OREGON S GAY/LESBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
PRIDE 2009
MAY 29 2009
Weaving a
Common
Thread
Portland Latino Gay Pride and
Portland Black Pride Converge
Under Unity Umbrella at Pride NW
By Ryan J. Prado.
Under the simple, yet elegant banner of “United We
Stand,” the toils and triumphs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender community will be on full display during Pride
Northwest 2009. However, the concept of unity, in all its
nebulous glory, belies a much richer undercurrent of solidar
ity among this year’s participants and organizers. While the
gay community preaches togetherness in 2009, they practice
it even more.
You’d be hard-pressed to note a larger collaborative entity
than the continued trailblazing of awareness forged by Port
land Latino Gay Pride and the Unity Project of Oregon’s Black
Pride organizations. Both will be very visible during Pride;
both serve to educate and address social and political issues
facing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender minorities. That
said, with subjectively common goals aside, each organization
will certainly be marching to the beat of its own drum.
For the last 14 years, Unity Project of Oregon has advo
cated on behalf of the African-American gay, lesbian, bi and
trans population, along with African-Americans with HIV/
AIDS, and has been a tremendous presence during Pride. This
year, organizers are pulling out all the stops in an effort to
bolster awareness of their cause.
An official Portland Black Pride opening reception at 5:30
p.m. June 11 will center on a local activist and community-
supported forum, posed to discuss the crossroads of race and
sexuality.
“It’s an interesting forum because a lot of these issues are
timely,” explained Cory Murphy, director of organizational
development for UPO. “We feel that there’s been an ongo
ing discussion about how race and racism affects the LGBTQ_
community and communities of color, both within the queer
community and outside of the queer community.”
A “Jill Scott Viewing Party” and social mixer will be held at
Crush (1412 SE Morrison St.) at 8 p.m. June 11, and the fol
lowing night’s Step! Fashion Gala at QCenter rounds out the
pre-Pride weekend festivities before Saturday’s Ninth Annual
BlackOUT concert at Paia Lounge (105 NW Third Ave.).
Both the Portland Latino Gay Pride and the Oregon Black Pride organizations will present a wealth of
activities during Pride 2009. See page 29 for complete listings on local Pride events.
The Step! Fashion gala is a fundraiser for UPO, but it’s also “a see how committed they are to the celebration.”
way for people to explore their individual style and creativity.
Murphy expressed similar sentiments with regard to Port
It’s really an opportunity to give some of our young people a
land Black Pride and UPO’s evolution during Pride.
chance to do something they really like, which is put on a show
“We’ve worked very hard this year to work collaboratively
with a lot of different organizations, particularly with Pride
to model, to be out there on the runway,” said Murphy.
In “true Latino Gay Pride fashion,” organizers for Latino
Northwest,” said Murphy. “Latino Pride has been very sup
Gay Pride 2009 conceived a theme both colorful and serious portive; David Martinez has been excellent. I think this has
as the vehicle for their Pride message. Choosing to focus on
been a great year for collaboration.”
a common element found in every community, as well as in
With both UPO’s Portland Black Pride and Portland La
reference to one of Latino sports’ most popular attractions, tino Gay Pride operating on decidedly harmonic terms, their
lucha libre - Mexican wrestling, of course! - committee mem
quests for equal rights and - above all - pride, cross paths in
bers came up with the rallying cry, “¡Que Viva La Lucha? an important idealistic intersection for all sexual minorities:
The motto highlights the impact of the “lucha” (struggle)
to be represented, and to be respected.
within every community for respect, pride and acceptance.
“My wish is that people begin to see that each of
The themes of “Papis, Chicas, y Mas presents: ¡La Lucha!” us - whether it’s Latino Pride, Black Pride, or Pride North
will be tackled, somewhat literally, via PLGP’s main event on
west - has an integral role to play in creating diverse and wel
June 7 from 4-8 p.m. at the Jupiter Hotel (800 E. Burnside). coming spaces in our community,” said Murphy. “The more
Local Latino wrestler Mega Boy will compete in exhibition we recognize that we need each other, the more we can move
bouts, with appearances by guest speakers, area performers, forward together in order to create a just society. We can’t have
plus a few surprises. An opening reception on June 4 at the
a just society without equal, collaborative partners working
Miracle aka “Milagro” Theatre (525 SE Stark) offers a preview together. This year, I think, will highlight that tremendously.
of “La Lucha” festivities, including Latin-American cuisine
“We can’t be bystanders in life, and we can’t be bystanders
and a show coordinated by Joaquin Lopez and David Malan with all the things that are going on, particularly with Prop.
(co-owner of Miracle Theatre) dubbed IVozAltalThe program
8 and what’s going on here with Measure 36,” he continued.
includes poetry, acting, music and song, along with “an aspect “If we don’t go out and show our numbers, then we re inviting
[that] will be looking at the Portland LGBTQ_community’s people to ignore and discriminate against us. If you don’t have
history as well as the origins of Portland Latino Gay Pride,” pride, you don’t have dignity; and if you don’t have dignity,
explained David Martinez, PLGP’s event co-founder.
you can’t have respect; and if you can’t have respect, you won’t
“Each year our celebration has grown and is becoming a have any rights.
*
community tradition,” said Martinez. “This year we feel it will
be the best ever, [in] a big part due to the new volunteers,
Complete details about .Portland Black Pride and Portland
committee members and community partners. We have a lot Latino Gay Pride events can befound in Just Out's Pride calendar
of new energy, emerging leaders involved, and it’s inspiring to on p. 29 and at brotobropdx.org and latinogaypridepdx.com
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