june 16. 2000 *
K’[ ij ; ì i ; ivi ^ lin e w s
Stop by on your
way to the
H ometown P ride
nude beach
Not everyone will skip Eugene's pride celebration
in favor of bigger events in larger cities
by Jo n a th a n Kipp
ith “T he New Millennium”
Organizers also recognize that the pride
as its theme, this year’s in
event conflicts with Portland’s Peacock in the
stallment of an annual cele
Park, an annual scholarship fund-raiser held in
bration for sexual minority
Washington Park. The event is Portland’s sec
residents of the mid-W il
ond largest gay event and a popular one for peo
lamette Valley will take place June 25 in
ple throughout the region.
Eugene.
Another factor is the conflict with the pride
T he ninth annual Eugene-Springfield Les
celebration in San Francisco.
bian, Gay, Bisexual
and
Transgendered
Pride Day Celebration
will run from 11 a.m.
to 7 p.m. at Maurie Ja
cobs Park. A $5 dona
tion is being request
ed.
“You can go to gay
pride and then shop,”
jokes Kim Sm ith, a
longtime pride-goer.
(T h e park is steps
away from Eugene’s
popular Valley River
Center Mall.)
T he event is spon
sored by the Equality
Project to foster a
sense of community in
A pastoral setting for Eugene-Springfield pride
the area. Organizers
promise “old friends, new friends, food, enter
Not so long ago, some organizers, including
tainment, music and dancing.”
Brown, thought the Eugene-Springfield pride
Alan Brown, the event’s coordinator, says it
event might not come together at all. But Tim
is going to be a much simpler celebration this
Matteson, a previous coordinator of the festival,
year than in the past.
says it always looks that way as the event nears.
T he Eugene-Springfield community needs to
Some individuals and groups stepped forward
be pulled together and unified, Brown says.
at the expo and volunteered to take on tasks,
Since the demise o f Lavender Network, a
relieving Brown of some of the challenges at
hand.
Eugene-based monthly periodical that had
served as a cohesive factor in the area, the annu
This year’s event will be more interactive,
al pride celebration is the only thing to pull the
Matteson says.
community together, he adds.
T he OUTdoor Group will preside over vol
leyball and tug-of-war tournaments, for exam
ple. The Rainbow Wranglers Square Dance
Club will give minilessons a few times during
the day.
Day
Harriet Merrick, chairwoman of the board of
directors of Basic Rights Oregon, is scheduled to
speak about upcoming political issues, including
r ^ A / ^ UNe25r, 2ooo
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the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s Student Protec
sa t u r ò
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tion Act, which is expected to appear on Ore
J acobs ME^ ¿ 0N,no»
gon’s November ballot.
M A u n e J * c\
(LA U RIE
Local organizations will, as usual, have
eatotdM
«sasst-s
Tow
booths at the event for people to visit. Musi
cians will perform from 4 to 7 p.m.
K t - — "*
A children’s play area will be set up to
mu**
.SSS«
, omncinç
accommodate families, and the Kid’s Bubble
Parade will kick off at 11:30 a.m.
“A lot of lesbian mothers bring their kids,”
says Smith.
Interested community members met at a
Eugene’s pride celebration attracts mostly
Queer Expo in May to give their local pride cel
women. About one-third of the attendees are
ebration a “shot in the arm,” according to Kim
male, Smith says.
Smith, a member of the OUTdoor group who
“I think it reflects the demographics,” he
helped organize the shindig.
explains.
The expo served as an open forum to share
More than 1,000 people are expected to
ideas and concerns. Some who attended pro
attend the alcohol-free event this year.
posed a more child-friendly event for families.
A play, I Paint your Face, Louise, will follow
Smith says it was also suggested that the event
the celebration at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available
could be made more enjoyable for preteens.
on a sliding scale ranging from $3 to $10. The
Brown feels that the Eugene-Springfield
play is produced by Little Apple Productions.
community seems disconnected to many gay
men and lesbians, so they have a lackadaisical
■ For more information about the EUGENE-
attitude about activism and social organizing.
S pringfield L esbian , G ay , B isexual and
Others agree this malaise is the reason few peo
T
ransgendered P ride D ay C elebration , con
ple are getting involved in planning the event
tact Alan Broum at (541) 688-1601.
and that attendance isn’t as high as some would
like.
we stock fig leaves.
HOGAN & SANDERSON
.ste„er
A tteo tW e u
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