44
o u t ’ aprii IB. 2003
DIVERSIONS
Hoot ’n* holler
for In Other Words
n Other Words Women’s Books and Resources
says it’s time to break out those chaps, dust off
that 10-gallon hat, polish those spurs and lasso
the whole family in for the Laydeez Hoedown
from 7 to 10 p.m. April 20 at the Alberta Street
Public House to benefit the Southeast Portland
landmark bookstore.
Musicians, artists, writers, book fiends and
friends are gathering with local bluegrass greats
T he Flat Mountain G irls and queer musicians
Myshkin, Pirate Jane and Tamara J. Brown.
You’ll also get a chance at raffle prizes donated by
local businesses.
In Other Words is one of only two women’s
bookstores in Oregon. T he nonprofit offers two
book clubs, monthly open mike and music
nights, free community event space and a kid
sized reading area.
The Alberta Street Public House is at 1036 N.E.
Alberta St., and $5 gets you in the door. (Give
more if you can.) See y’all down there, y’hear?
I
Clear out
those skeletons
S
o who caught Cher’s April 8 Farewell Tour television
special? Wow. What with the drag costumes, the leather
and the “me, me and me some more” big-screen film clips,
1 think she managed to secure first place in the Queen of
the Gay Divas contest. 1 loved it, and I love her.
1 don’t mean I’m a fan of her music, I mean 1 love her. How
can you not?
Seeing her on T V reminded me of the last interview I read
with her, which was a year ago in Out magazine. She asked the
interviewer, Judy Wieder, if she thought gays were obligated to
come out, and Wieder responded that people not coming out is
generally based on fear and that being closeted perpetuates itself
so that change never occurs.
A nd Cher came back with “I know a gay man who’s an
actor, and he plays husbands, he plays boyfriends.... If he
came out, his career would be over— he would not be given
the parts that he’s given right now. S o does he want to be an
artist more than he wants to be honest? I think he does. And
I can’t blame him ."
Which is a pretty compelling argument, too. But it’s not
good enough.
Gay novelist Annistead Maupin is probably the most noted
voice on this celebrity coming-out thing. His lovely quote
“Change occurs in direct proportion to the number of people
willing to live their lives authentically” is mellow compared to
his comments published in Chicago’s Outlines in 1990: “I regard
the greatest villains today to be those famous closet cases who
are not being open about their lives. These people could make
an enormous difference in enlightening the general public about
the nature of homosexuality. And I’m tired of hearing their
feeble excuses for why this isn’t possible. It almost always boils
down to money.”
He was especially angry at Lily Tomlin, who he said had
“been pulling this shit for years,” when she fought and won the
opportunity to narrate the celebrated documentary The Celluloid
Closet , a narration that Maupin penned on the agreement that
she would publicly come out. She never really did, later chim
ing she was never in.
There’s a difference between coming out and just not men
tioning you’re not straight. If celebs don’t start admitting their
bi and homo identities, how do they expect the situation to ever
improve? I know not everyone wants to be a pioneer, but in
large droves they wouldn’t be pioneers, would they? They’d just
be one in a long list.
Cher isn’t wrong when she says her actor friend’s career
could take a sharp downturn if he comes out. But shouldn’t act
ing be part of your life, rather than the other way around? What
kind of downturn does his life take filled with lies designed to
get work? What’s more important, good roles or large-scale
cultural change ?
And, speaking of Cher, do you think she'd be in the closet if
she were a big ol’ dyke? One time back when she was dating
some guy half her age, I saw a talk show about older women dat
ing younger men, and she called in to give what-for to one of
the guests who was critical of it. I remember it distinctly— she
said, “Who died and made you king?” to the delighted roar of
the audience. She could say she’s been courting chicks for years,
and she’d still have a career ’cause she’s a tough broad who lives
by her own rules.
Change excuts in direct proportion to the number of people
willing to live their lives authentically. I’m sick of people’s
excuses, too. Celebrities need to get some balls (or ovaries) and
come out of the closet. Like Maupin, I’m getting too old to put
up with this shit, j n
May day! May day!
G
ood old May Day. Workers’ rights marches,
Beltane Spring celebrations...oh, and the May
Day Celebration of Feminist Words and
Music at Nocturnal, where you’ll get a little
activism, a little spring and a whole lot of fine
female performance.
Starting at 8 p.m. May 1 is one big dyke extrav
aganza: Boston musician Pamela Means, Rase City It’s a Laydeez Hoedown on April 20 with The Flat Mountain Girls
resident Tamara J. Brown and New York slam poet
extraordinaire Alix Olson, who is celebrating the release of her
and at book readings problematic,” Koyama says, “we do
new CD, Independence Meal.
nonetheless feel that the book raises public awareness of inter
Olson is also looking forward to returning to our little town.
sex issues in a way that hasn’t been possible in the past.”
“Portland is a warm, galvanized, rowdy crew. 1 love that! ...I
love going jogging around the all-brightly painted little houses,
tripping over all of the cats. There are so many cats in Portland!
It’s like a maze.”
oxxes and Red Cap Garage
Whether you leave your pussy friend at home or bring her to
> celebrate 20 years of Madon-
the club, this is a show you won’t want to miss. Nocturnal is at
I na during the American Life
1800 E. Burnside St. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $10 in
C D Release Party at 9 p.m.
advance from In Other Words.
April 21. Both bars will be jump
ing with the Material Girl’s music
and image, and you can win CDs,
DVDs, posters and more.
n April 8, the Pulitzer board awarded its annual prize for fic
Your host is the uproarious
Celebrate 20 years of Madonna
tion to Jeffrey Eugenides for his novel Middlesex, the first-
DJ Alex, a big Madonna fan.
on April 21 with Boxxes and
person autobiographical narrative of one Calliope
“She’s an icon,” he says, “she
Red Cap Garage
Stephanides, a third-generation Greek American hermaphrodite
pushes buttons, she does what
(or, in the post-millennial vernacular, intersex person).
she wants and doesn’t conform to any set of niles.. .she’s by far
Eugenides (whose previous claim to fame is 1993’s The Virgin
one of the best video entertainers...she’s the Queen of Pop.”
Suicides) begins his much-acclaimed epic of family, gender and
Oh, and it’s free, so what’s your excuse? Don’t like Madonna?
sex thus: “I was bom twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably
Then please leave the gay community at once.
smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a
teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in
August of 1974.”
The heterosexual author has said that Middlesex was directly
wo favorite gay-owned eateries are celebrating anniversaries
inspired by the memoir of a 19th century intersex person includ
this month. On April 21 the lovely, intimate Wild Abandon
ed by the controversial 20th century queer French philosopher
& Red Velvet Lounge at 2411 S.E. Belmont St. is throwing an
Michel Foucault in his History of Sexuality.
eighth anniversary party, at which 50 percent of what you spend
Emi Koyama of Intersex Initiative Portland confront
on dinner gexs to Our House of Portland,
ed Eugenides
a residential care facility for people living
during his
with and dying from HIV/AIDS. Order
appearance last
the ziti ziti— you won’t be sorry.
October at Pow
Meanwhile over in the Burnside Tri
ell’s to discuss his
angle, Scandals celebrates 23 long and
use of the word
prosperous years of serving the gay com
“hermaphrodite"
munity with anniversary Retro Dance
throughout the
Parties on April 25 and 26. Dancin’
Kxik. Regardless,
boys help you get into the groove of
she is pleased
’70s, ’80s and ’90s tunes, and they’ll be
that Middlesex
shelling out prizes all weekend long.
has educated
From 6 to 7 p.m. April 27 is “ Customer
many readers.
Appreciation” in the form of free
“While we
drinks. Dang, try not to hurt each other
find some of the
getting in the door. J D
things the
author has said
Compiled by L is a B r a d s h a w , M a r ie F l e i s c h m a n n ,
in interviews
Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex wins the Pulitzer CHRISTOPHER M cQ U A IN , JlM RADOSTA and KATHY B e l g e
Queen of pop hop
'
Middlesex wins Pulitzer
O
Happy anniversaries!
T