Lavender Womyn Lesbian Group Blog

Pride Corvallis

It’s time to plan for PRIDE weekend in Corvallis!

If you would like to have a group or vehicle in the parade, or wish to have a vendor or nonprofit table at the festival, a small fee is involved. See the Forms section of www.pridecorvallis.com. Applications must be postmarked by May 29, 2010.

Many thanks to Deb Ashton for a donation that will allow CALW to have a table. We will also have a contingent in the parade for anyone interested.

The Stonewall Dance & Social will kick off the weekend on Friday, June 25 from 7:00 to 11:00 PM at the Adair Valley Clubhouse. Light buffet and no-host bar. Ages 21+ only. Tickets are $25 and will go on sale Memorial Day weekend. Limited to the first 200 sold. In order to plan for catering, no tickets will be sold at the door. See www.swbcorvallis.com for details and directions.

The parade will form at 10:30 AM on the OSU campus, in the parking lot at the corner of SW 14th St. and SW Campus Way. The grand marshal will be State Rep. Sara Gelser. See http://www.pridecorvallis.com/pride-weekend-events/parade-route for a map of the gathering place and parade route. The parade will step off at 11 AM.

The festival:  The parade will end at Central Park, where throughout the afternoon there will be vendors, entertainment, a nonprofit expo, and adult-supervised children’s activities such as parachute games and sand art. Confirmed entertainers include Common Pulse, Confluence, Johanna, Tirade, belly dancing, and a drag show. Vendors will include It’s My Pleasure from Portland, a feminist adult store (proof of age 18+ required for entrance to their tent). Food this year will include Willie’s Hot Dogs, both meat-based and gluten-free.

Late-night activities for adults and young adults will close out PRIDE weekend!

Faith Reidenbach
for the PRIDE Planning Committee

News from Basic Rights Oregon

Get Engaged - Oregon Can Win the Freedom to Marry Are you and your partner excluded from marriage? Do you know someone who wants to be married, but can't — just because they are gay or lesbian? Here's your chance to make your voice count. Your story is the most powerful tool to open up hearts and minds. Your personal, heartfelt words can help us win the freedom to marry. Get engaged in this public education program. Tell us your story today! A vote on ENDA? Word has it that Congress is preparing to vote on the Employment NonDiscrimination Act, which would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across the country. Have you written your Congress member lately? Take action today! ___________________________________________________________________________________

Standing Together: People of Color Leadership Program kicks off
This past Saturday 20 selected activists of color, LGBT and straight allies, convened in Portland to launch the Standing Together leadership program. The leadership program is an ongoing series of skills, and campaign trainings alongside in-depth strategy sessions that will lead participants to develop and lead an education campaign aimed at building a unified movement for social justice in Oregon.

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Standing Together: LGBT Oregonians, Police Reform and Naming Racial Justice
At Basic Rights Oregon, we believe that greater police accountability is a crucial issue for all Portlanders, but especially for communities of color, for the LGBT community and LGBT people of color. We know what it means to fear for our safety, the well-being of our families, and the security of our communities.

Join us with our partners in the AMA Coalition for Justice and Police Reform and the Urban League of Portland tomorrow to be part of the conversation on how to analyze and articulate an issue as a matter of racial justice, examine the connection between law enforcement, racial justice and LGBT justice, and how LGBT Portlanders can support efforts for police reform!
Register online.

Contact Jessica with any questions: Jessica@basicrights.org, 503-222-6151 x108

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17th Annual Oregonians Against Discrimination Business Leaders Luncheon — The Business of Equality
Last Wednesday saw the return of the annual Business Leaders Luncheon, which raises funds to support the education work of Basic Rights Oregon. Over 450 Oregon business, community and government leaders gathered at the Oregon Convention Center to learn how they can support Basic Rights Oregon's education campaigns. Our keynote speaker, Evan Wolfson, founder and Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, called on Oregon's business community to take a stand to support our current campaign for marriage equality.

The event continues to grow each year as business leaders affirm their commitment to work alongside Basic Rights Oregon to ensure that gay and transgender Oregonians are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. This year's event is on track to raise just over $100,000 to support our work for equality in 2010.

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Upcoming activities

• Police Accountability workshop
• Our Towns in Lincoln City, Pendleton, St. Helens
• DADT Veterans Lobby Day

In the next month, community leaders will be kicking off small-town education campaigns in Lincoln City, St. Helens and Pendleton. Get all the details at http://www.basicrights.org/?p=1083. This is part of our long-term partnership with PFLAG, Rural Organizing Project and Community of Welcoming Congregations.

A Gay in the Park - Eugene

Que Productions is excited to announce "A Gay*in the Park" to be held
Saturday, June 19th at Washington Jefferson Park in Eugene, and are
currently booking booth space and ask for your participation!

We hope to make the event profitable for those who participate, and are
currently offering a 20% discount to all vendors who sign up prior to May
15th. This includes a 10x10 booth space ! (Sorry, no additional Food
Vendors will be added at this time). If you are a not-for-profit, we have
a different program for you, so please contact us directly.

Please visit www.AGayinthePark.com  click on the Participate button and
download our Vendor application.

Also, are you an Artist and/or Crafter who has items to sell? We just
added an area to provide space for local, non-retail artists and crafters
to sell their goods. So sign up, bring your blanket and wares, and spend
the day with us!

Spaces are limited, and so are these current offers. So don't delay and
follow the link to get your space today!

Questions? Were here to help! Just contact Laura at laura@qeugene.com

You'll have a gay ol' time - so come join us and play!

Julie Weismann and Laura McNamara
Que Productions, LLC

A Gay* in the Park, June 19th, Washington Jefferson Park
Find us on Facebook too! Tell your friends! Tell your family!

Drag Show coming to CowFish Club in Eugene

Hello all you gorgeous people out there! I am trying to start a drag show at CowFish Club and I'm looking for Drag Queens and Drag Kings to be a part of this show.

Here are the details so far:

-This show will start off with a drag fashion show along with the mixes of DJ Jordan.

-Each performer is required to perform at least two numbers.

-No experience is necessary, but is greatly helpful. This would be a great way for you to start your drag career.

-During the 3rd season of RuPaul's Drag Race we will be holding viewing parties on Monday nights. As well as viewing parties this summer for RuPaul's Drag U.

-We also need some good wholesome people for promoters and marketers.

-This is something I would like to see grow into a weekly mainstage event.

If you have any questions or would like to perform or get involved with the process, please email me at ladypeppercox@gmail.com

Thank you and in the words of RuPaul herself,

"If you can't love yourself, how in the H$%% are you going to love someone else? Can I get an AMEN in here?"

Brian Peterson, aka Zena Peppers
ladypeppercox@gmail.com

Our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102097283169064&ref=ts

Hot Flash Dance in Eugene

HOT FLASH DANCE PARTY
Sat., May 8, 2010
The City Nightclub at Kowloons
2222 MLK Jr. Blvd in Eugene
7-11p $8

Two DJs: FastLayne & WildFire!

Hot Women . . . Cool Drinks . . . Good Times!

Learn the Hot Flash Boogie (Be Part of Our Flash Mob during PDX Pride! Sunday at Pride at 2p)

Sign Up to Win a Trip for Two to Olivia's Caribbean Sun Cruise, October 30-November 6. Winner drawn in August.

And when you sign up for ANY Olivia trip, mention Hot Flash and get $100 off the purchase price! I'm just saying . . .

www.hotflashdances.com  to keep up with our buzz!

Big News From Prop 8 Trial

The people behind Prop 8 want to keep the historic federal trial a secret from the American public.

You can't let them get away with it.

In January, they appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to successfully stop Judge Vaughn Walker from televising the Prop 8 federal trial for all Americans to see. And now, with the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial on hold until closing arguments, they are trying to strike critical evidence from the record as Judge Walker considers his final ruling.

With your help, we won't let them get away with it.

That's why we created the Prop 8 Trial Tracker web site in January, attracting nearly 2 million views and 30,000 comments from a thriving community of people following the trial around the world.

And it's why we've been working with legendary LGBT community organizer Cleve Jones on the biggest project the Courage Campaign has ever launched -- a national year-long volunteer-driven campaign to bring the Prop 8 federal trial into the lives of Americans. 

This groundbreaking project is called "Testimony: Equality on Trial" and it will be unlike anything you've seen before. With just a few weeks until we launch, we need to raise $100,000 to build this people-powered campaign. Can we count on you to make a tax-deductible contribution of $25, $50, $100 or more now? DEADLINE: Friday 5 p.m.:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TestimonyLaunch

Group Date for Women Who Love Music

If “Musick hath Charms to sooth a savage Breast”, (William Congreve, 1697), then clearly it has the ability to connect us, to inspire us, to ease our pain and express our joy.

If you are single and a fan of music of any genre, please join us for ~Group Date for Women Who Love Music~ and meet some other women who share your passion. Wanting to discuss Jennifer Knapp? To attend the Symphony or Ballet? To learn more about Reggae?

We will have attendees in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, so don’t worry that you won’t fit in. If you like, bring CDs or playlists to trade.

Look for the “Group Date” sign to find us.

 

April 30, 2010
7:00pm - 10:00pm

Vino Vixens, Portland

Hosted by:

Lindsay Hart
Lesley Nobles
Jennifer Steward

Vino Vixens
2929 Southeast Powell Boulevard
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 231-8466

http://www.vinovixenspdx.com/

Amazon Dragons Calendar

I am a member of a lesbian dragon boat club/team out of Portland. We have been selling a semi-nude calendar to raise funds for our races this year. It's a 16 month calendar that started in January 2010 and has some pretty artistic photo's of some of our paddlers. We are a non-profit organization, so all our funds are raised through donations and fundraising activities. We still have quite a few calendars left to sell and are beginning to run out of places to promote them. Would you be willing to send out a message to your list mentioning the calendars for sale? They can be purchased through our website www.amazondragons.org for $10, or through one of our members for even less.

I live in Salem and can arrange to meet any interested buyers if they want to get a deal.

Thank you,

Kelly

http://amazondragons.org/2010-2011-calendar

Lavender Womyn Coffee Event in Salem

Our next monthly coffee event will be on May 1st @ 11:00am (please note the later time).  We'll continue to have this event on the first Saturday of each month. 

We will meet at French Press.  It is located in South Salem at 2725 Commercial St. SE.  I hear they serve Crepes, too.  Tina will be hosting the event.  She will make it easy for you to spot her with something on the table and probably wearing something purple/lavender. 

Here's some info about French Press:

Inspired by the streets of Paris, French Press is founded on the belief that coffee & crêpes are things to be cherished. It takes patient artisans roasting in small batches, paired with sustainable trade practices, to produce a coffee bean truly worthy of cherishing. At French Press all of our coffee beans are imported using strict fair trade practices, roasted in front of you, and never served more than 72 hours aged. Our crêpes and other dishes are made to order using fresh seasonal ingredients, striving to improve the way they are found on the street carts of France.

To find out more, visit their website at:  http://www.frenchpressroasters.com/


If you would like to be a host for one of these events, please let me know.  Being a host entails arriving 10 to 15 minutes early and either wearing something purple that stands out, or placing a purple or lavender color piece of paper or something to identify who you are.  If you're interested in hosting, send me an email at:  support@lavenderwomyn.com and let me know which month(s) you can host.

 

 

Will Phillips and the GetEQUAL.org Pledge

via www.youtube.com