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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2003)
» novamber 21,2003 50 DIVERSIONS .....................▼..................... Oh, the irony S ometimes when you’re all snug in your safe, little inner-Portland gay bubble of happiness, you hear a story that snaps you hack into homophobe reality like a slingshot. Recently that friendly little gay theater group triangle prtxluctions! ended its run of Beautiful Thing, the work by British play wright Jonathan Harvey about two teen-age boys living in the same housing development who fall in love. (N o doubt you saw the very cute movie that won a hunch of film festival awards and the 1997 G L A A D Media Award for Outstanding Film in Limited Release.) Well, it turns out the two young men who starred in triangle’s production— though quite commendable performances did they provide— were not director Don Horn’s first choice. His first choice were two teen-age hoys who auditioned for the parts in response to several calls he put out based on acting references. Lots of Portland-area teens who aspire to act answer calls for auditions— look how great that turned out in G us Van S an t’s new film Elephant. Lucky for two of those kids, their parents weren’t bigoted. Because, as it turns out, the two boys cast in Beautiful Thing both had to drop out. Their parents wouldn’t let them he in the play. Yes, it seems that when the moms and dads found out what the play was about and that their sons would he— gasp!— kissing another boy, they hauled their (no doubt delightfully cute) butts out of there tout suite. These are two teen-age boys who won roles in a play that was seen by several hun dred people, who earned the parts, who knew full well what they were doing and who would have gained invaluable experi ence— and maybe learned a little something about the queer community surrounded by all those gays who are in and out of triangle. And their parents canned the whole thing because they would have been [rretending to he gay. (W hether either hoy was gay or not is anybody's guess, hut it would make it even more heartbreaking if one or Huh were, huh?) Horn tried to talk to the parents, but, he says, “They weren’t tix> pleased.” Beautiful Thing is aKnit two Hiys who are attracted to each other and have to deal with their friends’ and families’ reactions to that, as well as their own internal conflicts. How ironic that two teen-agers are drug away from even playing these parts based on their parents’ reactions. This, again, emphasizes to me the need to he out, the need to encourage Gay Straight Alliances and the need to force people— young and old— tix> hxik beyond their insu lar realities when they spout homophobia as gospel. It also emphasizes the need for triangle prcxluctions! to reach a wider audience. Clearly, the people who need Beautiful Thing the most are the ones not coming through the d<xu. n You go, GoGirls! Y ou don’t get much better causes for the youth of this city than the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp tor Girls and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, which is why the fourth annual GoGirlsMusicFest on Dec. 4 benefits Kith. Dyke alt-country rixzker Patricia Ju pulled together the benefit— one of several sponsored by GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women in music. On the marquee for Portland’s pitstop is a mostly homegrown set of queer crixiners. You’ll recognize Ashleigh Flynn, for instance, as SMYRC community relations director by day, but by night her crystal-clear voice leads an Americana pop-rtxk style. And Portland Shock- wave fxithall player Kate White brings out her strong, sultry and sensual acoustic R &. B. The combo of Ju and singer/songwriter Annie Vergnetti, on the other hand, meshes two distinct styles that range from stirring, sometimes s h a k ing electronic dub rap to well-crafted folk rock. But that’s not all. You’ll hear what Tuesday night Ohm rcx:k- ers love aKnit the primordial, erotic sound- scapes of Dahlia. You’ll embrace the “husky yet smooth” country-iazz of Portland’s new hot handful Amelia. And you’ll experience the somber to lively, ethnic to orchestral life of Seattle-based Two Loons for Tea. So go, girls (and guys), go! GoGirlsMusicFest K*gins 8 p.m. at Aladdin Theater, 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave. Tickets are $12 for the all-ages show. Feel the love Y ou say drag queens are bitchy vamps who don’t feel the love? Well, swallow those words, baby, because Imperial Princess 33 Miss Ariel View and Empress 44 Poison Marie Waters are working up some serious holiday charity. Ariel View calls hers Blan kets of Love. (Isn’t that sweet?) You buy or make a baby blanket (or larger size), and she distrib utes them by Dec. 11 to termi nally ill or abused children thnxighout Oregon, as well as a few cities in Washington, Utah, Idaho, Denver and Nevada. Last year she collected 62 blan kets, which is a number that can surely be dixibled. To donate a Blan ket of Live, e-mail arielview® roseaxjrT.org or visit a drop-i>ff site: Boxxes, 1035 S.W. Stark S t.;C .C . Slaughters, 219 N.W. Davis St.; or Just Out, 123 N.E. Third Ave. Suite 465. Poison Waters calls her effort “Bring Some Fcxxl and Toys to Silverado or I’ll Kick Your Ass.” (Not really, we made that up, but you get the idea.) During her weekly Church of the Poison Mind from 3 to 8 p.m. Sundays, the madcap mistress will collect non- perishable fcxxl items and unwrapped toys (that’s children's toys) at the bar, 1217 S.W. Stark St. Your deadline is the Sunday before Christmas— Dec. 21. Fcxxl will be donated to Esther’s Pantry, and toys are going to the kids of Women’s Intercommunity' A ID S Resource. Poison would like to remind shoppers that the newly remcxleled Safeway store on Southwest 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street is just a few blcx:ks from Silverado; Just Out would like to remind shoppers that so is Finnegan’s Toys <Sc Gifts, 922 S.W. Yamhill St. New commish goes to bat for the community t was only last month when the kids over at the Rose City^Softball Association named Drew Canulette to a two-season stint as commissioner for its open division, but already the big guy’s got big ideas for this gay league. “I have formed an ad hex; committee to review the open division and come up with sug gestions for change,” reports Canulette, who along with Dale Clinton of the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and Sean Canavan of Portland Bears Softball Club have been scouting ideas from among open division players, managers, coaches and sponsors. “Paramount for me is to give something hack to our community,” says Canulette. “The Rose City Softball league is the largest gay sports organization in the state, and the 2004 season will be our 10-year anniversary! As our membership grows— in size as well as maturi ty— it seems a natural progression for the membership to become more involved in the community.” How this plays out in addition to the league’s existing fund-raisers and Cascade Cup tournament will be up to members, says C an ulette, hut he wants to coach a little charity out of the league’s instinctive teamwork. The 2004 season opens April 25 and plays through July 25 at HillsKiro’s Gordon Faber Recreational Complex. RCSA ’s annual C as I cade Cup tournament is schedule for Fourth of July weekend, and the 2004 North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance Gay Softball World Series follows in August in Dallas. Team up with R C SA by visiting www.portlandgaysttfthall.com. Pam and Maggie come out of hiding Nov. 23 at Touchstone Coffee House Sing along with Pam and Maggie T ouchstone Coffee House, 7631 N.E. Glisan St., is offering the opportunity to see and maybe even sing along with Portland duo Pam and Maggie, who haven’t performed in more than a year, from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23. It seems Maggie’s mom is visiting from Cali fornia, and the coffeehouse wants to offer her a warm welcome. “She is a great supporter of our relationship as well as our music,” says Maggie. “I used to harmonize with her while doing the dishes after dinner.” Maggie Beck and Pam Briggs have three C D of their country-ish adult contemporary tunes, which they will no doubt have available at the show. The pair have been domesticating together for more than 18 years. “We are plan ning to get hitched in Europe for our 20th anniversary,” shares Maggie. Right now the couple Kith have full-time jobs, hut hack in the day they made their living off recording and touring. In 1994, Maggie was nominated by the California Country Music Association for Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. j D Compiled by LlSA B radshaw and T imothy K rause
