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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2004)
may 7.2004 * ju s t OUt 4? D IV ER S IO N S ................................... t " Queer-night-o-rama n order to throw a queer night at a sushi bar, you’d better be one mother of a cool sushi bar. I Fatty Fatty 2x4 O ne hundred people who got turned away from Hollywixxl Theatre last May will no doubt be delighted to know that FatGirl Speaks: A Celebration of Size, Self & Sexuality has moved for its May 8 encore to the Roseland— with a capacity of 800. Founder and organizer Stacy Bias, who also owns TechnoDyke.com, expects to sell out again. The queer Portlander has created a national firestorm of interest and activity with this one-of-a-kind venue of work shops, fashion shows, performance and partying designed to deliver the simple message that everyone has the right to love her body. People are flying in from all over the country to attend, and a group in Seattle has been given permission to produce its own similar event (Dangerous Curves, scheduled for May 14). Just what the hell is going on here? I decided to ask Bias a few questions. Lisa Bradshaw: Stacy, everyone knows that being over weight isn’t good for you, so why celebrate it? Stacy Bias: Being mired in self-loathing isn’t good for you. Being mucked down in hatred for your appearance, comparing yourself endlessly to wafer-thin models... isn’t good for you. Watching the fucking Swan isn’t good for you. So why celebrate your body? Because it’s yours. It’s the one you’ve got. It’s the one you live in. Why celebrate yourself? Because inside this mixed-messaged, aesthetically driven corporate culture where diet tips, fashion clips and chocolate cake recipes dichotomously exist on all women’s magazine covers, the most revolutionary thing a woman can do is love her body. Because a healthy dose of self-esteem is the only true foundation you can set that will spark off a lifetime of positive choices for your heart, soul and skin. Because all body types exist— and will exist until the end of time— and there’s nothing anyone can ever do that will change that. LB : Yeah, OK. But do you really believe that being 100 pounds overweight can be healthy? SB : Yes, I do. I know fat folks that can bench-press a Volks wagen. I know thin folks that can’t run up a flight of stairs with out being winded. Fitness and fatness are not mutually exclusive. LB : Last year I noticed a lot of skinny butts in the chairs at FatGirl. Why would they go? SB: Hopefully, they count themselves as allies! B<xly image isn’t just a fat issue. Our show is about fat women because we are on the front lines of body image, but negative stereotypes about bodies affect everyone— fat, thin, young, old, female, male. I think our message is heard by people of all sizes, and they find something to identify with in what we’re doing and come out to show support for strong women making powerful change in fun ways. Plus, we’re hot! Hello, Big Burlesque? Who would want to miss that? LB : It seems like the fat advancement movement is being spearheaded by queer women. Why do you think that is? SB : It does seem that way, doesn’t it? ...I think being queer gives us a built-in community that is already organized for making change in several ways and that provides a ready-made platform from which other types of activism can spring. LB : I think some guys would like to attend this but might be kind of nervous. Are they welcome? S B : Yes, yes, yes! O f course. Everyone should com e.... We’re in this together, and we want to see as many shiny, happy faces, •round or thin, as we can! j n Tickets to F at G irl S peaks are $10 from In Other Words or at the door. Visit vuvuw.fatffrlspeaks.com for a complete schedule. So far, we’ve heard no complaints from the queer patrons of the dimly lit, urhanesque Madame Butterfly on the comer of Southwest Fourth Avenue and Stark Street. Metamorphose, which kicks off every Sunday about 8 p.m., is the brainchild of general manager David Prewitt and the restaurant’s gay D J Blue Submarine (aka Kevin Schaer), who spins house, progressive and trance while you swap glances across the bar with a slight figure, hair in his eyes, supping on a bright blue cocktail waiting for his teriyaki donburi. Meanwhile over at the unendingly queer-friendly Members of Triangle Recreation Camp in Washington are planting trees and Holocene, the every second making other improvements in the nature conservancy this summer Wednesday queer night Movement, brought to you by the kids who Triangle Recreation Camp, which is open now, is a member- used to produce The Blackbird’s queer night, is doing well owned camp in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. This enough that the bar is considering making it twice a month. year members, some of whom live at the camp the entire season, Holocene also sees no end in sight to the popular second are committed to extensive tree planting on the 80-acre nature Sunday queer girl night Tart, the fourth Sunday queer girl night conservancy. Diva or the first Sunday queer events: alternate appearances by Although the camp serves mostly men, women of the queer DK PDX and Sparkleheart’s Burlesque. In fact, notes co-owner persuasion are welcome, too. For information and directions, Jarkko Cain, everyone feels a little sorry for the third Sunday of visit www.camptrc.org or e-mail info@camptrc.org. every month, which is empty and void of meaning. Therefore, they’re considering a “boys-oriented T-Dance.” Stay tuned. Finally, that Cobalt Lounge Tuesday night Breakdown called it quits, hut D J Puppet has moved her entourage of DJs and f you’ve already seen the one gay movie at Regal Cinemas loyal queer dance fiends over to Porky’s at North Lombard and (Latter Days), step into one of three other queer film opportu Albina streets. Dubbed Booty, the every Thursday queer night nities In Portland this month. goes from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and encourages pirate-type dress and First up is the Northwest Film Center’s series Global Lens: pillaging behavior. New Cinema from the Developing World, which runs through May 26 at Guild Theatre and Whitsell Auditorium. The Iranian film Women’s Prison, which follows 17 years in the life of a prison guard and her turbulent relationship with a prisoner, niversity of Oregon’s Women’s Resource Center presents the shows May 7 and 12. fifth annual Lesbopalooza on May 14 at WOW Hall and Then on May 14, the series presents Mango Yellow, a Brazil May 15 at Agate Auditorium in Eugene. ian pastiche of stories, including one about a seriously flamboy Music lovers are coming from all over ant hotel manager. For the complete schedule, visit the West Coast, says ccxirdinator Kirista www.nwfilm.org. Trask, to see the all-queer lineup, which Next up is a special showing of the new film I Exist: Voices includes Station Wag, Magdalen Hsu-Li, frtrm the Lesbian aiul Qay Middle Eastern Community in the Demimonde Slumber Party, Chris Pureka, U .S. 8 p.m. May 8 at The Know, 2026 N.E. Alberta St. The The Butchies, Nicole Sangsuree, Piper film is being presented by Seattle filmmaker Basil Shadid to McKenzie, Kinnie Starr and spoken word raise money for his feature film project about a first-generation artist Irvin. The first evening will be Arab American coming to grips with his sexuality. “aggressive,” notes Trask, while the second “J Exist is a documentary that chronicles the stories, mes evening is more “grtxjvy.” sages, experiences and context for lesbian and gay Middle East Lesbopakx>za is “one of those few erners living in the United States,” explains Shadid. The film times queer people come together not to Chris Pureka joins a allows, he continues, “a unique opportunity to see something talk about he politics of being queer hut whole herd of queer that’s never been seen on screen before.... It’s especially impor musicians for to celebrate them,” Trask says. tant because of Lesbopalooza Quintessential dyke hand The how much neg Butchies, who also play Portland’s ative attention Meow Meow club May 16, will sure be celebrating it. “We’re is given to grateful to the folks putting the festival on, as so many peo Arabs and other ple insist on shying away from a queer frxrus,” says band Middle Eastern member Kaia W ilson. “W e’re a bunch of rowdy homos, and ers in the media we’re not afraid to show it." these days.” Tickets are $7-$ 10 for one night or $10-$ 16 for both from Admission the university box office or 541-346-4363. to 1 Exist is $5-$10 sliding scale. The event includes a short hat plucky little Portland organization The F O R E ST opening film Portland sees its first screening of / Exist: Group (Feminists of Oregon Really Excited about Seeing from Lebanon Voices from the Lesbian and Qay Middle Trees) is readying for its second annual campout for women and a raffle. Eastern Community in the U .S. May 8 at and children July 3 to 5 at Milo Mclver State Park in Estacada, Finally, The Know where it has secured the entire site for itself. Clinton Street Members plan a Sunday hike and a visit to the area fish Theater’s Forest Film Festival, which nins May 10 to 16 and hatchery. The weekend is “geared to just about anyone,” assures showcases independently pnxluced experimental shorts, includes group mcxlerator Tami Keller-Clark. “Last year we had seasoned a screening of Portland gay filmmaker Aaron Kirk Douglas’ gem backpackers and those that hadn’t gotten their tent (H it in of a short “ My Days of Awe and G rief” about him and his best years.” To join the tree huggers, call Tami at 503-659-2782 or friend growing up in Springfield. |H e-mail nccl 127@hotmail.com for an application. If you’re of the gay male persuasion, the oldest gay camp Compiled by L isa B rahshaw ground in the nation beckons from 90 minutes north of Seattle. Queer film everywhere! I Aggressive, groovy lesbos U Nappy campers T
