nwnews
OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
a
OCTOBER 21, 2011
►
l j i ;
BY RYAN J. PRADO
Lincoln City Officials Respond to
Iris Pride Opposition...Sort of
An uproar by some Lincoln City residents
over the city sponsorship of the annual Iris
Pride festival has been quieted, or at least set
aside for now.
Following a media email from Iris Pride
organizers Franci M iller and Rebecca Barn-
hardt sent October 13, in which they urged
recipients to inform the Lincoln City Visitor
&. Convention Bureau of the critical need for
the yearly event, the bureau replied with a
cursory statement in response.
Sandy Pfaff, director of VCB, said that due
to the newness of the reports, there had been
“no time or appropriate opportunity for dis
cussion by the C ity” to comment further.
“The Lincoln City Visitor &. Convention
Bureau ... has been the primary organizer and
financial supporter of the Iris Pride Festival
for the past four years,” said Pfaff. “Its efforts
to execute the festival have been supported by
a variety of individuals, businesses and orga
nizations, both local and outside the immedi
ate Lincoln City area, who contribute and
participate in equally varied ways, including
entertainment, educational material, and re
tail vending. I am in receipt ... of a number of
emails expressing support of the festival. The
2012 festival is currently scheduled for Sep
tember 15,2012.”
Pfaff noted that the bureau always calen-
i------------------------------------------------------------
dars special events for the next year immedi
ately after the event is completed to maintain
organizational and marketing focus, unless
they have already decided they will not pursue
the event further.
M iller and Barnhardt reported that the first
rumblings of controversy stemmed from an
article dated October 4 in local paper The
News Guard , in which community member
Jim Hoover said that the VCB’s decision to
post a link to a “raunchy” YouTube video fea
turing a drag performance by Lily Armani
“showed lax oversight at City H all.”
But the opposition to the city-sponsored
Iris Pride hasn’t ended with complaining to
the media.
“There are also businesses in town that have
received threatening phone calls,” reported
M iller and Barnhardt.
One of those businesses is BK Mulligan’s, a
As BRO’s accomplishments continue to
Lincoln City sports bar that hosted the show pile up, the public interest on whether or not
in question, Drag-U-Licious. The event was a the organization will move forward with a
benefit for the Oregon Safe Schools &. Com gay marriage initiative on the 2012 ballot
munities Coalition and other local charities.
remains high.
Just Out w ill continue to report on this as
As was previously reported, an Advisory
news becomes available.
Group had been tasked to meet in late Octo
ber to make a recommendation on whether or
not BRO should begin gathering signatures
BRO’s Ignite Fundraiser Brings
for a freedom to marry ballot initiative for
Record Crowd; Town Hall Meet
ings to Help Decide Gay Marriage 2012’s general election. Now BRO executive
director Jeana Frazzini says that this process
Ballot Initiative in 2012
will also include a series of Town Hall meet
Basic Rights Oregon’s fundraising gala “Ig ings across the state throughout the first week
nite” far exceeded its organizers’ expectations of November.
October 7 at the Kridel Grand Ballroom at
“No state has ever put a proactive measure
the Portland Art Museum.
to win marriage equality at the ballot before,”
BRO development director Juan Martinez says Frazzini. “It’s a herculean task, and not a
reports that a record crowd of more than 900 decision we take lightly. M aking this decision
people attended the annual benefit. W ith the must be a shared responsibility of Basic
record influx of attendees came an inflated Rights Oregon and the community.”
fundraising total, as over $265,000 was gener
Frazzini says that BRO will review results of
ated to benefit BRO.
an online survey of supporters, professional
“We keep hearing from those who attended public opinion research and input from the
that the energy level in the room was so high, organization’s Advisory Group before making
which made for a truly memorable evening,” a final decision on the ballot measure for 2012.
Scheduled Town Hall meetings include
says Martinez. “Our goal was to make the
event accessible to more of our supporters, stops in Eugene on Saturday, November 5
gathering people to celebrate those who ig from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the First Chris
nite change and to spark everyone’s passion to tian Church (1166 Oak St.); in Corvallis
support LGBT equality. We feel we accom Sunday, November 6 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at
plished this in a big way!”
Grace Lutheran Church (435 NW 21st St.);
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