OREGON S LESBIAN/GAY/BI/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE
OCTOBER 15 2010
PERFORMANCE
dirty miming, cake sitting and more being what
you actually see.
“The reality is, if you’re being offensive,’ of­
ten you’re just recreating the oppressive para­
digms of mainstream culture,” she says. “I have
no interest in that type of ‘art.’ I think it’s
lazy. You can’t be empowering some people
while tearing others down.”
Voltage’s cornerstone of creating art that’s
innovative, empowering and fun to watch has
taken on the form of some of Portland’s most
successful events, all courtesy of POP.
Following the popularity of FAGG, PO P
launched other events including Homomen-
tum, Kick/Ball/Change, Homo’s G ot Talent
and Untrained, I— each marked by challenges
for performers that encapsulate the freedom of
gender identity, sexual identity and artistic ex­
pression that Voltage aims to empower.
Take the uber-popular Homomentum, which
returns on Friday, November 5 at the Fez Ball­
room after a summer hiatus. The cabaret show­
cases queer dance, burlesque and performance
art within a revolving theme each month, with
Voltage emceeing and sometimes performing.
“The Homomentum themes help catalyze
performances and ensure that each show is
unique,” says Voltage. “It’s so exciting to watch
performers bring their own particular interpre­
tations, and sometimes the acts have nothing to
do with my theme. That’s okay too.”
These interpretations— November’s theme is
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“Rebels and Outlaws”—feature performances
that incorporate the aforementioned watermel­
on and cake play, along with radical cheerlead­
ing, cucumber bobbing, vibrating dryer-riding,
airport strip searching, snowman accessorizing,
Xena homoeroticizing and more. Voltage views
these experimental efforts as the doorway to the
future of Portland’s queer arts scene.
“I see Portland becoming one of the top des­
tinations for queer culture in the United States,”
she says. “Queer folks are already moving here
from all over the country, and I see that growing
more and more over the next few years.
“Performers have been coming out of the
woodwork, with quality and invention, humor
and brilliance beyond what I even imagined.
There is so much brilliance and art in our com­
munity; sometimes people just need a little push,
some inspiration and a space to show it off. H o­
momentum has proven to me that our commu­
nity craves to be challenged artistically, and
when challenged, will rise to the occasion.” T#]
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