Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability | PDXPIPELINE.com

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Update: 2011 Portland Pride Guide: Make It Happen | 30+ Events & Parties

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Posted by Sherri Montgomery

Portland Pride 2009 – United We Stand

Honoring the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots this year’s theme for Portland Pride is United We Stand. Despite the highs (Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, etc.) and the lows (Prop 8 in California) the LGBTQ community recognizes the need to stand together to face the future. In recognition of this Pride Northwest Inc. sought input from groups such as: Portland Latino Gay Pride, Black Pride (put on by The Unity Project), Basic Rights Oregon, the Portland Area Business Association, the Q Center, SHARE, the Sexual Minorities Youth Resource Center, Our House of Portland, and many others in selecting this year’s theme.

Pride activities officially kicked off May 30th but there’s still days filled with fun events leading up to the festival grounds in Tom McCall Waterfront Park open on Saturday & Sunday and the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 15th. Check out any of these great parties and celebrate Pride all week long!

Thursday, June 11:

Portland Black Pride is having a reception/forum and Jill Scott viewing party held at Crush! (5:30/Opening reception/forum, 8 pm/party, Crush, 1412 SE Morrison)

The Drag Race Finale takes place at Boxxes with the winner of RuPual’s Drag Race, BEBE (8pm party, Boxxes, 1025 SW Stark, no cover charge)

Bryon Beck, former writer for Queer Window, will be hosting a BarFly Bus Pride Extravaganza! Check up to 8-10 clubs, pubs, bars and dives with up to 55 other fabulous friends. All proceeds go to benefit Basic Rights Oregon. Tickets are $30 each or $250 for a group of 10 (7pm-1am, sign up at www.BarFlyBus.com)

Jennifer Lanier, called “One of America’s Funniest Lesbians” by Curve Magazine will be performing at the Q Center, Portland’s LGBTQ Community Resource Center. Tickets are $15-20, sliding scale (7pm/wine reception, 8pm/performance, Q Center, 4115 N Mississippi, www.pdxqcenter.org)

Friday, June 12:

Check out the Portland Lesbian Choir performing You Can’t Stop the Beat, a concert filled with positive, upbeat music that serves to set the mood for the Pride festivities. An evening of songs that honor & celebrate the progress we’ve made and the hopes we have for the future. Kids are welcome to this event! (8pm, Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, 2828 SE Stephens St, $12 at the door/$10 in advance, www.plchoir.org)

A special Pride edition of Portland is Burning at the Someday Lounge (9pm/Doors open, Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th, $3)

Portland Black Pride hosts STEP!, a fashion gala, at the Q Center (8 pm, Q Center, 4115 N. Mississippi)

Boxxes and Red Cap are hosting their third massive black light party, TAG A FAG 3 (Boxxes, 1025 SW Stark)

Saturday, June 13

Cheer for the Gay and Lesbian All Stars as they take on the Portland Police team, hosted by the Rose City Softball Association (11:30 am-3pm, Farragut Park, North Kirby/Farragut in North Portland, $5 donation to support GLBTQ community!)

The Pride Festival booths will be open from noon to 6PM on Saturday and Sunday in Tom McCall Waterfront Park between SW Pine and the Morrison Bridge. Check out one-of-a-kind items, clothing, great food, and the booths from many local organizations. The day is also filled with speakers and performances on the Main Stage and the Cafe Stage.

The parades start off with the the third annual Pride Pet Parade. Pre-registration is required for this free event. Parade starts at 12:30PM by the Festival Main Stage in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Please, only one pet per family. (Contact Pride NW for Registration)

Scandals starts the Stark Street Block Party off with Under the Big Top at 3 p.m. Saturday. The circus-themed celebration is hosted by Miss Mylar Black and friends and features DJs CC and Crumbs. The party continues on into the night with That night, beginning at 10 p.m., the typically chill cocktail lounge busts out the grooves with Jen Folker and DJ Robb. (Starting at 3PM, Scandals, 1125 SW Stark St, $5)

Join the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus with special guest star, Susannnah Mars, for Mars on Broadway. For one night only this musical romp will feature some of the greatest moments from Broadway. (7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, $21/$27/$33, www.pdxgmc.org or by phone at the PGMC box office at 503.226.2588)

Mt. Tabor Theater will be be the venue for Get Out! Pride 2009! There will be 2 dance floors with DJs ZITA, WILDFIRE and CHELSEA STARR. The evening will also feature performances by: Zora Phoenix, Blaze, Miss Germany, and LadyKilla loves Pegatron! Prefunk party at Dingo’s on Hawthorne beforehand! (8pm/Doors Open, Mt. Tabor Theater, 4811 SE Hawthorne, $10/advance, $15/door, Tickets available at Dingos on Hawthorne and www.brownpapertickets.com)

Women who still love to dance but are tired of the 20-something club scene should check out the Hot Flash Pride Dance. This 21+ party offers a packed dance floor and everything from Aretha to Blondie, to the newest from Madonna (5-9pm, Barracuda, 9 NW 2nd Ave, $8)

Portland Black Pride features Melange Lavonne, Last Offence and Bry’Nt in concert at the 9th Annual BlackOUT! (9PM, Papa Lounge, 105 NW 3rd)

Check out CC Slaughter’s 6th Annual Beach Party Pride Celebration. This great event is also a CD release party for The Black Eyed Peas and The Sounds (11PM/Release Party, CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis, www.ccslaughterspdx.com)

Sunday, June 14:

The Pride Parade begins at 11AM in the North Park Blocks. 2009 is the second carbon-neutral Pride Parade thanks to offsets for the vehicles purchased by Portland General Electric (PGE). It isn’t too late to register a group to participate in the parade itself, just contact the Parade Coordinator. You can also line up along the parade route and cheer on all the participants. (Pride Northwest (503) 295-9788)

Immediately following the parade is a collection of parties and fundraising events in the Stark Street Triangle, near SW 12th and Stark, downtown.

Party all day and dance in the street at the 5th Annual Stark Street Block Party hosted by Scandals. This party features local musicians Patrick Bunch, The Rose City Gay Freedom Band, and the Saturday Night Orphans. This event will be raising funds for the Cascade AIDS Project’s Men’s Wellness Center. (Starting after the parade, Scandals, 1125 SW Stark St, $3)

The party and fundraiser for the Q Center at the Red Cap Garage continues on Sunday with performances by Poison Waters, Lonnie Gordon, Jacinta, and Lady Bunny. Continue your evening and dance the day away outside with tunes spun by various DJs from across the nation. (Starting after the parade, Red Cap Garage, 1035 SW Stark St, $5)

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Sherri Montgomery teaches yoga, practices Zen Buddhism, gardens, bicycles, writes and lives in North Portland. Her musings, reviews and rants can be found online at pdxyogini.blogspot.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter at: @PDXyogini