(OUTscene NW-PRE-view) This weekend Some are Sparkles, some are Gaga, some are just Bent on having a Gender Fantasy

Compiled by Alley Hector, QPDX

Friday

Bent featuring Kaj-Anne Pepper’s GenderFantasy – Bent is always a good time. And yesterday’s DJ profile introduced you to one of it’s creators, Roy G Biv. But this week is extra special because you’ll get to see a sneak peek of the talented and homo-performance-contest-winning Kaj-Anne Pepper‘s upcoming show GenderFantasy. Pepper describes it as, “…extreme glamour…a dance pageant exploring physicality, sexuality and power in a post-gender fantasy…The show will feature interactive photo-booths; striking visuals; surreal drag performances; video installations…” The final piece is set to debut this December and you can keep track of the GenderFantasy process and progress on their blog: http://genderfantasy.wordpress.com.

HATE: Conservative Mars Hill Church will start services in Southeast Portland on Sept. 10!

A conservative Seattle church has purchased an old church building in liberal Southeast Portland, with services set to begin on Sept. 10, Details in the Oregonian.

Mars Hill Church, which was founded in 1996, is a mega-church with nine campuses in the Northwest and Southwest and three more on the way, including the new Portland facility at Southeast 32nd Avenue and Taylor Street. 

Mark Driscoll, the founder of the church, preaches against homosexuality and urges gays to turn from sin.

"A gay couple walks into your group, you're supposed to tell them to repent," Driscoll said in a sermon posted on the church website. "And if at any point you don't tell them to repent, you're not faithful to Biblical Christianity."

HATE TOWN: Police Investigating Possible Hate Crime In Oregon!

Cops in Aloha, Oregon,(Next to MK's Hometown of Beaverton) are currently investigating allegations that this charming-looking man, Robert Bosket, forced his way into a gay couple's home and attacked one of them.

Investigators say Robert Bosket attacked the couple in their home in the 2900 block of Southwest 187th Street.

Dave Christensen told Fox 12 he and his partner were at home Tuesday night when Bosket knocked on their front door..

"He pushed the door open, hit me in the chest and knocked me backwards onto the stairs.  He was on top of me, strangling me," said Christensen.

Christensen said the attack went on for about 10 minutes. He said Bosket repeatedly shouted gay slurs at him.

Bosket has already been arraigned for burglary, and now a grand jury will examine the case to see whether he should also face hate crime charges.

BATTLEGROUND Part Deaux: Oregon Gay Activists Gearing Up For 2012 Ballot Fight.

Basic Rights Oregon, the state's premiere LGBT rights group, said this weekend that they will start collecting signatures in October for a possible 2012 ballot campaign for same-sex marriage. (It is also the 20th anniversary of the infamous Ballot Measure 9, The anti gay rights measure that was defeated)

Via The Statesman Journal: The announcement was made during a Garden Party fundraiser in South Salem benefiting the organization.

“I fully support the work that Basic Rights Oregon does,” said Oregon State Secretary Kate Brown, the event's keynote speaker.

 “They do an amazing job educating and engaging Oregonians across the state,” she said. “I think it’s really important that Oregonians have an understanding of how discrimination impacts the lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual community."

BREAKING NEWS: Darcelle Arrested!

Darcelle with Mayor Sam Adams at Darcelle's 80th Birthday -11/10

An icon of Portland’s gay community and entertainment business will appear in court TODAY after being arrested.

   

Portland police say Walter Cole, 80, better known as the cross-dressing entertainer "Darcelle XV," faces misdemeanor harassment charges after arguing with OLCC officers outside his club Thursday night in the Old Town neighborhood.

BREAKING NEWS: Adams will not seek Re-election as Portland's mayor!

OV File Photo-2009

Openly gay Portland Mayor Sam Adams announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection.
In addition to wanting to focus on his job, Adams, who was elected in 2008, said that he's not sure he could win against opponents who are lining up to challenge him. OUTview's association with Adams goes all the back to January 2009 at his Inauguration, followed by the scandal that followed a few weeks later. OUTview's first podcast focused on the scandal. Adams also survived 2 failed recall atempts.

(OUTscene NW) QPDX's INTER-view with Portland Queer Music Festival’s Samuel Thomas!

by Alley Hector

QPDX

Portland may be known for both its music and its queerness but the two have never come together in quite the cohesive way that this Saturday’s Portland Queer Music Festival aims to. A full day and two stages of back to back acts at Red Cap Garage for only 3 bucks is one of the most reasonable prices I’ve ever heard too, in true PDX fashion. Plus, despite the dive drink prices, Red Cap’s bar menu is quite delicious, with that unpretentious but slightly upscale goodness that Portland bars are starting to do so well.

Bands, producers and DJs of multiple genres and genders have come from our own backyards as well as across the country to participate. You can see a lineup of all 30 in an earlier post for just a taste of the days never-ending aural pleasure.

And the man behind it all? That would be Samuel Thomas, director and founder of the Portland FREE Music Project and an organizer of the (nearly) weekly Maricon dance party. This hard workin’ man booked all 30 acts himself. He’s hopeful that the fest will be a success, anticipating over 800 attendees over the course of the day. Here’s what he had to say on the eve of his inaugural summer celebration of queer music.

Click here for the INTER-view.

OUT: Wu to Resign!

Well, this was probably inevitable: Rep. David Wu has resigned days after being accused of sexual assault (and months after being accused of mental instability and random tiger-suit-wearing). The Oregon Democrat announced his resignation moments after the state's two Democratic senators called for it, the Oregonian reports. He promised to leave Congress as soon as the debt ceiling crisis is resolved.

HYBERNATION: 'Crazy' Wu Won't Seek Reelection!

Surprise! Mere hours after Nancy Pelosi called for an ethics investigation into a young woman's claim that she had an "unwanted sexual encounter" with tiger-suit-wearing David Wu, the Oregon Democrat is confirming that he won't seek reelection. Wu apparently hasn't decided whether to serve out the remainder of his term, a spokesman tells the AP, and will make that decision based on how effectively he can serve his constituents.

WILD: Oregon Dem Wu Accused of Sex Assault!

It's been almost two months since a House Democrat got into sex-related trouble, so Oregon's David Wu—he of mentally unstable, tiger-suited fame—is again making headlines. A young woman is accusing the rep of an unwanted sexual encounter, which she says took place last Thanksgiving. 

The woman, whom the Oregonian says is the daughter of a "longtime friend and campaign donor" and a 2010 high school graduate, left a voicemail at Wu's Oregon office this spring accusing him of aggressive sexual behavior. When staffers confronted Wu, he acknowledged the incident, but insisted it was consensual. He's been dodging the Oregonian for five days, but last night issued a terse response: "This is very serious, and I have absolutely no desire to bring unwanted publicity, attention, or stress to a young woman and her family." 

A lawyer for the woman and her parents yesterday told a reporter "they are not interested in talking;" sources tell the paper they believe there's not sufficient evidence to press charges. The Oregonian in 2004 reported that a college girlfriend accused Wu of attempted rape.

ATTACK: Man assaulted while trying to stop homophobic assault on gay portlander!

After hearing the amazing news that so far, we have heard of no violence during Portland Pride Northwest 2011, a gay man and another man who came to his aid were assaulted in Northwest Portland this past Saturday, the Portland Tribune reports in an article on their website.

The Oregonian reports that“According to Lt. Robert King, spokesman for the Portland police, a man was walking from a club near the intersection of Northwest Second Avenue and Flanders Street about 2:57 a.m. when he was approached by two men asking for directions. After he gave directions, the man was harassed and called derogatory names because he is gay, King said. A second man who come to his aide was assaulted.”

 Check Out the FULL story at QPDX!

PROTECTION: Portland Police crack down on popular NE queer gathering spot!

The skidmore bluffs. The place for NE PDX queers, cyclists, hipsters and plain old fun loving folk to hang out on breezy summer nights. Ah, the killer view of the train yard, port, industrial district and the mountains and rivers beyond (I’m not joking). The wind in your hair, the noise of trains (and dogs) in your ears. Surrounded by friends and a smattering of bicycles, lovers holding hands, kids in the skatepark, badminton, frisbee, sunsets, and, a nice cold pabst in your hand. Or even, if you like things a little classy, a glass of wine. And maybe, even, a spliff.

Not for much longer. Police are cracking down on activity in the small park at the very western end of NE Skidmore. Is this the end of the bluffs as we know it?

Read More at QPDX!

LAW: Lambda Legal sues state of Oregon to defend health care rights of trans man!

Tuesday, Lambda Legal filed suit against the state of Oregon on behalf of transgender employee Alec Esquivel, who was denied a hysterectomy that was deemed medically necessary by his doctor.

“Alec Esquivel was denied coverage for a medically necessary procedure specifically because he is transgender. This type of discrimination is unlawful and risks the health of hardworking, productive citizens of Oregon,” said Dru Levasseur, Transgender Rights Attorney at Lambda Legal. “By not covering this procedure, the state is refusing to provide him with the same health care coverage as his co-workers.”

Click Here for more from QPDX!

OUTscene NW: Photos from the 2011 Portland Pride Parade!

So many great shots from Anna M Campbell Photography. There’s a goodly smattering below but you might just want to open the full Flickr slideshow to see all 364 amazing pictures of the Portland Pride Parade. Special Thanks to QPDX for Sharing!

OUTscene: Photos from the Portland Dyke March!

Portland's Dyke March on Saturday, which was actually pretty well attended, despite the rain and the eternal question…what time is the Dyke March?! Our partners, QPDX were there, Click for more Photos!

BIAS: Campaign Calls Oregonian Out for Ignoring LGBTQ Community!

When local LGBTQ organizations mobilized more than 4,000 people in fewer than 72 hours to hold a demonstration protesting a recent incident of anti-gay violence, most major Portland media outlets covered the event, reports Just Out.

But someone was notably absent from the party. (We’ll give you a hint. It starts with an “O” and it’s not Oprah. We can forgive her for not making it.)

Progressive Oregon has created a petition asking The Oregonian to give equal coverage to the entire community, pointing out the double standard that seems to apply for news coverage.

“Our state’s largest media outlet, The Oregonian, failed to cover this 4,000-person rally at all. This is the same paper that reported on a 15-person Tea Party protest in Portland!” Progressive Oregon wrote.

UNITED: 4,000 People Hold Hands Across Portland Bridge in Epic Show of Solidarity!

On Sunday night, more than 4,000 people showed up to a Facebook-organized demonstration against last week's anti-gay hate crime in Portland and held hands across the Hawthorne bridge where the attack occurred.

Just Out reports: Demonstrators packed into the space beneath the west side of the bridge at about 7:30 p.m., spilling over onto the ramp and stairs to hear from the attack’s survivors, Brad Forkner and Christopher Rosevear. Afterward, the crowd filed down both sides of the bridge with hands held. Despite being tightly packed together, some attendees could not fit on the bridge.

Just Out reported the crowd was 4,000 people strong. The protest was organized by BRO, Q Center, Cascade AIDS Project and Pride Northwest. Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director Jeana Frazzini, Mayor Sam Adams, and the couple who was attacked were among those who spoke at the demo.

Statement from Mayor Adams regarding Sunday’s hate crime

(c) Scott, 2009

Speaking of Mayor Sam Adams  earlier this week, released a statement concerning Sunday’s bias crime against 2 men holding hands:

“On Sunday evening, May 22, two men were attacked by several suspects as they walked, holding hands, from the Hawthorne Bridge on the trail to the East Bank Esplanade, on the east end of the bridge. The victims were pushed, and hit in the head, face, back and ribs. The suspects ran away after one of the victims broke away and called 911. Portland Police detectives have interviewed both victims, and a Portland Police Bias Crime Detective has been assigned to this case. Full details on the case can be found at PortlandPolice.com.

ANOTHER SCANDAL: Race, Wealth, And Beau Breedlove: Three Questions About The Portland Gay Bashing!

As Brad Forkner and Christopher Rosevear walked hand-in-hand Sunday evening through Portland’s Waterfront Park, they heard several men behind them talking, laughing and pointing. The two men continued minding their own business until the men pushed and punched Forkner and then hit Rosevear in the head, face, back and ribs before running off.


One of the victims left the ER “with 9 stitches in my lips, two black eyes, a dislodged jaw, some loose teeth, severe swelling where they hit me on my cheek, and scrapes and bruises on my head.” And as the Portland police continue searching for the assailants, Queerty was wondering how race, class, and the anti-gay undertones of the Beau Breedlove-Sam Adams mayoral sex scandal all played a role?
So we thought, huh… since the assailants haven’t been caught yet, we wonder if the news reports offer any racial clues. The Oregonian said: “The suspects are in their 20s and all about 5-foot-11, police said. One was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, another was wearing a white or cream hooded sweatshirt and the third was wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt.”

You may remember the public scandal over current Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ sexual relationship with 18-year-old intern Beau Breedlove. After the scandal broke some Portlanders began a 'Failed' recall effort with homophobic undertones of the “old-man-preying-on-young-boys” variety.

TARGETED: Two men attacked as they walked and held hands!

A detective from Portland’s bias crimes unit is looking for suspects who police said assaulted two men after they walked together holding hands, reports KATU.com.


Sunday night around 8:30 police said the two men were walking from the Hawthorne Bridge down to the Eastbank Esplanade. They heard people talking and laughing behind them but weren’t sure it was directed at them.

The two had previously been holding hands during their walk, police said.

As they continued on, one of the men was pushed and punched from behind by several people. He was able to break away and call 9-1-1.

At the same time, the attackers punched and kicked his partner in the head, face, back and ribs.

The attackers finally ran away when they heard the first man calling police.

All the suspects are white men in the early 20s, police said. One man was wearing a white or cream-colored hooded sweatshirt, one was in a blue sweatshirt and the third was in a brown sweatshirt.

Police searched the area but could not find the men.