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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2003)
may 16,2ÜQ3 DIVERSIONS ..................................... ▼ t The finer points hat is up with all these queer chicks putting together one-of-a-kind killer events lately? First there was Stacy Bias’ FatGirl Speaks on May 3, which sold out Hollywood Theatre. That’s more than 500 people watching big ladies make music, do perfor mance art, strip, cheer and rant against the estab lishment. The energy nearly blew the roof off. Now, we’ve got three women with three new, unique events in May. All, like FatGirl, are free or; cheap and open to the public. It’s almost like a third wave feminist climax. All at once. (Ooh! I made myself shiver.) “Past feminist movements have fortunately made great progress in striving for our equality,” says Pam Peterson, whose Women and Their Kick-Ass Cars Party vrooms into Hollywood Theatre on May 17. “This has ripened many new doors for women to start exploring the finer points of themselves.” Peterson’s finer point is an adoration of old or otherwise exceptional cars and the chicks who drive them. "M en are supposed to be into cars and get into rebuilding, racing, e tc ,” the 1972 Buick Skylark owner asserts, "but women just never had the opportunity to try it o u t.. .1 want to find the ones who did try it out in spite o f it all and celebrate them.” Peterson is collaborating with photographer Elle McKay for the book Women and Their Kick- Ass Cars, which will come out later this year. The party includes a video and slide show of Last June’s Five Dollar Soapy Hand Job Car Wash held to get women together for mingling, washing and pho tographs. You’ll hear interviews with women about their cars and get a sneak preview of photos in the book. There s also a DJ and raffle. It helps to be into cars, but anyone can appreciate the diversity o f women— from Beaverton moms with souped-up Cameros to lovely young things with cat-eye glasses and dreamy pastel Cadillacs. “I want to have the same opportunities.. .as men have had,” says Peterson, “without being hassled or hit on, teased or ignored, pushed aside or passed up just because I’m a girl.” Previous sex workers make sure their issues aren’t pushed aside or passed up May 16 during Beyond Sex Work: Voices from the Margins at Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Center. Organized by women’s studies student Leslie Bull, the event includes film shorts and a* discussion with Bull and Canadians Ariel Lighteningchild and James Diamond, all artists and filmmakers, all previous sex workers. “I organized the event because [we] all come from the streets, and our voices are rarely heard in [the] mainstream,” says Bull. A lot of people don’t equate lesbians with sex work. “1 guess that’s like being surprised a vegan would work at McDonald’s,” Bull quips. “But it’s not all that surprising in terms of eco nomic necessity. A job is a job. After all, a * dyke hooker can fake it like a straight girl.” Ltghteningchild is from dre Cree and Ojibwa first nations and is Jewish and Roma (gypsy). Diamond is also a multiracial artist; he was bom homeless and since 1997 has gained internación' Í al recognition, mostly with intensely personal and political movies. His work is archived at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. “We have unique perspectives,” explains Bull. “We don’t conform to either an ‘anti’ or ’pro’ position regarding prostitution and instead com plicare die issue by talking about.. .gender, race, class and sexuality and how those issues play o u t” Meanwhile, back at Hollywood Theatre on the same night (“oh, no!” you’re saying— don’t worry, the times are such that you can do both) is another film event with the rather creepy title D ecom poser. It’s the second in a three-part W Loosen up those purse strings he Sexual M inorities Youth R ecreation C en ter is in trouble. To stop this flow of trouble, they need to plug it up with dol lar bills. It seems that Woody C larke of everyone’s favorite wine bar Crush, 1412 S.E. Morrison St., heard about the center’s distinct lack of funds, which could cause its demise in the near future. He immediately called to find out what Crush could do to make sure Portland doesn’t lose its only organization designed for queer kids. T hat’s why you would he rather remiss in not attending Crush’s benefit for SM YRC from 6 to 9 p.m. May 19. For a $5 cover you get: fabulous atmosphere, lovely buffet, hip DJ music and a separate cash bar with all the money spent on Crush’s groovy cocktails donated to the center. “I’m so glad to be working with SM Y R C , and I challenge my peers in the community to extend their help to SM Y R C as well,” says Clarke. C an ’t do better than that. T PBS airs the documentary Daddy & P apa June 3 Soldier's Girl premieres on Showtime howtime premieres S old ier’s Q irl, based on the real-life murder o f Pfc. Barry Winchell, at 9 p.ro. May 31. A soldier ar Fort Campbell, Ky., Winchell fell in love with Tennessee transsexual night club performer Calpemia Addams in 1999. Rumors flew among his fellow soldiers, followed by severe harassment until W inchell’s roommate and another private heat him to death on a Fourth of July weekend when Addams was winning Miss Ten nessee Entertainer of the Year. T h e film showed at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to a sold- out crowd, which, according to The Advocate, “gasped with fear, sympa thy, revulsion, anger.” Addams laskan dyke musi announced via her Web site: cian Kim Acuna is “Opening up to the makers of the coming all the way film was cathartic, and their to Darcelle XV, telling of the story is going to be 208 N.W. Third Ave., to absofutely beautiful. I am very play a benefit concert for proud of the team I got to know for lesbians in the Lesbian Community Portland on June 3 and the finished film.” Project. Portland’s own lesbo Also in queer movies, PBS will show the duo Pirate Jane opens the heartfelt documentary D addy & P ap a at show at 7 p.m. June 3, and it’s only $5. 11 p.m. June 3. A selection of last year’s Port Acuna peppers her alt-pop with jazz, blues land queer film festival, the movie follows a and a hint of Latin. Her debut release, Shadows, year in the lives of several gay dads who decide came out last fall to popular acclaim. to adopt. “I want to bring the listener into that spe Although Daddy & Papa asks more ques cial place where it’s just my guitar and me tions than it can possibly answer in its short 57 alone in a room having a new song pour minutes, it does question the ability of affluent through me,” Acuna says of her perfor white parents to effectively raise African mances. “This is the most vulnerable, most American and Hispanic babies. wonderful place.” S Kim Acuna in Portland A C ar maven Pam Peterson (above) and former sex worker Leslie Bull organize two of May’s many killer events film and music series (the last m e is May 23) that “re-themes soundtracks for forgotten films.” Portland filmmaker Vanessa Renwick put the event together as a fund-raiser far her new movie about wolves coming back into the West. She’s made more than 20 films and says “fond raising is a last straw.... I need to make this film— the most important of my life— and people are com ing together to support me in my efforts.” The ultxacool-sounding events put live musi cians on stage to play to bizarre little movies you have no doubt not seen before. For example: Daniel Menche will play through a 1940s box ing movie, Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet scores 1928’s The Fall o f the House o f Usher, and Quasi presents its original composition for The Streets Belong to the People— footage shot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. On May 23 it’s much the same with Black Cat Orchestra, The Sensualists and The Topiary Kings, who, according to Renwick, will play through “a hideous/hilarious and unrelenting Oscar Mayer lunch meat promotional film, which The Topiary Kings have not seen and will be improvising to.” So many events. So little time. "We have passion in our messages, our ideas,” concludes Kick-Ass Car gal Peterson. “It drives us to create these events to find other women who feel the same, to open the doors and let everyone in .. .and start, hopefully, the beginnings of another movement.” Right on, sister. P Details on all these events can be found m the Out & About calendar. Hairspray sweeps Tony nominations A s if there was ever any doubt, the John Waters-classic- come-Broadway-musi- cal-smash Hairspray has swept Tony nomina tions with a total of 13, including Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musi cal (Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy Tum- blad) and Best Original Score. Most exciting is the nomination of Har vey Fierstein, who plays distraught mother Edna, for Best Actor in a Musical. C B S will broadcast The 57th Annual Tony Awards at 8 p.m. June 8 . Marissa Jaret Winokur (left) and Harvey Fierstein snagged Tony nominations for H airspray Com piled by L isa B radshaw j n
