JUNE 9, 2016 // 11
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Two blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will
be on display at the Armory from 9 to 11 a.m.
Saturday. Started in 1987, the quilt is a visual
memorial to people who have died from AIDS.
The Astoria Pride lags hanging in down-
town Astoria were sewed by Sen Incavo and
stenciled and handpainted by Donna Galich.
Citizens Alliance initiated Oregon Ballot
Measure 9, which lumped homosexual-
ity together with pedophilia, sadism and
masochism and would have required the
government and schools to recognize homo-
Saturday at the Armory.
sexuality as “abnormal, wrong, unnatural
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
A one-act play being performed during
Astoria Pride also pays tribute to LGBT his- and perverse.” The measure was defeated,
Lower Columbia Q Center Chairman Marco Davis, top, and other Astoria Pride volunteers hang
tory. Directed by Sen Incavo, “The Madness but OCA sponsored many similar anti-gay
lags to promote the event throughout downtown Astoria.
of Lady Bright” by Lanford Wilson was irst ballot measures on the city, county and state
level for years.
performed in 1964 and is considered to be
Looking to the future
The LGBT community on the North Coast
the start of gay theater in New York City.
Even with the victory of marriage equal-
responded by forming
The play, open to
ity, the ight for LGBT rights continues.
the North Coast Pride
ages 18 and older, will
Restroom access for transgender people is
Network, a place to meet, one example. Anti-trans legislation in several
be performed in a read-
‘SOMETIMES I
share news and organize
er’s theater format at 8
states seeks to regulate access to bathrooms,
DON’T THINK WE
p.m. Thursday at KALA. CELEBRATE ENOUGH; politically. There were
banning people from using public restrooms
National Coming Out
The cast includes Davis;
that do not correspond to the biological sex on
WE SPEND SO MUCH Day parties, monthly
Nancy Montgomery,
their birth certiicates. North Carolina passed
TIME FIGHTING
mixers, potlucks, movie
founder of the defunct
an anti-trans bathroom bill into law in March.
AND RALLYING FOR nights and a newslet-
River Theater; and As-
Other states that have attempted such bills
ter. The functions were
toria musician and actor
include South Dakota, Tennessee and more.
THINGS. THIS IS
generally limited to the
Daric Moore.
“A lot of times people will choose not to
THAT ONE TIME A
LGBT
community
at
the
On a stiling after-
think
these things because it doesn’t
YEAR WHEN WE CAN time, rather than some- affect about
noon in Manhattan,
them,” said Davis.
ACTUALLY, REALLY
thing community-wide,
aging drag queen Leslie
However, across the river in Washing-
CELEBRATE.’
like Astoria Pride.
Bright relects on his life
ton, anti-trans ballot Initiative 1515 seeks to
“Back then, it was
and past loves. Figments
repeal Washington’s non-discrimination law
more dificult to be out
of his imagination,
— which currently guarantees transgender
in this community. It was more something
Boy and Girl, give voice to old friends and
bathroom access — and, according to the ini-
that you kept hidden,” Davis said. “Maybe it
lovers.
tiative’s summary, “restrict access to ‘private
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Ultimately, the play focuses on the theme just needed to stay low-key, or maybe there
facilities’ to ‘biologically’ male or female in-
weren’t as many of us who were willing to
“Transleur,” by artist Marne Lucas, is a ce-
of loneliness.
dividuals regardless of their gender identity.”
step out there. I know I had dificulty.”
“It’s a little more on the serious side,”
I-1515 needs about 246,000 signatures by July ramic installation of vitreous china, made up
Over the years, activism against anti-gay 8 to get on Washington’s November ballot.
of hermaphrodite lowers and lesh-colored
Incavo said. “It shows that not everything is
laws picked up speed. In 2004, Oregon
glaze. Inspired by the transgendered artist
happy — not everything is gay.”
For Davis, Astoria Pride serves as a way
amended its constitution to deine mar-
Pippa Garner, the work will be featured in the
for the local LGBT community to show the
LGBT history in Clatsop County
riage as a union between one man and one
art show “The Coast is Queer,” opening at 6
wider community that such legislation is
p.m. Saturday at KALA. Curated by Portland
For LGBT activist and lesbian Dinah
woman. In response, the Clatsop County
discriminatory and to connect on a human
galleriest Mark Woolley, the show features
Urell, Astoria Pride is the result of years of
Marriage Equality Project formed and
level as friends and neighbors.
work by queer artists from the Portland area,
civil rights work in Clatsop County, includ-
worked with Basic Rights Oregon to collect
“It seemed like an important time for us
including Wesley Younie, Chuck E. Bloom,
ing the right to marry.
signatures for pro-gay ballot measures.
to let our faces be out there so that people
Tabor Porter, Greg Carrigan and others. “The
“In the ’90s, who would have thought
Today, public opinion, state and federal
in our community know that it does effect
artists selected are not necessarily exploring
that marriage equality would be legal? That
law have all changed: Oregon legalized
more locally,” Davis said. “As a people,
wasn’t even on our minds,” she said. “We
same-sex marriage in 2014; the federal
I think that we have to step forward with
queerness in their art — they are just pro-
were just trying to be treated like people,
government recognized same-sex marriages kindness more than aggression and recog-
ducing interesting, well-crafted and highly
like human beings.”
in 2013 and declared any state bans uncon-
nize that our country was founded on equal- original works that relect their inner vision,”
In 1992, conservative group Oregon
stitutional in 2015.
ity. We all should be treated equally.”
Woolley said.
