Just out., June 01, 2001, Page 47, Image 47

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Pray that the
weather will be
as good this year
as it was
in 2000!
equipped for the first time with con­
cert sound systems, also will project
from duplicate speakers located in
places like the beer garden.
The Entertainment Committee
has helped stretch the rainbow of
diversity by including more African
American and Asian groups, and one
of the new MCs will be a punk,
female-to-male trans named Crash.
Half of the performers are new,
and most of them are local. The bands
will be punctuated by speeches, poetry
readings, a puppet theater and three
theatrical productions including a
queer version of Little Shop of Honors.
The diverse performances include
Leila Chieko Trio’s progressive rock
and melodic pop; La Femme Mag­
nifique International Perla, “The
World’s Most Glamorous Female
Impersonator”; a speech by Portland
Mayor Vera Katz; and Boxxes Super-
star Karaoke Survivors.
If you had to stand to watch the program
last year, this time there should be space for
you to take a seat. The Main Stage has double
the seating, and the New Stage has expanded
seating.
Misha drags festival
to a new stage
by
P eter Z uckerman
H
ast year, the future of Pride
Northwest dangled from a thread
of dental floss. Although the
parade and festivities usually
attract about 30,000 participants, in
November 1999 just seven people
answered the nonprofit organization’s
desperate calls for volunteers.
The committee considered elimi­
nating Pride 2000 entirely. At the
11 th hour, enough queer power
appeared to mount the extravaganza.
L
Thankfully, Pride 2001 is a different story.
Help materialized early and has been sustained
through the long planning process.
Serving her fourth year with Pride North­
west, her second term on the board of direc­
tors and her second year as entertainment
chair, the exotic drag queen Misha Rock-
afeller has morphed into a football player.
She claims she has tackled the old organiza­
tional problems and created a new, effective
game plan.
The plan began last August— a two-month
head start on the year before. Like Uncle Sam
passing out census forms, Misha distributed
feedback forms to review Pride 2000. The ques­
tionnaires gave the committee suggestions,
which members implemented.
“At first we did a lot of gofering around,
gathering information,” Misha says. “Then we
took a more professional, businesslike approach
and started recruiting.”
This year, more volunteers— 26 already are
trained to work on the stage crew—should pro­
vide smooth-running performances. The pro­
gram is packed with new performers and speak­
ers who will bounce on and off stage every five
to 10 minutes. “We’ve had to turn people away
this year there’s been so much involvement,”
Misha remarks.
Pride 2001 will be amplified to new deci­
bels. Last year, people said they needed hearing
aids to detect the music. This year, grab your
earplugs.
“We have permission to be louder—a lot
louder. This is a tremendous asset,” Misha
asserts. The Main and New Stages, both
Misha also has reached out to nightclubs
to help contribute to the fiscal health of
Pride 2001 by sponsoring some of the acts.
“This has been a year-round job— a true
mission of love,” she explains. “At first it was
scary. But there’s been a big turnaround with
all the volunteers. We’re taking pride to a
new level.”
in
P ride N orthwest is powered completely by
volunteers. To have a booth or be a sponsor,
vendor, volunteer or contributor, see the Internet
site www.pridenw.org.
P eter Z uckerman is a student at Reed College
and an intern at Just Out.
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