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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2002)
august Z 2002 $r& i n f i i o r ............ ▼.............. hat do yixi think, dear, shall we take the open weave sling or the solid? Do you like this studded wrist restraint or this one?Oh, where did 1 put that zip hood... Get yourselves ready, Portland. Oregon Leather Pride Week is Aug. 2 to 11 Sponsored hy Blackout Leather Productions, who started it up six years ago, and Port land Leather Alliance, who came on hoard a couple of years later, the list of activi ties during this annual nine-day affair is ex haustive. Each organi zation has its own slew of events, which Bad Girls, In Uniform mag azine, Portland Leather Men and the Imperial Sov ereign Rose Court all add to with black-clad abandon. The week s diver sions draw people from around the state. Why a Leather Pride Week ? “Because mem bers of the leather and £ B/D/S/M community j want to celebrate who they are,” says alliance president Ruth Thomas (aka Dyke Daddy), Lock up your daughters It’s time for Oregon’s biggest leather event of the year by L isa B radshaw a summer camp for children affected hy HIV/A1DS. “Leather Pride is anoth er way for the leather com munity to all come togeth er at once besides during Gay Pride,” Blackout presi dent D m Hood says, “hut it’s also a way for us to show our.. .fund-raising efforts for the community because this is always a fund-raising week." Portland Leather Alliance bounds from a Spirit of Pride Award Blackout s showcase riSht into ° reSon Leather Pride Week W inners are busy all year long fulfilling event is the Mr. and Ms. Oregon State their obligations to represent the leather com Leather Contest, which this year for the first munity at various functions and to raise money. time will also include Leather Com m unity “It’s an all-volunteer organization,” Hood Awards. Lest you think you can show up Aug. 10 at Embers as Best D essed and win, emphasizes. “Nobody gets paid; everything that we do goes right back into our community.” think again. This thing is tougher than Miss O ther highlights include a Kink Auction, America: C ontestants are asked about their S/M demonstrations at Leather Tastings, a community involvement, knowledge of Leather Family Barbecue, a Leather and Lace leather history and fund-raising abilities. They have to perform a fantasy entertainm ent selec Show, an Erotica Show and a smattering of play parties. J H tion, offer a “street look,” endure a question- and-answer session and give a speech. Last year’s winners were Tobin Britton and See Pages 28 and 29 for complete OREGON Rob Hathaway. Earlier this year Britton went L eather P ride W eek events and activities. on to win American Leatherwoman 2002, the only specifically gay and lesbian national LlSA B radshaw is the Arts and Culture Editor at leather competition. Just O ut. 1 . castagna FOR A GREAT STEAK, LOOK FOR EXCEPT IN BEAVERTON, WHERE THE CITY WOULDN’T LET US > HAVE ONE - 7 (9 A sr ,2, * A/ Sola/ THE REVOLVING STEAK SIGN ■Ÿ f/ta /ia /i É 8 /k¿ro "Ser* ',nS a ll Courtyard Open l^ ° f forni!u es s,*ce / 9 46 castagna dinner Wednesday through Saturday • 231.7373 café castagna next door to the restaurant dinner tuesday through Sunday • 231.9959 1752 se hawthorne boulevard Our revolving steak sign has become a landmark in Portland. A sign o f quality. Where you knout you can get a great steak dinner at a fair price. Unfortunately, we couldn 1 get that same sign in Beaverton. But honestly, we re not that hard to find. 105th & SE Stark • 503-252-4171 Sa/fU** OLD C O U T O KITCHEN < home o f the 72 oz. steak ffifw a u /u 'e & o u )e // 6 0 S - 2 8 6 - 6 Î ) fà > Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy at Griffith Dr. - 503-644-1492 ( 0 ( 0 ( 0 . co m r Sprlngwater Grill 1/2 O ff E n tree w / p u rch a se o f eq u a l or g re a te r valu e RibP.ye Steak • Pe,<to Chicken liowtie • Pat React Rack of Lam b • Crab Cakec Pan Seared Salmon • (teen R eacted Chicken Reservation.* e >’ Coupon.* Retfniret) ,\V> o th e r ofterc h o n o re d w ith thi.* coupon 6716 SI'. M llw aukie Ave • Ó03.232.2-H2 * iB iu y R eetl J s )L ! R estau ran t A B ar I I I I I I I I I S * '■» B e s t P a t io In Tow n! New weekend hours. Sat. 1 1 -la m Sun. 1 1 - 1 2 a m I Bring this ad in for $5 off | a purchase of $20 or more LEATHER ALLIANCE “just as members of other communities want to celebrate who they are.” The groups hope this event fosters not just stability and encoiftagement among members themselves hut in those outside the leather community as well. “We call it a Pride celebration,” Thomas explains, “because we are often treated as less equal than other human beings and sometimes as monsters, so we want to remind ourselves and the broader community that we are proud of ourselves, of each other and of the community that we have built.” The alliances biggest event of the season is Leathers, Feathers and Fur, a 21-and-over fetish hall Aug. 2 at the Fez Ballroom, which kicks the week into gear. “Its an opportunity for mem bers of our community and our friends to dress up, socialize, dance and enjoy some great entertainment,” Thomas says. The hall includes a costume con test, no-host Moroccan buffet and danc ing with DJ Lauren. It seems there are other forms of dancing, too: Snake, belly and fire are all included on the hill. Blackout Leather Productions, the only leather nonprofit in the state, donates all proceeds from its events to Portland-area chari ties. This year the recipient is Camp Starlight, a
