latinogaypride
think for us what’s unique is [that] we’re not
a part of anything, we’re just volunteers and
we try to bring everyone together.”
Each year, “everyone” seems to include
more people, and from farther-flung
locations.
“We’ve been growing each year and I
thin), this year, with what we’re doing, we’re
expecting to continue to draw [people] and
become a destination for folks throughout
the nation,” Martinez adds.
PLGP already draws people from the
greater Portland area—Multnomah, Wash
ington and Marion counties—as well as con
tingents from Seattle and Los Angeles. Port
land is in a unique position to put on such an
event—its Latino LGBTQ_ population is
large enough to organize, but not so big that it
overwhelms the greater LGBTQ_community.
That’s the case in cities such as San Jose and
Los Angeles, Martinez says, where there is
often a Latino tent and a Latino event as part
of the main pride celebrations.
“I think in Long Beach someone com
mented, ‘Well, it’s Latino pride all the time
because of the sheer numbers,”’ Martinez
shares. “Here, I think we need to have this
very specific focused celebration because the
population numbers aren’t as high.... To
have a very targeted celebration and to bring
[the] community together around the Latino
gay pride experience is important.”
PLGP is strengthening the community
behind the scenes, too. In the process of
planning an event to unite the Latino LG-
BTQpopulation, new leaders (like La Torre,
who is in her first year on the committee)
emerge to make significant contributions to
the celebration.
“What I’m most excited about, actually, is
the volunteer planning committee,” Marti
nez says. “To me, personally, that is what in
spires me. As long as there’s that energy, that
interest and that pride—‘cause that’s the
other part—we can all throw great parties,
but this is more than a party for us, this is an
opportunity to have our Latino gay GLBT
experience shine. And that’s why we do it.”
For more information on / CelebrAccion! visit
latinogaypridepdx.com or search “Portland La
tino Gay Pride" on Facebook.
¡CelebrAccion!
La Lucha 2011 at a glance
Thurs., July 14
Dance Party and Social
Voz Alta: Amor Indocumentado
6 p.m. social, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. dance party at
Crush, 1400 SE Morrison St. Co-hosted by
Chicas and Chocolate City
An evening of music and poetry with Edna
Vazquez and Joaquin Lopez.
7 p.m. reception, 8 p.m. performance at The
Little Church, 5138 NE 23rd Ave. S15-S25
Sun. July 17
La Lucha Latino Gay Pride Festival
Fri., July 15
Featuring performances by entertainers
La Lucha Dance Party
including Los Gallos Rumba, Tryniti La-
9p.m. at BoxxeSy 1035 SWStark St. $5
Croix, Ballet Folklorico Lo Nuestro, Chi-
Chi and Chonga and Meesha Peru, live
Sat.v July 16
music, a deejay, an Under U4 Men fashion
Chicas Celebration
show, vendors, an exhibit area, food carts
11 a.m. brunch at Q Center, 4115 N. Missis and a beer garden.
sippi Ave. tl0-$15
Noon-9 p.m. at Eastbank Esplanade, Water
‘Cycle Ride: Motorcycle & Bicycle
front Park (SE Water Ave. and Hawthorne
Scenic Ride
Blvd.). $5 donation, all ages welcome.
2:30-4:30 p.m., start at Q Center, 4115 N.
Mississippi and end at Colonel Sumner Park in To get involved, contact David Martinez at 503-
307-9143 or email lalucbachair<(Pyahoo.com.
SE (20th and Morrison)
Eyes On The Prize
Portland Latino drag world gets international spice
with Latin Look
Portland’s Latino drag circuit is shooting
to be more than events for locals. I t’s going
international.
The annual pageant run, called Latin
Look, is a competition for local crowns, of
course. But organizers are attempting to
expand it to other parts of the country, and
the world. In addition to crowns for Miss
and Mr. Gay Oregon Latin Look, another
pageant, now in its sixth year, is held for
International Latin Look. In 2011 the
global event will have its first truly global
contestant—a performer from Mexico City.
Pageant producer David Zambrano, 48,
is excited that the international pageant is
gaining momentum. Contestants have
come from other states before and from
Puerto Rico. The winner of Miss Interna
tional Latin Look 2010 was a New Yorker,
Eva Zanzler. A few small preliminary pag
eants have even been held in other states.
Zambrano aspires to one day produce a
U.S. pageant in Portland and the interna
tional event on an island like the Domini
can Republic. An international location
would make it easier for contestants from
other countries to participate, he says.
“It takes time to prepare papers for
people coming to the country,” Zambrano
explains. “We have to send letters to em
bassies and immigration and do a lot of
paper work.”
Closer to home, though, the Oregon
Latin Look pageant enters its 14th year.
The name “Latin Look” is a sign that the
pageant is open to all contestants, not just
Latinos. Latinos look different all over the
world, Zambrano says, so no particular
“look” is a standard.
But Jeffrey Rivera, 21, who as Ashley
Jo’Elle was named Miss Gay Portland
Latin Look 2011, says the event is about
“being spicy.”
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OREGON'S LGBTQ NEWSMAGAZINE
“It’s not necessarily about looking Latin,”
he says. “It’s just about looking beautiful.”
As for Miss Gay Oregon Latin Look,
this year’s champ says he was shocked he
won—it was his first competition.
“It was a total surprise for me because I
saw some really pretty contestants,” says
Isabel Castillo, 32, who competed as Ebony
Welch. “And, like, I’m a little, um, big, so I
was kind of intimidated by all the girls.”
Castillo adds, “I’m really thankful to
these people who are doing the pageant
because there are a lot of people like me
that want to do it, and sometimes there
isn’t an opportunity.”
— A aron S pencer