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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2003)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- -----------------------may 16, 2Q03 jl ^ m ^ — t|13 ITriTïïTTiWMinews t’s no secret Portland is jam-packed with queer people. Its warm social climate off sets the rain and the occasional political storm that blows through every few Campaign promotes Portland to queer tourists Novembers. T he 2000 census ranked the Rose City with the 13th-highest number by of G in a D aggett same-sex couples in the nation, and Girlfriends magazine celebrated it as the fourth-best place for lesbians to live in 2002. All of these things combined inspired the Portland Oregon Visitors Association to launch a Gay Portland campaign in March to attract more queer visitors. “We really see Portland as a welcoming place for G L B T travelers, and we think it’s a perfect match," cultural tourism director Barbara Steinfeld says. The campaign, whose brochure and Web site bend into bait and resource guide, is packed full of information for queer visitors. The sections highlight nearly every aspect of Portland’s glori ous sexual minorities community: shopping, eat ing, drinking, the arts, festivals and events. “W hen 1 came up with the idea,” Steinfeld says, “1 thought 1 was groundbreaking.” But as her staff began their research, they realized Port land wasn’t the first city to toot its rainbow horn. And even though a small handful of others have taken a swing before POVA, Steinfeld believes it’s a novel idea. “The demographic of the cultural tourist fits in very nicely with what we believe the demographic of the G L B T traveler is: high income, high education, inter ested in the arts, participating in many activities and staying in hotels,” she says, explaining why G ay Portland landed on her plate. In addition to attracting more queers to Travel agent Joan Sher is excited about the Portland Portland for a shits ’n ’ giggles weekend, Oregon Visitors Association’s strategy for drawing POVA has joined forces with its advertising queer tourists to the Rose City and conventions departments in hopes of rop ing in larger groups. Last year Portland played theater and music, art galleries and Portland’s or a sticker for the left wing of their bumper. host to the National Gay and Lesbian Task edgy, quirky character,” Steinfeld says. Queer businessman Charles Boucher, owner of G ay Portland snapshots all of these local hall Force’s Creating Change conference as well as the erotica emporium CounterMedia, believes the Gay Softball World Series. Groups similar that even though Portland doesn’t have specific marks. One branch of the campaign highlights to these will be targeted, and Steinfeld says the various neighborhoods where the rainbow “gay attractions” like other major cities— San flags outnumber the American flags— where folks Francisco, Provincetown, Amsterdam or New she’s “excited to be the one who gets to go don’t take second look at two men snuggling in a York City— it instead pulls on different strings. after this new market.” booth and smile at a lesbian couple walking arm Hotels are the driving force behind this cam "Maybe Portland’s real attraction is that it in arm with their dog. These parts of town might paign because they buy into the program. Consid doesn’t need them,” he says. “Its natural beauty seem obvious to locals: Southeast Hawthorne, ering POVA’s budget is based on lodging taxes, and its progressive solutions to urban living Steinfeld was thrilled when 15 hotels wanted to transcend orientation.” Northeast Broadway, Northwest Trendy-Third, the Pearl and the newly coined Burnside Triangle. come on board for G ay Portland, offering special Boucher thinks POVA deserves all the praise deals and rates for the queer visitor. “It was so Portland’s night life is broken into accurate, in the world for tackling this. “I’m impressed encouraging for me to see that they all support this user-friendly categories for men and women or that they would embark on this campaign and those looking for a mixed bar. The arts commu think that it can only do good” for the sexual campaign and see this as a viable market,” she says. minorities community, he says. “There can be These hotels aren’t Motel 6s, either. Most of nity is also well represented and used to entice no negatives to it, and whether it actually brings visitors. From the galleries to the museum to the Portland’s landmark hotels have jumped on people to the city or not, it shows that POVA’s performing arts center to the east vs. west art board— the Benson, the Hilton, the Paramount, heart is in the right place.” battles on the first and last Thursdays of each 5th Avenue Suites and the Westin. The Web site also offers useful information month, POVA’s got it covered. And it’s no wonder. Portland has much to for queer visitors once they’ve arrived in Port Also not left out are queer-friendly stores offer the queer visitor. “Tax-free shopping, land. Its sections range from congregations and where tourists can pick up a book, a new sex toy boutique hotels, excellent dining, wonderful I G ay M ecca recreation to publications and transportation; even a calendar of upcoming events is included, noting more than just Portland Pride and Pea cock in the Park. POVA seems to have it all for our queer trav elers unless you’re a gay man looking for a little action. T he campaign does fail to mention Port land’s bathhouses— and it wasn’t an oversight that these steamy locations were omitted. Stein feld says that in addition to space constraints, bathhouses were left out because they “didn’t seem to fit the image of Portland we were por traying with our cultural tour brochure series.” POVA met with leaders in the queer com munity for advice and direction every step of the way. “W e’d say: ‘How are we doing? Are we doing the right thing?’ ” Steinfeld says. “We wanted to bounce our ideas off groups that were in the know [including Just Out and Basic Rights Oregon) so that we wouldn’t be writing anything offensive or insensitive.” Even heterosexual business owners are excited about the campaign and think it will he effective. Joan Sher, a travel consultant at GK Travel, believes G ay Portland could serve the community even better if POVA partnered with the Portland Area Business Association, the queer chamber of commerce. “They could work together to promote gay tourism...and reach more business in the area,” she says. Sher, who’s been a member of PA BA for the past eight years and POVA for nine years, hopes to help queer visitors with travel arrangements. Steinfeld wants to build a foundation for G ay Portland through this archetypal campaign. “I hope the results will be enough to get this start ed on an annual basis,” she says. POVA is eager to get the brochures— which can be picked up at the Pioneer Courthouse Square visitors center, the mayor’s office and many queer businesses— in people’s hands. Although the organization’s budget doesn’t allow it to ship large quantities of the pamphlets out to other markets, people can pick them up at its office downtown. Even though it will be difficult to measure the campaign’s success, Steinfeld hopes POVA will continue to go after the queer market. W ith edgy campaign slogans like “Indulge Your Need for Art (or Bob, or Jim or Roger),” it not only is blazing the way for queer tourism but no doubt will set the mark for other cities to fol low suit and draw droves to Portland’s little Gay Mecca. JTH For more information about G a y PORTLAND visit www. travelportland. com /gibt. G ina D aggett is a Portland free-lance writer who can be reached at gdaggett@ aol.com . 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