I □ A by just rm ai M arty D avis newsmagazine the in publication for the out population Founded 1983 • Jay Brown and Renee LaChance A frighteningly good time Vol. 22 No. 24 “Spooktacular” signals that Portland is ready and waiting for a community center hile there are definite advantages to being a cynic, it can also really bite you in the butt sometimes. W Such was proven true Oct. 16 when I begrudging­ ly pulled myself out of a bedridden avian flu stupor (I’m a cynic and a hypochondriac) just so 1 could say I showed up for the first-ever Q Center community event. Muttering pos­ itive statements to myself such as, “How come I have to go—no one’s gonna come to this stupid thing,” I scrounged up recently slept-in cloth­ ing and, accompanied by bed-head hair highly suited for an event called “Spooktacular,” I set off for what I assumed would be a 15-minute jaunt to and from an empty warehouse. Boy, was I wrong. Imagine my surprise and delight when I arrived in my disheveled state to find throngs of people happily enjoying a day of spooktacular fun and festivity. 1 have never seen so many lesbian moms and gay dads in one place before. There were gobs of happy children with chocolate-pudding-smeared faces adorned as pumpkins and dragons and assorted magical characters. Sneakin’ Out played its joyous brand of music at a delightful sound level that didn’t shake the walls and jar the nerves. Little children wobbled on top-heavy bodies as they danced with the enviable freedom that so many of us seem to lose far too early in life. Poison Waters served well as a self-censoring hostess, and a slew of “celebrity judges” awarded prizes for artful pumpkin carvings and paintings. This was truly a “community” event with the families in attendance joined by members of the Portland Area Business Association, Love Makes a Family, Pride Northwest and the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court. Side by side were elders from Senior Housing and Retirement Enterprises and toddlers downing gcxiey gummy worms. Representing City Hall were three generations of Potters: Mayor Tom, daughter Katie and granddaughter Madi Potter-Moen. (McKenzie, it seems, had a pre­ vious commitment elsewhere.) Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey was seen enjoying the energy and excitement, and James Rae of KGW-TV was taking it all in, too. Susan Remitters and the Q Center board get high marks for organiz­ ing this event and covering so many details with skill and expertise. They invited Hewlett-Packard to take free digital photos as souvenirs, and the edible treats were definitely geared toward the little ones. No sushi, yeah! Apple slices and ch respond to calls for assis­ tance involving sexual minorities. • Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts continues to actively work for gay and lesbian civil nghts. Last month she joined the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay and lesbian rights organization based in Washington. D C. • Code Blue, Portland’s premier rotating women's night club, presents a Lesbian Halloween Bash at Mont­ gomery Park Gay m^n are welcome. $1,000 in prizes for best costumes. • The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, a solo perform­ ance by Rob Buckmaster, opens at the Main Street Playhouse. Just Out is published on the first and third Friday of each month. Copynght © 2005 by Just Out No part of Just Out may be reproduced without wntten permission from the publisher Editorial guidelines: Letters to the editor should be limited to 500 words Announcements regarding life transitions (births, deaths, unions, etc ) should be limited to 200 words, photos are welcome Deadline for submissions to the editorial department and for the Calendar is the Thursday 15 days before the next publication date. 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PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR Marty Davis NEWS EDITOR Sarah Dougher ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Jim Radosta STAFF WRITER Jaymee R. Cuti DESIGN DIRECTOR Anabel Ramirez AD PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ramey Holsman ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Larry Lewis ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Kari Tate, Cshea Walker WEB ADMINISTRATION Ashley Austin CONTRIBUTORS Yvonne P. Behrens, Stephen Blair, Mana Callahan, Meryl Cohn, Jodi Darby, Suzanne Deakins, Jemiah Jefferson, Timothy Krâuse, Jon Kretzu, Patricia L. MacAodha, Christopher McQuain, Gary Morris, Jenny Nguyen, Bob Roehr, Floyd Sklaver, Rex Wockner DISTRIBUTION Allison Benn. Lisa Benson, Youme Inhofe, Pat Kilmer-Cramer, Chance Schwartz