Lavender Womyn Lesbian Group Blog

In Other Words Lending Library Grand Opening!!!!

Time	Saturday, July 9 · 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Location	14 NE Killingsworth, Portland OR
Created By	InOther Words, Alice King
More Info	In Other Words is proud to announce the official opening of our lending library. Come in between noon and 6 PM on July 9 for fun, food, raffles, fun, zine and art work shops, tarot, kids' activities, fun, and more! You can sign up to be a member of the library and check out your favorite volumes for free! Please come in, tell your friends and support In Other Words. If you cannot attend, please consider making a donation or becoming a sustainer to keep IOW going! http://inotherwords.org/support-us Schedule (subject to change) 1 PM Bike Repair Workshop 2 PM Print Workshop and Bike Repair Workshop 3 PM Zine Making Workshop 4 PM Zine Making Workshop Other activities including kids art, tarot and library card creation will take place all day.

 

NY becomes largest state to approve gay marriage - Yahoo! News

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York lawmakers narrowly voted to legalize same-sex marriage Friday, handing activists a breakthrough victory in the state where the gay rights movement was born.

New York will become the sixth state where gay couples can wed and the biggest by far.

"We are leaders and we join other proud states that recognize our families and the battle will now go on in other states," said Sen. Thomas Duane, a Democrat.

Gay rights advocates are hoping the vote will galvanize the movement around the country and help it regain momentum after an almost identical bill was defeated here in 2009 and similar measures failed in 2010 in New Jersey and this year in Maryland and Rhode Island.

"Once this is signed into law, the population of the United States living under marriage equality doubles," said Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda in an interview. "That's certainly going to have a ripple effect across the nation. It's truly a historic night for love, our families, and democracy won."  Click here to read more...

via news.yahoo.com

Rice, Beans and Collard Greens

Time	Thursday, June 30 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm
Location	Holocene 1001 Southeast Morrison St
Created By	Basic Rights Oregon
More Info	An All Ages Pride Dance Party for Queer & Trans People of Color and our Friends & Family! An event by Asian Pacific Islander Pride, Black Pride, Latino Gay Pride and Basic Rights Oregon Free and All Ages! Bar open for 21+

 

First Friday Fire Dance Showcase with Burning Truth Tribe!

Time	Friday, July 1 · 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Location	FireWorks Retaurant 1115 SE Third Street Corvallis, OR
Created By	O Cean LiffAnderson
More Info	FireWorks Restaurant presents: The First Friday Fire Dance Showcase featuring Burning Truth Fire Dance Theater (w/ special guest: SOLAR) and a local performer showcase!

Southtown Open Mic Acoustic Showdown

Time	Monday, June 27 at 9:00pm - June 28 at 12:00am
Location	Fireworks Restaurant 1115 SE Third Street Corvallis, Oregon
Created By	Santino Cadiz Music, O Cean LiffAnderson
More Info	Southtown Talent Search presents the Acoustic Showdown! Special Opening Acts: 7pm James Wilson, 8pm The Winterlings FireWorks Acoustic Showdown is a new bi-monthly playoff of Open Mic finalists. Local celebrity judges rate the performers on four categories: Musicality/Technical Skill, Stage Presence/Personality, Originality/Creativity, Overall Performance Quality. Audience response is rated in decibels. Each round, the rankings are announced, leading to the final tally and awards. Prizes include cash donations from the door, gift certificates and a grand prize: a 5 hour recording session with Cameron Denning at Chameleon Creations studio. Performance Groundrules: All performers agree to share time equally, limit volume to acoustic levels, refrain from the use of profanity and keep content "family friendly". For more info contact Ocean Liff-Anderson, FireWorks Proprietor & Open Mic Host

 

The HOUR Traders Tenth Annual Folk Festival

Time	Sunday, June 26 · 1:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	1115 SE Third Street (Next to First Alternative Co-op), Corvallis
Created By	Corvallis HOUR Exchange
More Info	Join us for the 10th Annual HOUR Traders Folk Festival Saturday June 26th from 1pm to 10pm at FireWorks Restaurant, 1115 Southeast Third Street (just South of First Alternative Co-op in south Corvallis).

Critical: Marriage Equality in New York

One more vote.

Only one more vote is needed in the New York Senate to pass legislation recognizing the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in the state, and a vote could happen tomorrow.

Whether or not you live in New York, please visit our friends at New Yorkers United for Marriage to learn more about what you can do.

Today, AFER co-counsel Ted Olson called on conservatives to support the marriage equality legislation:

“Conservatives should support the Governor’s marriage equality bill. Equality under the law, nurturing strong families and religious freedom are bedrock conservative values, and the Governor’s bill promotes them all.

“The bill finally ends the State of New York’s demeaning treatment of gay men and lesbians as second-class citizens unworthy of the institution of civil marriage. It stabilizes and strengthens New York families headed by gay men and lesbians by allowing them to marry, delivering untold benefits to the thousands of children raised by those parents.

“And the bill protects religious freedom by ensuring that religious institutions will not be required to perform marriages contrary to their beliefs.

“As a lifelong Republican and conservative, I support this legislation. New Yorkers who believe in freedom, respect family values and cherish religious liberty should embrace it as well.”

New York is so close to recognizing the rights of gay and lesbian couples and their families, thanks to the strong leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the coordinated efforts of Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to Marry, Human Rights Campaign, Log Cabin Republicans and Marriage Equality New York.

This has been an incredible week with AFER’s victory in federal court, and a bankruptcy court ruling the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. We have a chance to add a victory in New York to that list.

The dark walls of discrimination are crumbling, and crumbling quickly!

Sincerely,

Chad Griffin Board President American Foundation for Equal Rights

P.S. Ted Olson also teamed up with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for an editorial in the New York Daily News about why anything less than full equality inadequate.

Dustin Lance Black: Testimony Video Contest

We here at Courage have been so moved by the stories shared so far in the Dustin Lance Black video challenge that we decided to extend the deadline to July 4, 2011. With stories being submitted from 46 states and counting, will you add your voice and help us reach 50 states today? -Rick From Pedro Zamora to Harvey Milk and soon J. Edgar Hoover, so much of my work tells the stories of LGBTQ people because I believe sharing our stories is the most effective way to dispel the myths, lies and stereotypes that have been used to deny us our rights for generations. By sharing our stories, I believe we can win full equality nationwide.   That's why today, I’m helping launch a new film project with Courage Campaign, called Testimony: Take a Stand. And this time, I’m turning the cameras on you in a national search to find the next great American LGBTQ stories.

 

I’m asking for your stories now because I know DOMA repeal is possible in the U.S. Senate, and it is clear the Federal case for equal marriage is soon destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. But these Justices and U.S. Senators don’t live in a vacuum. They watch the news, read their papers and pay attention to the daily narrative unfolding across this country. Our stories must be a part of that narrative. That’s why Courage Campaign needs you -- on camera.

 

Over the next months, we will post and share all of your videos. And at the end of this search, my film crew will choose three, fly to your home town to film your story and share it with the country in a television ad campaign.  

 

I grew up in a conservative Mormon, military household in Texas, came out of the closet, and told my story. I know first hand how difficult it can be, but I can attest to the change it’s created in my family and the changes it’s helped start even within the Mormon Church. 

 

Our stories are powerful. Our stories change minds. Whether you are LGBTQ or a straight ally… please tell yours.

 

www.couragecampaign.org/DustinLanceBlack

 

Thank you for your testimony,

 

Dustin Lance Black

But I'm a Cheerleader

Time	Friday, June 17 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	In Other Words 14 Ne Killingsworth St. Portland, Oregon
Created By	Kathryn Hendrix
For	Feminist Film Society
More Info	Please join Feminist Film Society this Friday June 17th at 7pm to watch and discuss the film But I'm a Cheerleader. $2 suggested donation to support In Other Words About the film: In this hilarious satire, Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne) lives a "normal" teen life as a cheerleader dating the captain of the football team. But her parents and friends suspect Megan is gay because of "clues," such as her distaste for kissing her boyfriend. Shipped off to True Directions -- a camp designed to shove her back in the closet -- Bloomfield meets to

 

Bites for Rights

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Time	Thursday, June 23 at 12:00am - June 24 at 12:00am
Location	Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Bars and Bakeries across Oregon
Created By	Basic Rights Oregon
More Info	On Thursday, June 23rd, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and bakeries all around the state will donate a generous percentage of their day’s gross proceeds to Basic Rights Oregon as part of Bites for Rights, one of our largest fundraisers of the year. We invite you to dine out all day long and turn your restaurant habit into a political act. Visit as many places as you can and be sure to thank them for their participation before you leave. To see a complete list of participants, check out the Bites for Rights photo album at http://on.fb.me/lJyYdZ or the map of Bites for Rights establishments at http://bit.ly/jef8Js. Is there some place in your community that you want to participate? Let us know at bro@basicrights.org and we’ll give them a call. And if you’re a restaurant owner, sign up today at http://bit.ly/bites2011.