culture
Dirty Laundry
Super Queer Lusty Fun Xtravaganza pushes the sex-positive envelope
by Julie Sabatier
A
young woman with long, red-blond hair takes the stage,
Both Lanier and Dark call Hawaii home, but they share a connec
clutching a spiral-hound notebook in the shape of a but
tion with the Portland-based Chiricuzo, who designed their respective
terfly. She takes a moment to compose herself before the
Web sites. Chiricuzo says she’s excited for the opportunity to meet
microphone before she begins reading one of the most
these two clients in person. The three also have a lot in common when
graphic love letters I’ve ever heard. The woman who
it comes to their interests as performers. Dark arid Chiricuzo share
follows her grins and says into the mike, “This is a repeat because
I’ve
a penchant
for talking about hxly image in their work.
been too busy fucking to write about it.”
“That’s a big time-waster for women—worrying about whether
Sossity Chiricuzio’s smile widens as she watches from the wings.
we’re pretty enough,” says Dark. “We sometimes forget that lesbians
She wanted to create a safe space for queer Portlanders to showcase
aren’t just queer—we’re women, and we have all of the same social
their dirtiest prose and poetry before a live audience. Since January,
ization that straight women have.”
she has been doing just that with Dirty Queer, a monthly X-rated
open mike night at In Other Words Women’s Bixiks and Resources.
Dark's spoken word show Stripped and Teased garnered awards from
Curve Magazine and the National Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival
“This event pushes me. It’s intended to push me. It’s intended to
in 2006. She says she’s excited to return to Portland, a city that she’s
push other people,” says Chiricuzo, a Web designer by day and dyke
grown fond of since her first visit in 2001, when she came to perform
poet by night. She always reads something of her own to kick off Dirty
her show The Butch/Femme Chronicles at Theater Theatre.
Queer. Frequent performers also include writer and fat activist Stacy
San Diego drag king “Johnny-O” (aka Rebecca Olachea) will
Rias and writers with clever stage names like Bitter Kitty and Holden
perform at rhe Super Queer Lusty Fun Xtravaganza, and Lanier will
Magroin. The event, which has a significant following, raises money
host as “Bruce the Drag King,” a character she has cultivated through
for In Other Words with raffle prizes and donations at the door.
the years. Lanier says that Bruce will also sing a number or two and
Now, Dirty Queer enthusiasts are teaming up with two talented
that at least part of the performance will be interactive.
visitors for something they’re calling the Super Queer Lusty Fun
“1 will probably pull someone up to the stage—a femme girl to
Xtravaganza. “A little hyperbole never hurt anybody,” says Jennifer
help her unlock her inner drag king. That’s always a funny, fun bit,"
Lanier, who helped organize the event with sociologist and storyteller
she says.
Award-winning sociologist and storyteller Kimberly Dark
addresses body image in her work.
“It’s a big ol’ queer burlesque variety show,” says Linier. “(Some one,
come all, and we guarantee there won’t be a dry seat in the house."
Kimberly Dark. Lanier, whose credits include subversive children’s the
Dirty Queer enthusiasts will probably recognize many of the Super
ater, is a gender-bending performer and self-identified “big, brown dyke.”
Queer performers, including a daring duo juggling panties and dildos
Holocene presents the
“There’s been a lot of anti-sex things going on in the women’s
while handcuffed. Another regular, photographer and improv artist Nik
8 p.m. Oct.
community for a long time...I wanted to create an event that was sex
Wilhelm, will be on hand to do an improv act based on anonymous
In Other Words presents
positive and talked about sexuality and sexiness in a really fun way,”
slips of paper submitted by audience members. Burlesque and spoken
second Friday of each month at 8 N.E. Killingsworth St. The free event
she explains.
word and are also on the roster for this fun and fast-paced event.
is limited to people 18 and older.
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25 at 1001 S.E. Morrison St. Admission is $15.
D1RTY QUEER
from
6:30 to 9 p.m. on
the
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SurER QUEER LUSTY F un XTRAVAGANZA
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