
impact each of the states that have adopted
civil unions, including Oregon. Those states
are the ones that have actually constructed
a “separate but equal” system for same-sex
relationship recognition, which the court
would be holding as inappropriate. While
the justices were critical of this solution at
argument, it holds great political appeal.
It allows the court to adopt an incremental
approach, which it likes to do in contentious
cases. It would apply only to those states that
have adopted civil union laws, where presumably resistance to marriage equality is
at its lowest. And it would allow the remaining states to come to their own conclusions
on the issue for the time being.
It is possible that the LGBTQ equivalent
of “Loving v. Virginia” — the case that legitimated interracial marriage across the United
States — will come out of the “Hollingsworth” case, but the court may judge that
the time for such a sweeping ruling is not yet
upon us. If it does rule for marriage equality across the board, then it’s possible that
the final chapter for marriage discrimination in America will have been written. We
can expect some final attempt to amend the
Constitution, but presumably that outcome
is remote. I’ll be waiting along with you to see
what ruling the court makes in June.
Portland attorney Mark Johnson Roberts is a former president of the National LGBT Bar
Association and of the Oregon State Bar. He practices family law at the Gevurtz Menashe
law firm with a particular focus on LGBT family law issues. He can be reached at
[email protected].
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CALENDAR
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GET OUT!
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
Vancouver’s Coronation: No, not Canada, silly,
our sisters across the river. There are a variety of
Imperial Sovereign Rose Court activities this weekend (Fri-Sun), and things come to a head Saturday
night: the event is Invasion of Candyland, where G.I.
Joe meets the Sugarplum Fairy. Interpret as you
will. Check out the Facebook event for complete
listings. 5pm, Red Lion Vancouver, 100 Columbia
Street. $40. More info: impcourt.org/icis/chapters/
vanusa.html.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19
Dress Code: What happens when you put Asia Blow Pony welcomes Raja! (RuPaul’s Drag Race
Ho Jackson, Shitney Houston, Kaj-Anne Pepper, Season Three Winner.) Still only $5 to ride the Pony.
Svetlana Trantastic, Helena Keller, and four amazing (Raja!) 9pm, Rotture, 315 SE Third. $5.
deejays under one roof? Come find out. (There are
loads of other performers, we just ran out of space.) FRIDAY, MAY 3
Dress Code is a dance party/performance art eve- Pablo Cáceres celebrates Vancouver’s First Friday
ning where the concept is self-expressive costum- art walk with “Ice Cream Social,” a new collection of
ery/attire/drag/fetish gear/whatever you find self-ex- digital illustrations. The artist himself will be at Angst
pressive. Just dress up—because if you don’t, you Gallery meeting, greeting, and hugging during the
pay. 10pm, Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11. $4 evening of First Friday. Make the trek, check out
downtown Vancouver’s art scene. (It’s pretty great, I
dressed, $10 not.
used to live there.) 5pm, Angst Gallery, 1015 Main
Street.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Mac Attack. The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence invite you to get your gluttony on, Portland- WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
comfort-food-style. Florentine mac, pesto and mush- Save the date. Celebrate queer activist Cameron
room mac, and bacon mac (which they’ll also deep Whitten’s birthday (albeit a month late) and supfry for you)—put on your eating dress and eat all port Street Roots. From Cameron: “Not only if this
the pasta with the Sisters. Or come and watch every- an opportunity to celebrate, but this is an opportuone else eat and feel very thin. Choose your choice. nity to acknowledge the fulfillment activism brings to
4-6:30pm, The Fox and Hounds, 217 NW Second. our lives. We’ll be holding a benefit for Street Roots,
which does incredible work to empower the disad$12 per person/$20 for 2.
vantaged.” $25 donation is encouraged, and we’ll
have more about the time and place online—so
MONDAY, APRIL 22
“Drag Race” Viewing Party—each Monday, bookmark our blog, dear readers.
Scandals puts your favorite drag queen sprinting contest on the big screen. Admit it, the show is so much WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
more fun with friends. (Even strangers.) Hosted by Women Who Lead Luncheon. Save the date for
Summer Seasons—there’s always a mini drag show, Women Who Lead 2013, Equity Foundation’s celecontests, giveaways, prizes, all of it. 8pm, Scandals, bration of women who work in the service of equality.
They lead through their work, volunteering, and spirit
1125 SW Stark.
of giving. The first leadership award goes (deservedly
so) to Samantha Swaim. Equity will also be presentTHURSDAY, APRIL 25
Gay and Grey Fourth Thursday Social. Come ing Susie Shepard with a lifetime achievement award
on, come all, come socialize. And eat delicious for her inspirational commitment and tireless efforts
foods—burgers, specials, and much more. 4pm, to advance equality in Oregon. 11:30am, Portland
Art Museum, 1219 SW Park. Womenwholead2013.
Starky’s, 2913 SE Stark.
eventbrite.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 26
Lumbertwink returns! Your favorite Northwest MONDAY, MAY 20
fantasy is back for its Spring Chop. Guest deejays Gay Skate, sponsored by yours truly (PQ Monthly).
Roy G Biv and Pocket Rock-It will cut up the dance This is every third Monday. All ages goodness! Join
floor. (See what we’re doing with those lumber Sock Dreams, the Rose City Rollers, and all the amareferences there?) Three rooms, big patio, lots teur skaters in the city at the one and only queer skate
of mutual beard rubbing (optional). Photo booth night. Work muscles you never knew you had—but
by the party’s architect, Wayne Bund. 9pm, Fun- don’t fall. 7-9pm, Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park
house Lounge, $3 in plaid, $5 sans the good stuff. Way. $6. All ages.
PQ PICKS
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
Orange Crush: A Lady NetRippers Outgames Fundraising Extravaganza. Lady auction/drag show/drink
specials/raffles and prizes: the women’s NetRippers
soccer team wants to go to Belgium for the World Outgames. This is how you help. Come eat, drink, mingle,
catch a show—and win a date with one of the net-ripping ladies themselves. True story, they’re auctioning
off one of their own. 9pm, Crush, 1412 SE Morrison.
pqmonthly.com
1
Saturday, April 20:
Big Dipper Takes Portland. Did
you see our feature on Chicago’s rap
dynamo in our last issue? (Find it.)
This big hairy deal stages his live
shows like Britney arena concerts.
(Real declaration on his part.) And
he raps about sex and bears and
summertime realness. Edgy, catchy,
hot as hell. YouTube his videos. (You
haven’t already?) DJ Hold My Hand
spins after the show. 10pm, Eagle
Portland, 835 N Lombard. $8.
PERS{ECTOVES
NEWS
Want more? We’ll give you everything. Head over
to www.pqmonthly.com and check out our online
calendar of events, submit your own events, and
check out photos from your reporters-about-town.
Also, remember to carefully examine our weekly
weekend forecast — with the latest and greatest
events — each Wednesday, online only.
DANCE IT OUT
(CHEERFULLY PAY YOUR COVERS; DEEJAYS GOTTA EAT, TOO.)
FIRST SUNDAYS
Bridge Club. A slew of deejays play stellar music on one
of the city’s most treasured patios. Old Boys Club regularly welcomes special guests. Brunch, mingle, get down.
3pm, Produce Row Café, 204 SE Oak. Free.
Every Sunday. Superstar Divas. Bolivia Carmichaels, Honey
Bea Hart, Ginger Lee, and guest stars perform your favorite pop,
Broadway, and country hits. Oldies, too! Dance floor opens after
the show. 8pm, CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis. Free!
FIRST THURSDAYS
Dirt Bag. Keyword: Bruce LaBruiser. She’ll make all your
musical dreams come true. Indie, pop, electro, all of it.
Dance to the gayest jams. 10pm, The Know, 2026 NE
Alberta. Free.
Hip Hop Heaven. Bolivia Carmichaels hosts this hip-hopheavy soiree night every Thursday night at CCs. Guest
performances at midnight. 9pm, CC Slaughters, 219
NW Davis. Free.
First Saturdays
Sugar Town. DJ Action Slacks. Keywords: Soul, polyester. 9pm, The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42. $5.
Maricón! DJs Moisti and Ill Camino redefine the Eagle with
their beloved once-monthly dance party. For homos and
their homeys. 10pm, Eagle Portland, 835 N Lombard. $3.
Second Sundays
Silverado’s Beer Bust. (Every Sunday.) Sweet jams, lots
of skin (the dancers, not you), and our city’s beloved Stan,
making all the jokes via microphone. Listen carefully to his
commentary. 4pm, 318 SW 3, Free.
Second Thursdays
I’ve Got a Hole in My Soul. Three keywords, the most
important being: DJ Beyondadoubt. Others: soul, shimmy.
9pm, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison. $5.
Second Fridays
BMP/GRND. Portland’s only queer dance night devoted
entirely to that tragic(ally wonderful) decade. DJs Kasio
Smashio and Rhienna. Wear 90s gear, get in on the cheap.
9pm, The Foggy Notion, 3416 N. Lombard. Free before
10pm, $5 after, $3 w/ themed attire.
Second Saturdays
Rotate: DJs Moisti and Hold My Hand make a Maricón/
Bridge Club baby. Come hear the blessed noise, and help
them celebrate. 9pm, Eagle Portland, 835 N Lombard. $3.
Mrs.: The queen of theme. Most recent: Under the Sea.
How’s that for perfection? And dynamic DJ duo: Beyondadoubt and Ill Camino. Costumes, photo booths, all the
hits. 10pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi. $5.
Third Thursdays
Polari. Troll in for buvare. Back-in-the-day language,
music, and elegance. An ease-you-into-the-weekend
mixer. Bridge Club boys make the music. Bridge and tunnel
Tuesday, April 30:
Our Voices—Race and Ethnicity, Let’s Talk About It. Kathleen
Saadat hosts a panel that also includes
David Martinez, Cliff Jones, and
Rupert Kinnard. This is not
a debate about whether
or not there is racism (or
sexism, or…) within our
communities and movements,
it’s about telling our stories and sharing
a dialogue about race/racism that serves as a catalyst for change,
a foundation for building stronger coalitions. There will be a Q&A.
You had us at Saadat. 6:30pm, Q Center, 4115 N. Mississippi.
2
pqmonthly.com/get-out
patrons have no idea what to do with us when we pour in.
It’s OK to chuckle at them. 10pm, Vault, 226 NW 12. Free.
Third Fridays
Ruthless! Eastside deluxe. DJs Ill Camino, Rhienna. Come
welcome new resident deejay Rhienna and listen to the
fiercest jams all night long. Keyword: cha cha heels. 10pm,
Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK. $3.
Third Saturdays
Gaycation all you ever wanted. DJs Charming and Snow
Tiger. Be early so you can actually get a drink. Sweaty deliciousness, hottest babes. THE party. April = Jenna Riot.
9pm, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison. $3.
Nuttz 2 Buttz. Maricon’s kid brother. DJs Moisti, Ill
Camino. Ass-shaking contest. Hug Moisti! 10pm, Eagle
Portland, 835 N Lombard. $3.
Fourth Thursdays
Cockabilly. Rock and roll disco with homosexual tendencies. The night’s charismatic hostess, Chanticleer,
proves Thursdays are back. 9pm, White Owl Social Club,
1305 SE Eighth. $5.
Fourth Sundays
Gender Abundant Square Dance. All-ages goodness.
No experience necessary! 7pm, The Village Ballroom, 700
NE Deckum. All ages! $7.
Fourth Fridays
Twerk. DJs Slutshine and II Trill. Keywords: old school.
Established fun, all night long. So much dancing. 9pm,
Local Lounge, 3536 NE MLK. Free!
Double X Dance. Bears, scruff, musk. 9pm, Embers
Avenue, 110 NW Broadway.
Fourth Saturdays
Inferno! DJs Wildfire and D-Zel. Ladies, ladies, ladies.
Rotating venue—check online for the latest!
Blow Pony. April: RAJA! Two giant floors. Wide variety of
music, plenty of room for dancing. Rowdy, crowdy, sweaty
betty. 9pm, Rotture/Branx, 315 SE 3. $5.
Hey Queen! For all the party girls. The more intimate,
shoulder-to-shoulder choice. Bruce LaBruiser and special guests. Always fabulous. 9pm, Beulahland, 118 NE
28. Free.
Last Thursdays
Laid Out, Portland’s newest gay dance party. Seriously,
the posters read: “gay dance party.” Deejays Gossip Cat
and Pocket Rock-It, with photos by Eric Sellers. 9pm,
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison. $3 after 10pm. (No Laid
Out in April.)
Last Fridays
Temple! A West Side Social. Keeping the west side afloat.
Downtown dancing goodness at everyone’s favorite dive bar.
Resident Kasio Smashio, plus guest. 10pm, The Matador,
1967 W Burnside. Free is a very good price.
Saturday, May 4:
Red Dress 2013! Let’s get serious about our lives, people. The
epic shitshow par t y ever yone
waits all year for. Tear through your
friends’ closets, hit up Fat Fancy,
rifle through the racks at Ross. Just
find your dresses! You’re running
out of days. Theme: Caught RedHanded. Guest: Nina Flowers.
Yes! 8pm, AudioCinema
Building, 226 SE Madison. $50 GA/$150 VIP.
reddresspdx.com.
3
NIGHTLIFE
WEDDINGS
Fire on the Mountain
Portland’s Original Wing Joint
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We are also known for our homemade burgers, fresh-cut fries,
vegetarian options, twelve delicious sauces, now brewing our own beer.
Visit any of our locations:
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pqmonthly.com
CALENDAR
FILM
QDOC GOES BIG WITH ‘DIVINE’ OPENING NIGHT
By Erin Rook
Following the screening will be a Q&A session with
director Jeffrey Schwarz and frequent Divine costar Mink
Stole. Last year’s festival also kicked off with a celebrity
As QDoc grows into a preeminent festival for queer doc- appearance — country singer Chely Wright was on hand
umentary film, it is expanding its reach into the LGBTQ for the screening of her film “Wish Me Away.”
community and the world of cinema with its biggest openWhile Weissman says it isn’t part of the agenda to
ing night ever.
always kick off with a celebrity, he does try to bring as
many directors to the festival as he can. And this year
is no exception. A number
of f i l m ma kers w i l l be on
h a n d d u r i n g t h e w e e kend, including sex educator
Annie Sprinkle and her partner Beth Stephen (“Goodb y e G au le y Mou nt a i n” ),
Travis Matthews (“Interior.
Leather Bar.”), Deb Tillman
( “Bor n T h is Way ” ), Por tlander Eric Slade and Stephen Silha (“Big Joy”), and
Marta Cunningham (“Valentine Road”).
“It’s a community experience, it’s a shared experience,
it’s a meet the artist experience,” Weissman says.
QDoc attracts filmmakers largely because the festival gives documentaries a kind
of attention they don’t get elsewhere.
“The filmmakers love it,”
QDoc opens with “I am Divine,” about the iconic performer who frequently worked with John Waters.
Weismann says. “So often docNow in its seventh year, the festival will kick off May 16 umentaries can be relegated to second tiers at mainstream
at the more expansive Bagdad Theater — before moving to festivals.”
McMenamins Kennedy School — with a film about larger
Between the special attention (QDoc is one of only
than life performer and queer icon, Divine, aptly titled “I two queer documentary film festivals worldwide) and the
Am Divine.”
organizers’ industry connections (Weissman is also a film“We think that there’s a big audience for [the film]. We maker whose documentaries have been twice short-listed
thought, ‘Let’s go all out go for a big theatre,’” says David for Academy Awards), the festival is able to draw high calWeismann, who co-created QDoc with former San Fran- iber films. Putting on a small festival means they get to
cisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival operations select the best of the best, without having to pad the prodirector Russ Gage. “It’s always great to start a festival with a gram with fluff.
splash, and there’s not a much bigger splash than Divine.”
Despite the limited number of films, Weissman says they
PQ Monthly
RACE DRAG Continued from page 10
“It’s pretty ridiculous that people claimed to be ‘supporting’ women and people of color by basically taking
money out of mine and [Maricón DJ Misti Icenbice’s]
pocket,” says Walton, who identifies as gay and Mexican.
“Seriously community, let’s actually try to hear each other
and stop trying to eat our own.”
Tobin Britton, a leather dyke of color and Eagle patron,
says she is more bothered by the “dangerous” tone of the
debate than the performer who sparked it. She also takes
issue with the letter sent out by QRJPDX.
“The letter seems to be calling for forced apologies
and economic sanctions on a business whose only crime
seems to be having booked a controversial performer,”
Britton says. “It is time we as beings take responsibility
for ourselves and stop expecting the world to shelter us
from everything. If something offends you, walk away.
Being offended doesn’t affect your civil rights or harm
you physically.”
Bertha Pearl, a queer white Jewish member of QRJPDX,
believes shows like Shirley Q. Liquor’s have an impact on
more than just the people who watch them.
pqmonthly.com
“I felt that booking SQL was an injustice, and an attack
on the [queer people of color] in our community,” Pearl
says. “I want [the Eagle] to know that this affects the entire
community, not just the people who go to their bar.”
Accountability: When is an apology enough?
“What is important is that the Eagle cancelled the
event…. I don’t understand why there is still drama,” Walton
says. “I have been the victim of so much racism in the queer
community, and I really don’t know if people just sort of
turn a blind eye to it until a situation like the SQL pops up,
or what. I still don’t feel like the Q Center or the Eagle owes
me a processing session.”
Hudson says a sincere apology is all that can be realistically expected. Restitution, on the other hand, is a trickier matter.
“Who makes restitution? The abstract entity of the business, the booking agent, Chuck Knipp, the employees,
those working at the show, those who decided to buy a
ticket, or those who resorted to blatant sexism and racism
when engaging with protestors on Facebook, or all of the
above?” Hudson asks. “It’s sometimes easier to criticize an
abstraction — in this case, a bar — than individuals, but
what does that achieve?”
are careful to select ones that represent a diversity of content, styles, and identities.
“We try to be very conscious in our selection and speak
to a broad range of themes,” Weissman says. He tries to
include something that speaks to all the various segments
of the LGBTQ community while still maintaining a flow.
“It’s like curating an art show; things have to work together
as a unit.”
The festival also has to strike a balance between attracting a larger audience and keeping the festival intimate.
Because QDoc is about more than screening films, it’s about
bringing community together.
“Part of our intention really was to help foster a sense of
the value of community. I think to some degree our community in Portland is fairly assimilated and there isn’t as much
of an emphasis on queer politics as there is in a city with a
more focused gay community,” Weissman says. “We want
to remind people how fantastic it is to have these stimulating queer cultural events and engage around share things
in our community.”
QDoc runs May 16-19. All screenings take place at
McMenamins Kennedy School, except for opening night.
Tickets are $10 per film, $8 for students and seniors, and a
free for people under 23 (limited number). Festival passes
are $75 and admission to the opening night and reception and film is $25. For more information, visit queerdocfest.org.
QDoc Schedule
Thursday, May 16 – Opening Night (Bagdad Theater)
8 p.m. “I Am Divine” tells the story of the larger than life
drag queen and actor who starred in so many John Waters
films. Director Jeffrey Schwarz and actress Mink Stole will
be in attendance. divinemovie.com
Friday, May 17
7 p.m. “Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love
Story” documents activism and performance art aimed at
stopping mountaintop removal in West Virginia. Directors
Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens will be in attendance.
goodbyegauleymountain.org
9:15 p.m. “Interior. Leather Bar.” Reimagines the
qdoc page 35
Where do we go from here?
Keller Henry, a queer black woman and member of
QRJPDX who identifies as working-poor, says she hopes
that this incident will inspire a broader dialogue.
“I believe [QRJPDX] is seeking to start a genuine conversation about racism in this community and I hope that it
expands the discussion to include how class and privilege
also play a big part in why people like SQL find safe harbor
in the mainstream gay community,” Henry says.
She signed the letter the group sent to the Eagle, but
didn’t expect it to have a much impact.
“I truly don’t believe the hearts and minds of bigots will
be changed through well-meaning and well-written words
when there is nothing at stake,” Henry says. “I’m not sure
how to bring people out of the shadows of their own bigotry to have real, honest conversations.”
Poison Waters hopes that the incident can be used as an
opportunity to listen and learn from one another.
“If someone honestly, knowingly booked that act and
didn’t for one second think anything was ‘wrong’ with it,”
she says, “that is an opportunity to address the current state
of our community’s views on racial equality from all sides.”
Daniel Borgen contributed additional reporting to this story.
WEDDINGS
NIGHTLIFE
FILM
RADICAL FAERIE FILM FEST MAKES PORTLAND DEBUT
The Radical Faerie Film Festival is coming to Portland after debuting in Seattle last year.
By Erin Rook
PQ Monthly
After attending the 2011 Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Michael Nugent (aka
Sweet Chi), 27, and Sister Bhakti Shakti, 52, started wondering why there weren’t more
Radical Faeries represented in film. So they set out to create a festival focused on the
Faerie experience.
The Radical Faeries spiritual movement is comprised primarily and historically of
gay men (though many communities now welcome other identities) and seeks to honor
the interconnectedness of sexuality and nature-based spirituality. Despite the common
gay portland
solicit donations to a memorial fund from other InWorldz
users. When Sunbeam began to share the information
they found with other users, Burton then blocked both
Sunbeam and Lebowski; shortly thereafter, Sunbeam
reported, Burton returned to the game and resumed
playing. Burton explained to fellow users that his sister
“Ramaty” had simply been confused as to which of her
brothers had died.
On the comment thread for the post, Burton chimed in
on Sept. 24 — six months after the original post, and mere
months before Burton was to arrive in Portland — claiming that “Ramaty” had stolen his login and password out
of spite, faked his death, solicited funds for his memorial,
and then been caught in the act. Yet she was allowed to
continue managing the online world.
When confronted with evidence of this situation, Burton
claimed complete ignorance.
“I had no idea of this,” he said on the record to PQ. He
later added, “I don’t have any involvement with InWorldz,”
and eventually stated that after he started his online shows
discussing InWorldz, “it became an issue that there were
a lot of profiles going up … that were supposedly me that
aren’t me.”
Furthermore, he asserted, these people were also impersonating his family members. “Genkido Ramaty is my niece,
and she’s not old enough to write — she’s 6,” Burton said,
adding that he does have a sister named “Chrystyna Vio22 • April-May 2013
values and traditions shared by many Radical Faeries, the group has no
official definition or centralized organization.
“Faeries have spent years attempting to settle on a description of ‘what
are the Radical Faeries’ with no success,” Sweet Chi says. “Each Faerie
speaks for him and her self and is considered divine.”
The diversity of the Radical Faerie community is part of what inspired
Sister Bhakti Shakti and Sweet Chi to curate an 80-minute collection of
short films, drawing on their respective backgrounds as a community
organizer and a programmer at the largest environmental film festival
in the country.
“We did not know what we would find when we started, and we were
ultimately thrilled with what we found,” Sweet Chi says. “In creating this
festival, we hope to share some small essence of the Radical Faerie experience with film-going audiences, and also inspire those who identify as
Radical Faeries to use film as a medium to explore and document what
we’re about.”
The festival debuted last year in Seattle and will make its first showing
in Portland April 20 at Q Center. Sweet Chi and Sister Bhakti Shakti say
they hope to continue touring the festival along the West Coast to British Columbia and wherever else there is a demand.
Even if local Faeries hadn’t expressed interest in seeing the festival in
Portland, it would still be a natural fit — many of the films feature or are
directed by Portlanders. Films with local ties include “Beauties Without
a Cause,” an early short directed by QDoc co-founder David Weissman
(director of “We Were Here: Voices from the AIDS Years in San Francisco”
and “The Cockettes”); “Sass Manifest,” a performance art piece directed
by and starring Wayne Bund; and “Breach of Etiquette,” a drama directed
by Mark Levine.
All three Portland directors will attend the festival, as will Seattle’s
Gnarlene of queer punk rock band Gnarlene and the Frisky Pigs. The festival will include 10 films in all, including “Faerie Tales,” which Sweet Chi says is considered by many to be a definitive documentary about the Radical Faeries.
“We hope it will be a vessel for building community, by giving attendees a new lens to
view, contemplate, and explore what it means to be a Radical Faerie; and in the larger communities — queer, film, and Portland at large — it provides a forum for people who may
not have encountered Radical Faeries to have a taste of the experience,” Sweet Chi says.
Tickets are available in advance online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/336761.
Submissions for the second Radical Faerie Film Fest can be sent to [email protected].
lette,” as well as another sister named “Ashlee Violette.”
Ashlee, he said, is also behind the “Stand Out Loud Project,” listed as a sponsor of Gay Portland.
“I haven’t talked to them in a while,” he said. “I know,
I’m horrible.” However, the Facebook pages of both Burton
and Chrystyna Violette indicate that they communicated
as recently as January 2013. Furthermore, a Google image
search revealed that Chrystyna’s Facebook page uses photographs of adult actress Mikaela Dose, while Ashlee’s page
uses generic stock photos.
‘I’M READY TO CLOSE GAY PORTLAND’
“My sisters aren’t fake.… I’ve met them,” Burton said in
response to the printed evidence provided by PQ. “I don’t
know who Genkido Ramaty is. I’ve met Dao [Ling] and
Tasha.… I need to look into it all.”
When asked if he was running Gay Portland alone, he
became visibly upset and replied: “No, it’s not just me. I’m
ready to go and close Gay Portland. This is not what is supposed to be happening, and I’m pissed.”
He explained that he would be bringing Gay Portland
back to “the original plan” — a self-authored blog that
would not solicit advertising or donations.
“If there is anything that has been donated to the website, I’ll be sending it back,” he said as he put on his coat
to leave the café.
Within one hour of his interview with PQ — just one
day after Gay Portland’s launch — a notice appeared on
the website and Burton’s Facebook: “At this time gay Portland is currently closed until further notice.”
CREATING A NEW WORLD
After the announcement was posted, pages began to disappear: first “Emily Larsen’s” Facebook page, then the “Supporters” page, the staff listing, and half of the articles from
the site’s launch. Shortly thereafter, the forum posts discussing Burton’s “death” in InWorldz disappeared. The bylines for
each article — previously listing the authors as “Ling,” “Ferro,”
and “Larsen” — were scrubbed, indicating no authorship.
The following day, Burton announced that Gay Portland
was back. A new message appeared above the site’s donation button: “REMEMBER it is YOUR CHOICE to donate
and your donations are appreciated.”
PQ never received responses from the “Violette” sisters
or Emily Larsen, after requesting telephone interviews.
When contacted to ask for comment, Burton said his sisters
were unwilling to verify their existence. In a lengthy email,
Burton said that “Ashlee” had confessed to impersonating
him on the InWorldz site, and asserted that he never had
any involvement with the site (despite his online video
commentary discussing it) or “Ashlee’s” actions.
“As for Emily,” he wrote, “I don’t think that you will hear
from her, which may be my fault.” Burton claims that he
fired “Larsen” from the project, and in response she disappeared completely, leaving absolutely no means by which
she could be contacted.
A few days later, Burton changed the site’s header:
“Gay Portland,” it now read, “The Right, Trusted, Respectable, & Positive Source.” However, Burton also removed
all of the articles from the site, leaving only blank space
in their absence.
pqmonthly.com
ARTS & CULTURE
WHAT A RIOT!
IT’S ALL ABOUT
YOU
By Wyatt Riot
PQ Monthly
As marginalized people with our various sexualities and/or gender identities
(among possible other factors), we’re often
taught and shown early on that what we
desire/who we are might not be “right.”
Regardless of the impact our upbringings
had on us, society as a whole has done a
pretty good (read: terrible) job of teaching
us about what a healthy sexuality is.
Sexuality is a subject that maybe isn’t as
taboo as it once was, but it can still pack a
pretty hefty punch of shame — and confusion. There is a lot of push and pull about
what is too slutty, too risky, and even too
prudish. Society tries to tell us that there
is this area that is “just right,” but that
area isn’t very clear. In the
end, this way of thinking
is bullshit and downright
toxic.
For a moment I want
you to just throw all of that
garbage away that you’ve
heard and repeat after me:
“I’m fantastic, awesome,
beautiful, handsome, gorgeous, hilarious, charming, witty, THE BEST.” You
deserve everything you
want and more. Whatever
adjectives make you feel
good in describing you — YOU ARE THEM.
Remind yourself. (I am pointing my finger
at myself as I type this from the couch.)
Now imagine if we lived in a world where
our sexualities didn’t have to be so filled
with shame or the sense they have to be
hidden. Imagine if we could just be open
and honest with our fantasies, questions,
or desires. Doesn’t that sound awesome?
Now let’s make that fantasy come to life (at
least for right now.)
I learned pretty early on that the things
I thought were hot were not so-called
“normal.” At age 16, my older and more
experienced date taught me that “lesson.”
Thankfully, we didn’t last long and I found
myself moving to a pretty sex positive community in San Francisco, where I found that
I was, by far, not the only one who had these
fantasies. I got exposed to many different
types of sexualities and kinks and I learned
to embrace my own sexuality and to try out
new things. It was scary to be such a shy
and wide-eyed young little queer trying to
learn the ins and
outs of it all, but
I allowed myself
that vulnerability
and have since
been learning all
sorts of amazing things about
m y s e l f ; i t ’s a
learning process
that never ends,
which is pretty amazing.
These days I have the honor of helping
others at work (SheBopTheShop.com) with
their questions on sexualities, kinks, toys,
and beyond. I’m also a co-host and co-coordinator of Dirty Playground, which is a
18-plus queer (all genders) sex and BDSM
play party (Facebook: DirtyPlayground
PDX).
But let’s forget about me; I’ve got homework for you. I want you to think about all of
your sexual desires. Think about the things
you tuck away and don’t share with anyone.
Shine some light on them. Your eyes can
be closed or open, you
can explore these desires
inside your own head or
whisper them to yourself,
write them down, post
them on the internet, or
share them on a stage at
Dirty Queer, an amazing
x-rated open mic event
here in Portland that happens four times a year.
(Learn more at dirtyqueer.
com.) Do whatever you
want with them. They’re
Photo by Alyssa Perkins yours. Remember, there
is no such thing as a normal sexuality and
no one here is judging you. You’re allowed
to have all of the fantasies and desires you
want to have (or not have!).
I can promise you this: regardless of
what you’re fantasizing about, you’re not
the only one.
This doesn’t involve anyone else. This is
just about you and your desires. It doesn’t
matter if your partner —or partners — dislike your fantasies, or if you’re single and
you think that you’ll never find folks who are
into “xyz.” None of this is part of the equation right now. This homework is just for you.
Sometimes these fantasies can be awesome jack-off material, or fun things to
think about during a tough day (or anytime), and maybe sometimes they can even
be a little hard to work through. That’s okay,
too. The point of it is to look inward, reflect,
and learn more about yourself and things
that make you tick/hot/whatever word
you’d like to use here.
This is about you.
Wyatt Riot is a white, queer, trans person living, loving, and working hard in Portland,
Ore. He can be found at school, doing some type of sex/kink education, or eating delicious foods. Reach him at [email protected].
pqmonthly.com
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ARTS
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I take a deep breath and type “How to
make a decision” into the search bar on
my boss’s computer. It’s not uncommon for
me to work from her desk. As the director
of the university’s international education
programming, she is often traveling and
needs someone to take her calls. Her expansive corner office is on the second floor of a
low-traffic building. I can go all day without
interacting with another human being. It’s
the perfect place make an elaborate plan.
I pull up charts, equations, and ranking
systems. Some people, when faced with a
challenging life-altering decision, would
simply confide in a friend. But my friends
didn’t know what I’d gotten myself into,
what I was trying to find a way out of. I’d
survived the more than three years of abuse
alone; I figured I’d escape it on my own, too.
That, and I’m paralyzed by fear. Mostly, the
fear of the truth, which is that I need to leave
town, cut the cord, end whatever relationship I imagine we still have.
I make multiple weighted pro/con lists.
The pros win 67-30 (even with things like
“losing my ex as a friend forever” getting
an undeserved 10), but still I’m not convinced. Though he sleeps with my friends,
berates me, and assaults me, it’s hard to
let go. I’ve never felt more alone and yet
I’m sold on the mythology of our forever
friendship.
So I move on to the next decision-making
strategy, articulating my fears and detailing
likely outcomes. I attempt to unpack my
fear of losing my abuser’s “friendship.” I
did promise we’d remain friends if we ever
broke up, I tell myself, and I hate to break a
promise. I’d also lost two close friends over
the course of the relationship and didn’t
feel ready to lose another. (Granted, my
ex was the reason the friendships ended,
but that was fuzzy up close.) I am afraid of
being alone. I don’t see that I already have
all the disadvantages of loneliness without
the benefits of solitude.
The other three fears can be summarized as such: What if my departure causes
my ex pain? (Future self says: Tough shit.)
Why can’t I just tough it out? (I blame Dr.
Phil and his “relationships are hard work”
jibber jabber.) And the question that haunts
every chronically indecisive person: What
if I make the wrong choice? (Spoiler alert:
Putting your health and safety first is always
the right choice.)
I print out the many pages of documentation, hoping this evidence will drive home
the decision I
know I need to
make. It’s harder
to argue with the
facts on paper.
So I send my parents an email accepting
their offer to buy me a plane ticket from
Boston to Portland and give me a room for
as long as I need it. I don’t tell them why we
broke up, and they don’t ask.
Once my f light is confirmed — two
weeks out — I give notice at work. Make
some excuse about wanting to be closer
to my family. Then I tell my ex and our
friends. They are understandably surprised. I’d been talking about moving out
of the studio we shared (for obvious reasons), and had looked at a few house shares
on Craigslist. But I’d never intimated that
I was considering leaving town, at least
not so soon.
I knew if I’d told my ex before the flight
was booked, I might never leave. Still, he
tries his best to make me stay, delaying
my arrival to the airport and forcing me
to reschedule my flight for later in the day.
But even after I am relatively safe in my parents’ home, I don’t tell them or my friends in
Boston what happened. When my ex continues to harass me via email, texts, and
phone calls — alternately plying me with
photos of our cats and threatening me with
suicide — I change my number and block
his emails.
I did everything I could to push him
out of my life. I’m grateful to have had that
opportunity. Many survivors don’t have the
resources to pack up and move to a new
city. They must continue to share the small
world that is the queer community with
their abuser.
But with that gratitude comes guilt.
Despite my best efforts to carry my burden
with a silent stoicism, intimate partner violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is not
merely a private struggle, but a public health
and community safety issue. I wonder who
I’m serving by remaining silent. Some four
years later, I am open about my survivor
status, but I still haven’t had a real conversation with any of our once-mutual friends
about the abuse I experienced.
Whether survivors self-isolate or are
pushed to the margins by a community
that sides with their abuser, our refusal to
deal with the abuse in a collective, holistic manner isn’t helping anyone. Yes, it’s
complicated, but we need to come up with
solutions. Because suffering alone is bad
enough; we shouldn’t have to survive that
way too.
If you need help dealing with an abusive situation, contact Bradley
Angle’s 24-hour crisis line at 503-281-2442 or visit bradlyangl.org from a safe
computer. Send your ideas for domestic and sexual violence community
outreach to [email protected].
pqmonthly.com
PERSPECTIVES
WHISKEY & SYMPATHY
Dear Gula and Sophia,
I’m a single guy who, to put it lightly, is poor as hell. Between credit cards, student loans, and being very under-employed, I’m nowhere near solvency with my finances. I think I’m decent-looking, and have plenty of success with hookups and such, but I’m always really anxious about actually entering into relationships because inevitably the issue of
money will come up and I’m terrified to admit the reality of my situation, particularly because I seem to attract men
who make a lot more than I do and I simply have no desire to have a sugar daddy. How can I deal with my hang-ups
around my finances?
Thanks — Broke in Buckman
Mr. Broke,
Sophia
Dear Broke,
Oh, honey! There are many people within the community who are having financial problems. Unfortunately, it’s
the way of the world right now. However this fact can only
work in your favor considering your situation. You are not
alone and because of that anyone you might want to date
should be understanding of this.
Also, knowing that your situation is in need of a makeover is a big step in the right direction. There are several
ways of getting back on track. Taking a financial budgeting
class or contacting credit rebuilding organizations are two
great ways to resolve less than desirable budgeting issues.
I think once you are actively taking the steps to rectify the
issues, you will start to feel better about making moves into
a solid relationship.
It is also important to understand that you are not alone.
There are others who are single, married, partnered, and
coupled who are facing stress related to their poor credit
and finances, just as you are. It can be a blow to the pride
to have to step back and make changes, but once you have
done so you will feel a million times better.
And, as always, communication. I can never ever ever
stress the importance of open dialogue enough. Especially
in budding relationships. By no means do I think you should
expose your finances the first or second date, but I do think
it should be expressed fairly soon. Even just a simple “I am
on a budget” conversation. Be clear that you are working on
managing your wallet and that means maintaining a realistic
budget. Dates do not always have to cost a large amount of
money in order to be fun, romantic, and exciting. Use your
imagination. Be creative. Most of all, be real and be honest.
-Sophia
At least you are
not busted. You
have your looks …
your pretty face!
But don’t underestimate the power
o f B O DY L A N GUAGE! You poor
unfortunate soul,
y o u a re i n t h e
same boat as a lot
of gay dudes. Student loans you are
deferring, which
says (in this town)
you have a degree
that qualifies you
for a pizza delivery driver or some
kinda retail posiGula tion. In your 20s
you were schooled in the life lessons of credit cards and
living beyond your means to look good in a sale shirt from
H&M and have enough on your card for a night out on the
town! This is the curse of a gay man — a rite of passage to
become the reliable bank manager you are bound to be!
Maybe not all of that applies to you but, again, there are
a lot of boys out there in the same position and they don’t
want to tell you that either.
Money is a funny thing; I have been on both sides of
this coin. A few years ago I was making some nice ducets
and dated a poor boy. I was no daddy, like paying rent or
yer phone, but enjoyed being able to pamper someone …
someone going through school, working, and still finding
time to see me. I didn’t know what to do with all that money
and it was nice to see someone happy with a little treat that
to me was nothing. Money didn’t end our relationship, but
we had a nice understanding that if he made dinner at his
house that on an income scale he was serving me steak.
Being the poor boy was hard for me and I know how
you are feeling. Money comes and goes; it is the person
you are dating and not the wallet. But in any relationship each side needs to contribute and needs to put in
100 percent. If you are sitting around all day playing
video games and then complain to me about being poor,
as you crack another one of my beers open, I might have
a problem with you.
In your letter you went from “I have no money” to “But
I don’t want a sugar daddy!” A daddy is your only option?
Here is how you can deal with your hang-ups around your
finances: GET A JOB, or another one. If this money thing
really bothers you … change it.
-Gula
Need some advice from Sophia and Gula? Send your query — with “Whiskey & Sympathy” in the subject line — to [email protected].
Sophia St. James has been an erotic entertainer since 1996. She has traveled
performing and educating the public on self confidence, self worth, and the art
of sensuality no matter their outer appearance. Working as a sex and sensuality educator, sex toy/product reviewer, adult film director/producer, model, and
erotic visual performer, Sophia is a well rounded woman with drive and determination. Sophia is also a mother and healthcare professional who takes pride
in being a body positive and sex positive fierce femme.
pqmonthly.com
Gula Delgatto’s life began in a small rural farming town in Romaina. She was
scouted singing in a rocky field picking potatoes by a producer of a “Mickey
Mouse Club” type ensemble. While touring the Americas the group fell apart
due to jealousies and drugs. She later transitioned from Vaudeville to starring
on the big screen to woman’s prison, and eventually advised the Dali Lama on
fashion n-stuff. Currently she’s taking her life knowledge and giving back in
an advice column for PQ.
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STAGE
‘HERSTORY/HISTORY’ IS OUR STORY
Bjorn Anderson, Matthew Kerrigan, and Jeffrey Arrington are Donald, Harold, and Michael in “The Boys in the Band.”
By Leela Ginelle
PQ Monthly
To coincide with Pride, Portland’s Defunkt Theatre will
present “Herstory/History,” a coupling of two landmark
plays: “The Children’s Hour,” by Lillian Hellman, and “The
Boys in the Band,” by Mart Crowley.
The plays are notable for being the first successful mainstream theater projects to address, respectively, lesbian
and gay life. Matthew Kern, one of Defunkt’s three artistic
directors, says the productions are also in keeping with the
company’s explorations of gay content and gender politics
— such as their staging of a mixed gender version of David
Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and last year’s mounting
of Chuck Mee’s “Fire Island.”
“We don’t necessarily consciously seek out gay content, but as our artistic directors are two women and a
gay man, we tend to be drawn to material that explores
those issues,” Kern says. “It’s been really gratifying to
see increasing numbers of folks from the LGBTQ community attending Defunkt shows over the past couple
of years. This project is one that we feel will really speak
to a lot of us.”
The productions will run through Portland’s Pride Week,
Photo by Andrew Klaus
with extra performances of “Boys in the Band” during that
time.
To help fund this event, Defunkt has started a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.com, where donors can help
out while receiving prizes ranging from signed posters to
karaoke nights with cast members.
“The Children’s Hour,” the older of the two plays,
revolves around a rumor that two headmistresses at a
boarding school are involved in a lesbian affair, upending
the women’s careers and lives.
The play — Hellman’s first to be staged — debuted on
Broadway in 1934, a time when even mentioning homosexuality on stage was a criminal offense in New York.
“It was rare enough to have a play by a female playwright succeed in the commercial theater in those days,”
Kern says, “and if you add the provocative subject matter,
it’s amazing that she was able to make it happen.”
Despite its incendiary content, the play was a success,
running two years on Broadway. It was banned in several
cities — including Boston, Chicago, and London — but
went on to be adapted several times on film.
“The Boys in the Band” was first staged off-Broadway in
1968. It dramatizes a group of gay men attending a birthday party in Manhattan. While the subject matter might
sound unremarkable today, at the time it was revolutionary.
“Here, right out in the open, were a cross-section of out
gay men who had formed a kind of family of choice while
facing the challenges of being gay in that time,” Kern says.
“It was right on the eve of Stonewall.”
“The Boys in the Band” also inspired a movie in 1970,
directed by William Friedkin.
“Herstory/History,” running May 10-June 15, offers a
unique opportunity to see these groundbreaking works in
person — and reflect on our history.
“These are plays that many of us know of,” Kern says,
“but are rarely produced these days, and yet without
them so much of what has followed would not have been
possible…. They are plays that are sometimes dismissed
by younger gay people because they are of another era,
and we like to think that we’ve moved beyond the challenges that the characters in these plays face. And yes,
it is much easier to live as an out person in 2013 than it
was in 1934 or 1968. But some of the self loathing and
the shame that these characters struggle to overcome
is alive and well, whether [or not] it’s always comfortable for us to admit it.”
The program also offers audiences the chance to have
two distinct theater-going experiences. “The Children’s
Hour” will be staged at Defunkt’s home venue, The Backdoor Theater, on SE Hawthorne. “The Boys in the Band,”
however, will be mounted at a “site specific” venue, which
has yet to be determined.
Kern credits director Jon Kretzu with the idea to produce
the plays in tandem and at different venues.
“Jon’s decision to stage ‘The Boys in the Band’ in an alternate, site-specific location is also going to have an impact
on audiences,” Kern says. “You will be a guest at the party,
not just an audience sitting in a theater. It’s an experience
unlike most of us have ever had before, and a really exciting style of performance to bring to Portland.”
While “Herstory/History” offers audiences a rich cultural experience, Kern believes it will be an emotionally
enriching one, as well.
“I think audiences of all kinds — gay, lesbian, straight,
bi, trans, queer, etc. — will see a lot of themselves in these
characters,” he says. “The plays offer a wonderful chance to
come together as a community and look at and promote a
discussion of how far we’ve come, how some things remain
unchanged, and what kind of world we want to build for
ourselves in the future.”
“Herstory/History” runs May 10-June 15 in Portland. For
more information about the plays and the fundraising campaign, visit defunktheatre.com.
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ARTS & CULTURE
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MUSIC
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MUSIC
THE LADY CHRONICLES
LADY AT THE LODGE:
A WILDERNESS RETROSPECTIVE
By Daniel Borgen
PQ Monthly
It’s not much of a secret that I’m a city
boy; I find solace and comfort in the roar
of the streetcar, the chatter of drunken
passers-by outside my open window, and
awkward interactions with former suitors
at the local 24 Hour gymnasium. I prefer
my favorite dive bar and jukebox to a trek
through nature’s bounty, and I appreciate
the ease that comes with having virtually
anything I desire just footsteps from my
NW apartment.
So when an old, dear friend of mine —
a river-rafting dynamo named Alyssa —
told me she bought a lodge far outside civilization, I initially hesitated. What the hell
was this accomplished, talented educator
thinking? Taking on a rugged project three
hours away from house and home, and her
comfortable tenured position? During the
Bush years, she and I joked about starting
a commune in the middle of nowhere; she’s
experienced in commune living — she grew
up on one with the Arquettes. (Yes, those
Arquettes.) She’s clearly no novice. But Bush
is long gone, and I assumed those flights of
fancy were, too.
After months of prodding, I accepted
Alyssa’s invitation to descend upon her
beloved Horse Creek Lodge in McKenzie
Bridge. In January, a friend and I went on a
quick fact-finding jaunt; I had reservations
about a weekend-long commitment. Satisfied by my overnight stay, I corralled some
of my favorite gays for a longer weekend
adventure. The sun shone, the warm air
filled our lungs, my allergies flared up in
epic fashion, and nine of us took residence
in Horse Creek’s crown jewel — the Delta
House, a four-room, four-bathroom compound built around fire pits and ponds and
all manner of natural phenomena. We saw,
we conquered, and I learned some things
about wilderness survival:
1) There’s really something to be said for
spending days without cell phone service. I
haven’t taken any sort of vacation where my
phone hasn’t been attached to my hip since,
well, ever. Cutting yourself off from social
media and all other electronic goings-on
offers a foreign — but welcome — sense of
peace. I slept soundly, my biggest worries
involved what to eat and when and which
adult beverage I’d consume next. In a way,
it was like my time in L.A. last February —
when that whole Shirley Q. Liquor thing
blew up and my friends hid my phone from
me so I couldn’t stress. But, you know, a
more thorough respite.
2) Hippies like to sing around campfires. (There are lots of them in McKenzie.)
They really live for this — and their five-fingered shoes. They also love cutting down
trees and making lumber while shirtless.
(I fully endorse
that pastime.)
After long days
saving stranded
hikers and rafters and tending to accidents, locals will gather around your beautiful campfire and sing copious numbers
of folk songs — and sprinkle in top 40 hits.
It’ll be a man, his guitar, and two-dozen
voices rising in unison. (The only thing
missing: a sacrifice.) And it’s OK if most of
the gays hide inside the Delta House watching “Moulin Rouge.” (Or “Dreamgirls.” Or
“Burlesque.”)
3) Real hiking isn’t easy breezy. (The
extent of my experience in that department:
Forest Park.) My gays and I hiked to the top
(or maybe the middle) of a mountain to see
Tomalitch Pool. (Ryan stayed home to watch
“The September Issue.”) It was, I must admit,
one of the most beautiful bodies of water
I’ve ever laid eyes on. And I’ve seen the Willamette River. The water is deep blue, but
clear, begging you to jump in. Our group
boasted varying skill levels; I was complimented many times for making my cohort
feel very butch. Rogue branches attacked
my legs from all sides and I nearly fell trying
to scale the treacherous tundra (I did fall
once), but the reward was worth the trek.
Plus, all those miles scaling mountainsides
gave me the pass I needed to eat and drink
all I wanted when we got back to Delta.
4) Our complaints about our small community pale in comparison to the locals’.
During a quick visit the morning of our
departure with Alyssa and the wood-chopping, topless wonder, Dylan, conversation
veered toward my dating life. (Our group
consisted entirely of couples, save for me
and our group’s master egg-fluffer.) “Not
much to report,” I lamented. “Just a little
empty sex sprinkled in here and there for
good measure. Our city just feels so small
sometimes.” He chuckled, rolled his eyes,
and I felt sheepish for complaining about
small towns to a man who resides in an
unincorporated community of, what, 50?
That same morning, Alyssa pulled me
aside to ask me how everyone survived the
weekend. “They loved it, and Ryan loved
that he didn’t have to scale Tomalitch.”
She grabbed my hands, looked me in the
eyes, and said: “I love you, and I love that
no matter how many miles are between us
or how many months go by without seeing
each other, you’re always just a phone call
away.” That’s weighed heavily on my mind
of late — the ebbs, the flows, the choices
that bring us together or create sometimes-uncomfortable and foreign distance.
The people who accept that life is an endless wave of transformation and love you in
spite of it all? Keep those close to your heart.
Google “Horse Creek Lodge.” [email protected]
pqmonthly.com
PERSSPECTIVES
365 DAYS OF PLAY
Hawks bathhouse celebrates one-year anniversary
Do you need a new tattoo
or piercing?
Visit Ritual Arts & ask for the
“PQ Special”
for a special discount
(503) 384-2551
We are a queer owned studio that
offers a comfortable, safe, and relaxing
space where everyone is welcomed.
RITUALARTSPDX.COM
2005 NE 42nd Ave. (between Tillamook and Hancock) Portland, OR 97213
There are so many gay-specific areas such
as bars [and] community centers now, but
this is specifically a place for men to play
and socialize.”
While the internet and smart phones
have changed the ways that gay men come
together, Garduno appreciates that there
can be no deceit in the crucible of the bathhouse.
“Cruising in public is different from
cruising online, because when cruising in
public, you can’t hide anything,” he says. “In
my opinion and experience, there’s always
a bit of skepticism as to whether a person
is actually who they say they are or if they
look the way they claim to. At a bathhouse,
you see the person — you can actually talk
to them, and get that physical reaction.”
Every dimension of the Hawks experience has been engineered for men’s enjoyHawks manager Derek Garduno
ment — Garduno even compares the
sprawling complex to a huge treehouse
By Nick Mattos
— “because after all, what boy doesn’t like
PQ Monthly
playing in a treehouse?” Even the interior architecture works in service of men,
Hawks is gearing up to mark its one- attempting and succeeding at creating
year anniversary as one of the city’s lead- an environment suffused with the core
ing spaces for men to play. From 7 p.m. to impulses of maleness; amidst the myriad
midnight on April 29, the celebrated Port- of private rooms, semi-public sling areas,
land bathhouse will offer $1 locker rentals, and saunas, the physical space of Hawks
$10 private room rentals, a raffle with pro- captures the paradoxical masculine desires
ceeds benefitting Our House, games and to be private in a den of one’s own as well as
prizes, along with “live entertainment.”
boastful before a crowd, to dominate over
What sort of “live
others as well as submit
entertainment” does a
to those who deserve it.
bathhouse party entail?
As the concept of
“Think porn stars, local
masculinity shifts and
talent, dancers, maybe
evolves, Hawks remains
even a live sex show,”
boldly and unapologetsays Hawks manager
ically a men’s space —
Derek Garduno, smiland for thousands of
ing a bit wickedly. “It’ll
men over the last year,
definitely be fun.”
it has been their space
When Garduno talks
to come together, and,
about his place of work,
well, play. As evidenced
the term “play” comes
by research by Garup frequently — and
duno and the rest of the
in his view, the type of
Hawks team, those men
“play” isn’t limited to
then tell their friends.
sex. “Sometimes a guy
“We did a survey
just needs to get away
over the past couple
from his job, get away
of months whenfrom the world, and have
ever someone would
some fun,” he explains.
come in, asking how
‘Hawks
is
a
place
to
socialize,
’
says
Derek
Garduno
of
the
“A guy needs to play. You
they heard about us,”
bathhouse complex.
can do that here.”
he says. “By far, folks
While Garduno is emphatic in stating end up referred by word of mouth, with
that all male-identified people are welcome the second most common answer being
and invited to Hawks, he explains the bath- coverage in print magazines such as PQ
house in the historical context of gay men’s Monthly.”
space. “At one time, bathhouses were the
Take this as a hint, gentlemen — if you
meeting-place for gay men to go because find yourself heading off to Hawks’ annithere was no other place.… You basically versary party on April 29, tell them we sent
had either a bar or a bathhouse,” he says. you, and play on!
“In my opinion, bathhouses are still a place
where gay men can and should come and
Hawks is located at 234 SE Grand Ave. in
meet, because it’s not just a place to play — Portland, and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days
it’s a place to socialize. You can play pool, a week. For more information, including
you can get something to eat, you can chill dates for theme nights and free STI testing,
and relax, or you can meet guys to play. call 503-946-8659 or visit HawksPDX.com.
pqmonthly.com
TRAVEL
& OUTDOORS
ARTS
& CULTURE
pqmonthly.com
DYKES&ALLIES ON BIKES
Meetup at Paradise Harley
Sunday June 9, 2013 at 11am at Paradise Harley-Davidson
Meetup at Pride NW Parade head at NW Park Blocks at W. Burnside
Sunday June 16, 2013 at 10am; park and walk to breakfast.
Please email [email protected] to get on mailing list
Dykes&Allies on Bikes
PQ’S RED DRESS
PHOTO CONTEST!
RIDE LOUD & PROUD WITH US!
Are you going to Red Dress May 4th?
Tag @ProudQueer or hash tag #PQpics on
Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to enter
your best photo of the night and you will
be entered automatically to will
fabulous prizes!
pqmonthly.com
CORPSE POSE WITH HAPPY ENDING:
FOUR THOUGHTS ON BEING A YOGA TEACHER
By Nick Mattos
PQ Monthly
1) “Hey, what would you say about me
going to yoga school and getting certified
to teach yoga?”
It’s 2011, and beside me in bed, my boyfriend has furrowed his brow. “Why would
you do that?”
“I mean, I’ve been practicing for 11
years now, and I think I might like being
a teacher.”
He looks at me dubiously. “I’m worried
about you going to yoga school, baby.”
I raise one eyebrow, smirk at my boyfriend lying beside me in bed. “Why the hell
would you be worried about that?”
“I dunno,” he says, running his hand over
the back of his neck, squinting thoughtfully. “I guess I’m worried that you’ll come
back all weird.”
“Aw, handsome!” I laugh, setting my chin
onto his bare chest, looking up at him. “Don’t
worry. I’ll be the same as I ever was when I
get back. Maybe just a bit more flexible.”
( Joke’s on you, boyfriend!, I think. I
was weird long before I set foot into yoga
school.)
2) “Oh! You’re a yoga teacher?” the swarthy man at the bar asks me flirtatiously. I’m
at the Eagle — my boyfriend dumped me
the day after I taught my first yoga class
(evidently I did get weird), and I’m back on
the prowl.
“I am,” I reply proudly.
“You must be very flexible!” he starts,
launching into a litany that will become
alarmingly familiar to me over the next few
years. “Can you put your legs behind your
head? Do you teach naked classes? Can I get
a private lesson in your bedroom? Can you
put your legs behind MY head?”
“Uh…,” I stammer, stunned by his questions.
He continues, “Do you have tantric sex?
You must have a beautiful body. If I come to
your class, I’ll probably get a boner. Do you
offer classes with ‘happy ending?’”
I grab my drink, down it in one gulp, and
walk away. Why didn’t the Yoga Sutras warn
us about this?
3) I’m in New Seasons, putting salami
into my cart, when I look up and see a familiar face.
“Hey sweetie!” I exclaim, genuinely
pleased to see an old student of mine. “How
have you been?”
She laughs anxiously, grips the handle
of her cart. “Good!” she says sharply. “So
good! I’ve just been so busy! Work has
been intense and I’ve been dating someone new and I started Crossfit and I know
I should be coming to class but I moved
to another part of town and I’m getting
really into ‘Game of Thrones’ and I’ve
just been so busy!” She laughs again, too
high and fast.
“It’s cool, love,” I say, smiling. “Believe
me, I know how it goes.”
When it comes to evoking guilt in people,
yoga teachers are the nuns of a new generation.
4) Outside of the yoga studio, being a
yoga teacher is strange — it’s hilarious and
socially awkward, not lucrative or prestigious but somehow respectable in a very
yuppie way. However, when you’re in the
studio, walking into a class of two people or
six people or 60 people sitting on their mats,
it’s something entirely different — you are
something entirely different. You, the you
that frets about finding parking spots and
pines after boys who don’t like you back and
rolls around your bed in manic insomnia
fits, is simply gone. You stand before the students absolutely free of your internal narrative, constantly surprised to hear your own
teachers’ words emerge in your voice, constantly amazed that these students trusted
you to help them figure out how to experience their own, well, energy.
The students twist and stretch and
breat he, and t hen lay on t heir backs
in Corpse Pose; you look at them and,
whether this is their first or thousandth
class, you are almost overwhelmed by how
huge and pure your love for them can be.
It’s so big that it chokes you up, leaving
you to sputter your last few words to them
before you send them back out into the
great open space of the world — “Jai Guru
Dev,” salutations to the teachers that got
you to this place.
All over the room, you see eyes start to
flutter open. One by one, you look at the students, their faces radiant with a yoga glow.
The light in me salutes the light inside each
of them, thrilled beyond measure for whatever tiny role I played in helping them know
that light. I bow gently to the students for
the things that they taught me, for being
such kind and challenging teachers, and
meaning it with all my heart I tell them:
“Namaste.”
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Nick definitely cannot put his legs behind his head. For information on his
yoga offerings, check out facebook.com/VanishingPointYoga or email him at
[email protected].
pqmonthly.com
THE GOOD LIFE
Cultivating Life
GIMMICKS AREN’T FOR
GARDENERS
By LeAnn Locher
dry out if not attended to daily during warm
weather. Just say no.
Here’s a sad one of money wasters: buy
Gardening accou- and release ladybugs. I admit to having
trements remind me tried them years back, only to have them
of the diet or fitness fly away within a day. There’s no way to
industry, touting every- keep them within your garden. Better bet?
thing you must buy to Stop using insecticides in your garden.
achieve the perfect garden or body. I liken Insecticides make the top of my list for
the WingedWeeder gathering dust in my things you don’t need. Once I stopped
garage to Suzanne Somers’ ThighMaster. using them, the good bugs grew in number
Translated: a big waste of money. Flawless and preyed on the bad bugs. More birds
thighs and a weed-free garden both require came to my garden to eat insects, and
one thing: hard work.
nature balanced itself out.
With all of the gadgets and tools out
This back-to-the-basics approach goes
at your local garden center, what do you for fertilizer as well. I heard from readreally need to pull off the gardening season? ers who lament their days of using soil
I asked readers on Facebook the equivalent depleters like Miracle Grow and who now
of the deserted island question: if you could swear by their homemade compost tea.
only have three items, what
At the bones of this lesson
would they be? The most
remember to feed the
WITH ALL OF THE issoiltonaturally,
popular answer? A good pair
not stress it out
of gloves. And I agree. In our
chemically.
GADGETS AND
wet climate, gardening gloves
And what about all of
are a must, and waterproof TOOLS OUT AT YOUR those new-fangled mycorhi(or mud proof) fingertips are
zzal solutions I’m seeing in
LOCAL GARDEN
much desired. I usually get a
the stores? Save your money.
CENTER, WHAT DO “Mycorhizzal solutions are
new pair or two every year,
and on really muddy days,
not needed in the
YOU REALLY NEED generally
may double up with a pair
Willamette Valley, where an
TO PULL OFF THE array of mycorhizzal fungi
of disposable gloves underneath my Atlas gloves.
inhabit our soils,”
GARDENING SEASON? naturally
Other must-have items
says Gail Langellotto of the
that made the list include a
Oregon State University
hand trowel, clippers, and a good pair of Extension Service. “In severely degraded
loppers for pruning. Interestingly, passed- or compromised soils, they may help new
along tools from family members also show trees or shrubs get established, but better
up on the list, not only for their sentimen- would be to add organic matter to the soil,
tal value connecting us to the work of the over time, in the form of compost. Comland our predecessors did, but also because posting can rehabilitate degraded soils,
older tools are made so well and built to last. by adding organic matter, trace nutrients,
Tools that can do more than one thing and soil organisms—including mycorhizalso make sense: an electric lawn mower zal fungi.”
can cut the grass and break down piles of
Finally, I was recently asked “Do I really
compost or clippings. Same goes with my need raised beds?” My answer: You don’t
weed whacker: it edges the lawn in spring “need” much of anything really, when it
and in the fall, chops up fallen leaves to comes to gardening. But the reason for raised
cover the vegetable beds for winter.
beds is that it helps the soil heat up, and in
So what’s at the top of the list for things our cool climate, that’s a good thing. It can
gardeners don’t need? Landscape fabric make cultivating or caring for the bed easier,
seems to have a special place — meaning and it allows you to better control the qualnot good — in the hearts of many gardeners. ity of the soil you bring in to grow edibles in.
Once it’s in, it can be impossible to remove, Gardening can be tough on your back, and
it doesn’t biodegrade, and the weeds still raised beds, especially the taller ones with
grow—just on top of the layer of mulch benches around their edges, are so kind to
above the fabric.
older and less mobile gardeners. So do you
The gimmicky Topsy Turvy made the list need them? No. Can they help you be more
of money wasters, unfortunately designed successful at gardening? Yes they can.
to tip over on its stand, and the whole growNext on my gardening to-do list? How to
ing upside down thing doesn’t really help turn the WingedWeeder and ThighMaster
the plant at all. In fact, the small size of the into gardening supports for my green beans.
Topsy Turvy means the plant can too easily Could be their most useful purpose yet!
PQ Monthly
LeAnn Locher is an OSU Extension Master Gardener and loves connecting with other home arts badasses at
facebook.com/sassygardener. Special thanks to everyone who helped chime in on this article for their favorite, and least favorite, gardening items.
EAT, DRINK, AND, BE MARY
UNWAVERING TRADITION
By Brock Daniels
PQ Monthly
The warm spring
sun beats down on
my unshaven face. I
close my eyes, lift my
chin, and turn toward the blinding light.
It has been a few months since I’ve have
seen the sun, and its presence doesn’t go
unnoticed. I pick up my steaming cup of
scarlet perfection, and gently blow. The
velum tentacles disappear momentarily, but return quickly like a magician on
stage. I take a deep breath, and sit back in
the comfy chair of the tea shop; perfectly
content.
In a region dominated by coffee, tea
still fights to hold its spot amongst the caffeinated conglomerates. And it is doing
a great job. Said to originate during the
Shang Dynasty as a medicinal drink, with
the modern addition of flowers, herbs, and
other plants, tea has become a mainstay in
our everyday beverage line up.
Handcrafted in very small batches, the
teas at Steven Smith Teamaker company,
located at 1626 NW Thurman St. in Portland, represent the gold standard locally.
Treat yourself to a
moment for “YOU” at a
local tea shop in your
neighborhood.
Offering the finest full leaf teas, tonics, and
elixirs, Steven Smith utilizes generations
of family knowledge to bring us amazing
blends of the high-quality teas and botanicals.
With an almost unlimited number
of combinations, Smith will have something for you. Creamy and uniquely sweet,
the Rooibos is a must-have. Grown about
250 kilometers north of Cape Town near
the South African town of Clanwilliam,
Rooibos has a tea-like flavor
w it hout t he a st r i ngenc y
or caffeine of black tea. In
mid-January to April, when
the plants are about threefeet tall, the topmost tender
leaves are hand-harvested,
machine -cut, and fermented
in the sun, fully developing
their required uniqueness. It
is soft, red, sweet, and, when
brewed, elegant! A perfect
afternoon or early evening
treat.
Maintaining all that is true
and traditional of tea, tea
service, and tea rituals, Paul
Rosenberg at Heaven Tea in
Portland helps enlighten his
customers to “bring us into
deeper contact with our essential selves, our world, and the
Photo by Steven Smith heavens.” Having studied
meditation for 15 years in a
yogic monastery, Rosenberg learned early
on that tea was part of pursuing inner cultivation. Tea became his vehicle to help
others. Private and public tea classes are
available by appointment. Call 503-2300953 for times and location.
From local teamakers using the finest
ingredients in the world, to sharing centuries-old traditions, there is a common
thread within all “tea people” — an homage
is paid, understood, and carried on for one
of the world’s most famous plants.
“Tea has a way of connecting us to
nature, our friends, our community and
to our own lives,” Rosenberg says. “Tea is a
gift from nature, given to humans, to help
them become part of the deeper harmonies of life.”
Tao of Tea
Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants
239 NW Everett St.
503-224-8455
724 NE 22nd Ave
503-236-3539
Steven Smith Teamaker
Townshend’s Tea
Heavens Tea, School of Tea Arts
1626 NW Thurman St.
503-719-8752
2223 NE Alberta St.
503-445-6699
503-230-0953
Brock Daniels, a Pacific Northwest native, has studied wine, culinary arts, gastronomy, and loves
researching new food. Brock has written a self-published cookbook titled “Our Year in the Kitchen.”
Reach him at [email protected].
pqmonthly.com
ARTS BRIEFS
THE GOOD LIFE
Occupy Portland presents Occupy Love, the Portland
premier of a film by award-winning director Velcrow
Ripper, on April 19 at the Clinton Street Theater. The film
captures the heart of the movements currently sweeping the planet in response to today’s economic and environmental crises while asking whether these crises can
become a love story. Tickets are $5, with film showings
at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Ripper will answer questions via
Skype between showings. For info, go to PortlandGeneralAssembly.org/events.
Photographer Loren Nelson debuts his series Under
Wraps, a surprising and moving photo series considering
the themes of rejuvenation, healing, and transformation
through the metaphor of wrapped buildings. The critically-acclaimed series hangs from April 20 through May 17 at
Camerawork Gallery in NW Portland; an opening reception will be held April 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more
information, go to TheCameraworkGallery.org.
Electro-soul crooner James Blake makes the
earth move with the sex tremors — and the bass
— when he comes to the Wonder Ballroom on
April 24 to promote his new album “Overgrown.”
If the album is any indication, be sure to bring
your smelling salts, because you are going to
swoon. Show starts at 8:30 p.m., $25, all ages.
Support the contemplative and expressive
arts at the Be Space Music Party and Benefit
on April 27, featuring performances by Friendship Valley and former PQ cover girl Racquel
Russo of Naming Names. “Tiny happy things”
will be raffled off, and a silent auction will feature sessions donated by Be Space spaceholders,
including PQ’s own Nick Mattos. Party begins at
7 p.m., tickets $10-20; for more information, go
Filmmaker Velcrow Ripper considers whether global economic and environmental catastrophe can become a
to Be-Space.org.
love story in “Occupy Love,” premiering April 19 at the Clinton Street Theater.
Yee-haw! Come do-si-do at Community
Square Dance with Gender-Free Calling on April 28 at the
Village Ballroom, featuring live music by The New Five
Cents. No experience necessary — all dances are taught
before the serious boot scootin’ begins. (But do consider
coming a touch early if this is your first square dance.) 7
p.m., $7, all ages.
Disjecta presents the final days of Space Is The Place,
an investigation of the history, evolution, and maturation
of afrofuturism. A term coined by cultural critics aiming to
draw a connective thread through the work of artists and
writers such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Sun Ra, Samuel R.
Delany, and Octavia Butler, afrofuturism re-examines technology through the lens of “the other.” Featuring a mix of
new, recent, and historical work from Guillermo GómezPeña, David Huffman, Wendy Red Star, and Saya Woolfalk,
Space Is The Place explore the boundaries between fantasy
and identity while drawing attention to how these themes
affect our day-to-day social interactions. The exhibition
runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
until April 28 at Disjecta. For more info, visit disjecta.org.
Milagro Theatre presents “Dance for a Dollar,” a thrilling dance-theatre exploration of dignity in the diaspora told
through duranguense, folklórico, and cumbia. The show
runs Thursdays through Sundays from May 3-25; May 3’s
opening night reception features complimentary refreshments by Las Primas. Tickets $15-30; for more information,
go to Milagro.org.
Big Dipper. When you read that name, please inwardly
pronounce it “BIIIIIIIG DIIIIIPAAAAAAA,” because the bear
rapper sure as hell deserves some long vowels. Further
upping the meat quotient is DJ Hold My Hand, who goes
on at 9 p.m. to get you all stretched out before Big Dipper
plunges deep into you at 11. Get your protein shakes at
Eagle Portland on April 20; tickets $8, 21+.
May 4 is the 13th annual Red Dress Party: Red Handed
— and if you’ve ever seen the magic that some of the party’s
attendees rend out of a simple crimson dress, you understand exactly why it deserves mention in our arts briefs.
Seriously: if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, drop this
newspaper and go get one now. The wild debauchery and
critically important philanthropy goes down at AudioCin-
qdoc
40-minutes of gay S&M footage allegedly cut from the
1980 film “Cruising” in order to avoid an X rating. Directed
by James Franco and Travis Matthews (“I Want Your Love”
and “In Their Room”). Matthews will be in attendance.
interiorleatherbar.com
Saturday, May 18
2:30 p.m. “Born This Way” creates a poetic portrait of dayto-day life for gay Camaroonians, exploring both their private lives and their public struggle for equality in a county
with more arrests for homosexuality than anywhere in the
world. Directed by Deb Tullman and Shaun Kadlec. Tull-
man will be in attendance. bornthiswaydocumentary.com
5 p.m. “Lesbiana: A Parallel Revolution” profiles elder
lesbian activists who were active in the women’s and lesbian rights movements in the 1970s and 1980s. Directed by
Myriam Fougére. lesbiana-film.com/en
7 p.m. “Big Joy” tells the story of experimental filmmaker, poet, and Radical Faerie James Broughton. Filmmakers Eric Slade and Stephen Silha will be in attendance.
bigjoy.org/news
9:30 p.m. “Mr. Angel” explores the life of transgender
activist, educator, and porn pioneer Buck Angel. Directed
by Dan Hunt. mrangelmovie.com
Sunday, May 19
12:30 p.m. “Bayou Maharajah” highlights the life and
music of gay New Orleans piano legend James Booker.
ema in SE Portland; VIP reception at 8 p.m., general admission at 9 p.m. Tickets are $50-150; for more information go
to RedDressPDX.com.
Spend an evening with the comic geniuses behind FoxTV’s animated series about a man, his family, and a burger
joint when “Bob’s Burgers — Live!” comes to the Crystal
Ballroom on May 10. The all-star crew of Jon Benjamin,
Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz, and John Roberts will all be performing, and by “performing” we mean
“making you wet your pants because it’s all so hilarious.”
Show starts at 8 p.m., tickets $25 in advance and $27 day
of show, all ages welcome.
Devotional chantress Snatam Kaur will present an
evening of kirtan (sacred-call and-response music),
singing, dancing, meditating, breathing, and celebrating on May 17 at First Baptist Church in downtown
Portland. Oprah seriously says “I listen to Snatam every
day before meditating” — and do you really think that
you’re better than Oprah or something? I didn’t think
so, punk. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.; tickets $35-50, available at SpiritVoyage.com.
Directed by Lily Keber. bayoumaharajah.com
2:30 p.m. “Wildness” dives into the history of a Latino
gay bar in Los Angeles called the Silver Platter, exploring
how things change when a multiracial group of young artists start a weekly night there. Directed by event organizers Wu Tsang and DJs NGUZUNGUZU and Total Freedom.
wildnessmovie.com
4:30 p.m. “I Am A Woman Now” tells the story of the first
generation of trans women to undergo gender transition in
Casablanca in the1950s and 1960s. Directed by Monique
Busman. catndocs.com
7 p.m. “Valentine Road” is a new film from HBO about
the in-school murder of gender-questioning 15-year-old
Larry King by his 14-year-old classmate Brandon McInerney. Director Marta Cunningham will be in attendance.
valentineroaddocumentary.com
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pqmonthly.com
THE GOOD LIFE
Business Directory
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Real Estate, Tax,
Business, Surrogacy,
Adoption, Wills,
Divorce, Domestic
Partnerships
EMAIL: [email protected]
SPECIALIZING IN
PRE-1941 HOMES
AT T O R N E Y S AT L A W
2720 NE 33rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97212
Phone: 503-288-3133
Fax: 503-284-7315
[email protected]
www.reddenfindling.com
CELL: 503.957.0332
512 NW NORMAN AVE.
GRESHAM, OR 97030
CCB#89282
Submit birth, engagement, or
marriage announcements or
obituaries for print in PQ Monthly at
[email protected]
LAW OFFICE OF NICHOLAS YANCHAR, LLC
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PQ Monthly is published the 3rd Thursday
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503.228.3139
LIFE COACHING
HEALTHCARE/NATUROPATHIC
Tommy Faricy
Co-Active Life Coach / Executive Coaching
Gay Rights Law, Employment, Family, and Civil Law
Transform your Life!
Free Sample Session
503-515-1543
NIKYANCHARLAW.COM
(503) 477-7621
[email protected] • www.SCACoaching.com
MASSAGE THERAPY
LIC # 10209
INSURANCE
MASSAGE THERAPY
Our directory of LGBTQ-friendly
businesses and organizations is
constantly evolving.
Visit it often!
business.pqmonthly.com
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HUMP DAY FREE RIDE!
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eDIRECTORY
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PQ Monthly’s
DAVID
FLYNN
503.775.4755
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stretching for a
truly great massage
experience.
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THE FUN STUFF
Business Directory
PQ Monthly is published the 3rd Thursday of every month. Please contact us for advertising opportunities at 503.228.3139 www.pqmonthly.com
PSYCHIC MEDIUM
HAD A CAR
ACCIDENT?
WE CAN HELP.
MORTGAGE
Did you know that your car insurance’s.
Personal Injury Protection coverage (PIP)
will cover treatment for your injuries?
MORTGAGE
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REAL ESTATE
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April 18, 2013
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JOIN US!
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tickets for EACH HOME GAME!
+
• April 18, 2013 TIGER LILY (1109 Washington St. Vancouver, WA 98660)
Next up
in May
touch in specific
areas
• Difficulty Walking
• Feeling confused
• Anxiety
• Forgetfulness
• Low back pain
YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE WITH PAIN!
We will work with your
insurance company.
Insurance rules limit the amount of time before you can
file a claim. For best results — come in for treatment after
your car accident as soon as possible.
Call for an appointment today.
An auto accident can tear and stretch ligaments and
muscles that support the spine; weakening structural
integrity of the spinal column. Untreated, it may lead to
Osteoarthritis of and/or Degenerative Disc Disease years
afterward. My 15 years experience with these injuries will
help you.
Dr. Kimberly DeAlto
Chiropractic
Physician Chirocentric
503-430-7371
12620 SW 3rd St..,
Beaverton, OR 97005
[email protected]
www.chirocentric.net
Your LOCAL full-service marketing agency that will connect you
with the diverse populations of
Oregon and SW Washington
• May 16, 2013, 5P.M.-7 P.M. TAN REPUBLIC
(4167 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212)
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• Headaches that
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• Tender to the
Starky’s
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THE FUN STUFF
QUEER APERTURE
Through his Queer Aperture project, photographer Jeffrey Horvitz has spent years documenting the LGBTQ
communities of Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. He’s well aware that a picture paints a whole
mess of words, but here he offers a few actual words to better acquaint us with his dynamic subjects.
What is your name?
Rebecca Strack
How long have you lived in Portland?
4 years
When did you first notice that
gayness existed?
When I was 8 or 9 my brother came
out to me. [I had] my first girlfriend
at 13.
What would you consider a guilty
pleasure?
I no longer experience guilt in my
life.
Photo by Jeffrey Horvitz
You are having a dinner party of
6; whom would you invite?
Ellen , Whoopi, John Travolta, Pink,
Sharon Stone, and Elton John
What would you consider a perfect meal?
One that includes my favorite foods,
made fresh and served to me all day.
What would be a perfect day off?
Snuggling, meditating, hiking,
reading, watching a movie, making
yummy food
Favorite book?
Too many to choose
Favorite movie?
Cannot choose just one
Favorite word?
Yes
Least favorite word?
No
Favorite swear word?
For fuck’s sake
What is your profession?
Global Shift Leader, Conscious Evolution Teacher, Energy Worker, Life
Coach
If you could change your profession with a snap of your fingers
what would choose?
A personal Energy Facilitator and
massage therapist to Pink, Halle
Berry, and Sharon Stone
What person, living or dead,
would you like to meet?
Buddha, my brother that died a year
before I was born, my birth parents,
and my 13-year-old self
For more Queer Aperture visit, queeraperture.com
ASTROSCOPES WITH MISS RENEE
Miss Renee aka Tarot Chick is an empath, tarot card reader, and spiritual astrologer of 20 years based out of N. Portland’s Kenton
neighborhood. She loves love notes so feel free to holla or schedule a tarot/astrology chart session: [email protected].
Miss Renee aka Tarot Chick. Email her to make an apointment
[email protected]
communication — specifically in work/authority
figures — is lightning fast and crystal clear. Self
Improvement Month is in effect! Use this window
of clarity to focus on projects, connections, and longer-term goals that got back-burnered. Separate
what goes /what moves forward then F-O-C-U-S
100%. #Ritalin
CANCER
What and how do you contribute your voice to this
world? The Universe asks you to contemplate how
you’d like to be remembered and work toward that.
Multiple planets dancing through your 11th house
of Groups/Aspirations give you ops to align yourself with people that inspire and collaborate. Lunar
eclipse April 25 causes creativity LIGHTNING storms!
ARIES
Bend over and catch your breath! Hopefully you rode
the sweet waves the Universe handed you over the
last couple of weeks. New Moon in Aries April 10
may have given “aha!” moments. Mars cruising your
2nd house of finance and lunar eclipse in transformative Scorpio brings a crescendo in finance/shared
resources/fair pay.
LEO
Time to put your best face forward! Delicious
TAURUS
ops to shine will grace you as Sun/Venus/Mars
If a Taurean doesnt know what to do, they’ll just stop. move into your 10th house (Career/Ambition/
Well, the wait’s over! Fiery Mars lends you get-up- Public Face). This is NOT a dress rehearsal. The
and-go-get-it while simultaneously Pluto (death/ chances you take this month can push you to the
rebirth/transformation) retrograding in fellow earth next tier. Grow! Make sure your home-base is
sign Capricorn April 12- Sept. 20 clarifies your root especially solid now.
desires, revealing areas of fear to acknowledge/overcome/transform. Sun in Taurus inspires fab make- VIRGO
overs. Haute!
Oooh! It’s getting deep for Tribe Virgo. I personally
believe that the way you THINK creates your expeGEMINI
rience of your life. Several planetary transits in your
Mental gymnastics is a Gemini gift and this month chart highlight the theme of digging deep and really
looking at how you think and how see yourself and CAPRICORN
your world. Rigid mindsets/belief systems can soften/ Intense! Pluto (death/rebirth/transformation) in your
transform. Speak up.
sign retrogrades April 12-Sept. 20, asking you to
pause and think about identity, how you’re projectLIBRA
ing you’re image outward, and urging you to shed
Clarity is the word of the month for Tribe Libra. or bring forth. Home/Family life fast-forwards. Lunar
Seeing patterns, connecting dots, and deftly intuit- eclipse April 25 in your friends/groups/aspirations
ing what goes where and when is how you’ve got it sector highlights what people/goals you’ve hitched
right now. Word! Finances (especially connected to your wagon to.
Home/Family) either implode if you’ve been ignoring the warning signs, or finally get sorted and click AQUARIUS
smoothly into place. Spend wisely.
Being a part of your community, paperwork, communication, and learning has been central and a great
SCORPIO
time to stretch comfort zones by engaging people
Tribe Scorpio gets it deep from all sides this month. not typically a part of your world. Family/home life
Planets in your 7th house (Partnerships/Relation- is also highlighted with shifts and some planning to
ships) highlight a desire to look at whom you’re hold- move. Lunar eclipse April 25 shines light on career
ing closest, or not holding at all. Your ruler Pluto ret- ops, ambitions. #Caffeinated
rograded April 12, bringing elevated mental truth. Full
moon lunar eclipse in Scorpio steps you firmly into PISCES
your newest/truest face.
Powerful month! Pluto (Death/Rebirth/Transformation) retrogrades in your Friends/Community/
SAGITTARIUS
Long-term aspirations sector, asking that you
The last few weeks tried inspiring you creatively, pause, reconsider/reconfigure in these areas.
romantically, and playfully. Hope you enjoyed the hell Planets shifting into your communication house
out of it! Multiple planets shift into your 6th house may bring a steep learning curve — think fast!
of Service/Work/Health/Habits where conscious Putting education to use, travel, and sitting fully
self-improvement and organization rule. A great in a new personal philosophy get highlighted April
time to make work shifts/heart-centered career 25. BAM!
goals/volunteer. Prophetic dreams likely around
lunar eclipse April 25.
pqmonthly.com
SEE AND
BE SEEN
THE FUN STUFF
We want to see more of you! Do you have photos
you’d like to share in the pages of PQ Monthly? Send
your photos along with a photo credit and caption
to [email protected], post them on our Facebook
page, or tag PQ Monthly in them.
Featured: The Portland Rally for
the Freedom to Marry; HRC Moving
Forward at the Butters Gallery; PQ
Monthly’s March Press Party at
Starky’s; Sister Spit PDX; the PQ
Paradise Harley Garage Party; and
opening night of the Queer Students of Color Conference.
Photos by Jules Garza, Melanie Davis, Erin Rook,
and Julie Cortez, PQ Monthly
pqmonthly.com
pqmonthly.com

GOES BIG - PQ Monthly

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