Native American Two-Spirit Conference, May 26, 2010

Almost universally, Native American societies honored their LGBTQ members, believing that they were blessed with both male and female spirits. Both male- and female-born Two-Spirit children were identified early and their gifts were cultivated. They became teachers, healers, shamans, ambassadors, war chiefs, sacred artists … in many ways, the heart and soul of tribal societies.
Christianity brought homophobia to the tribes, and this light was extinguished, sometimes violently. Only recently have tribal cultures begun recovering their Two-Spirit heritage. On May 26, 2010, Raven Heavyrunner (Blackfeet) and Amanda Wright (Klamath), shared the stories of their awakenings as Two-Spirits and discussed the revival of the Two-Spirit tradition. They were introduced by Dr. Cornel Pewewardy (Comanche-Kiowa), Director and Professor of Indigenous Nations Studies at Portland State University. PSU’s Native American Student Center, and the Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN), produced the event, and GLAPN’s friend Jim Lockhart captured this video.
Click here to read more about the Two-Spirit Conference.

Native American Two-Spirit Conference

Two-Spirit DVD, incl shipping $20.00 2 DVDs, incl shipping $35.00 3 DVDs, incl shipping $50.00

Our Stories: Pioneers in Oregons fight for gay rights

Our Stories: A Quarter-Century of AIDS, March, 2008

Our Stories: Coming Out/Making Waves, October, 2008

Life-changing decisions effect individuals who make them, but may also have ripple effects on entire communities. Such are the stories that were shared October 4 at Portland's Q Center.

Eight individuals shared their own tales about coming out and making a stand on gay and lesbian rights. Their own lives were altered; but the actions they took with and for the GLBTQ community have made a difference to hundreds of other lives.

Designed to tie in with National Coming Out Month, the Saturday event was co-sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN), which collects and archives the memories and memorabilia of GLBTQ Oregonians. Speakers came from several sub-groups within the sexual minority community - urban, rural, disabled, racial minorities, parents, and activists.

Speakers included Frank Roa (Umatilla Morrow Alternatives); Betty Nelson (Lesbian Community Project and Metropolitan Community Church); Carla Remy (KBOO radio); Larry Smith (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network); Mehera Scheu (Sexual and Minority Youth Resource Center); and Don and Joanne Ross (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

Introducing speakers will be Dave Kohl, author of the award-winning history of Portland's GLBTQ community, "A Curious and Peculiar People."

Our Stories: Out for Good – 40 Years After Stonewall, May 23, 2009

As part of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, eight esteemed members of our community shared their stories of how this struggle forever shaped their lives. Come join us for an amazing evening of living history, reconnecting, and hearing shared the stories of Portland’s LGBTQ community.

"No one really expected anything radical from an essentially silent,
secret, secluded subculture which emerged mainly at night, to
congregate in mob bars...So when the spark did come, perhaps it should
not be surprising that it came in of those places, at one of those
times. Perhaps only in retrospect does it seem clear that this was
the logical way it would happen, that the last struggle for civil
rights in the 20th century would begin with a fight at a bar."

-from Dudley Clendinen and Adam Nagourney, "Out for Good: The Struggle to
Build a Gay Rights Movement in America," Simon and Schuster, NY 1999

Our Stories: Gender Variance ––>F, November 14, 2009

The Our Stories Series continued on November 14, 2009, with the first of two programs honoring the 30th anniversary of the Northwest Gender Alliance.

The event, sponsored jointly by GLAPN (Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest) and Q Center, was held at Q Center, 4115 N. Mississippi Avenue, Portland, Oregon, beginning at 7:00PM.

Gender Variance -->F was a panel discussion focusing on the male-to-female portion of our trans/gender-variant community. (A later Our Stories program will feature female-to-male members of the community.)

Five panelists, three trailblazers in Pacific Northwest trans/gender-variant issues and two in the 20s-30s age group, spoke about their personal stories, followed by a moderated question-and-answer period, and open questions from the floor.

Dave Kohl, northwest author, historian and artist, will be the MC/Moderator for the evening.

OUR STORIES: "Finding Our Voice – the 1970s"

On Tuesday evening, October 19, 2010, GLAPN members Rob Douglass, George Nicola and Robin Will appeared on "Out Loud" on KBOO radio to talk about the October 23 event. Here's a link to the program:

http://kboo.fm/node/24437

Eight pioneers of the gay rights movement in Portland spoke at Q Center on Saturday October 23 as part of the ongoing series of history forums, “Our Stories”.

These distinguished individuals were active in the early days of the “modern” gay rights movement in the 1970s. They worked to advance our civil rights, establish community, and a positive presence for LGBTQ people in Portland. They created social and community organizations and did the early work that led to the establishment of our legal protections.

Click here or on the "finding our voice" logo to the right to read more about this event.

Our Stories: If it's Sunday, this must be Portland, May 22, 2011

Remember the parties of the 1970s and '80s? Or have you only heard about them? Come to Q-Center Sunday May 22 at 2:30 in the afternoon for a few hours of reminiscing and discovery. This is the 7th in the series of "Our Stories" co-sponsored with the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN). Admission is free.

Bars, taverns, and restaurants were the earliest public gathering
places for Portland's "individuals of a different persuasion". Bar owners took the risk of making their establishments "available" to a distinct clientele. A transition from quietly respectable to outrageously "out" accelerated after Stonewall.

"If it's Sunday, this must be Portland" is the theme for May 22,
reflecting the years of long weekends and Sunday brunches that have been a unique trademark of gay Portland "civilization." No one is being asked to
give speeches, but we hope many would come ready to tell us at least one
memorable story. We plan to also have an open question-and-answer session, a chance to just sit back and enjoy memories - old, timely, or recent.

From the early 1970s, Portland gay (and by extension, lesbian, bi- trans, queer) culture revolved around the weekend, usually culminating with a FABULOUS Sunday brunch, the finale to a weekend on-going party. Bar and Tavern owners supported or sponsored events large and small, developing a climate from the fantastic and fabulous to philanthropic and festive (and for a time, yes, even funerial). Portlanders invited their sisters from other west coast cities to the Rose City for a gay weekend - the Court, Ramblers, Chorus, Bears, SportsTeams, Leatherfolk, MCC, and Adventurers. Bar tenders (and even waiters on roller skates) promoted the friendly and provocative, adding yet another layer of "energy" and hospitality to the
party mix, at venues with names like the Embers, Dahl & Penne's, Family Zoo,
Slaughters, Flossie's, Zorba's, Chuckles, Wilde Oscars, Half-Moon, the Harbor, Olde Wives Tales, Demas (later Darcelle's), Hobos, and the Other Side of Midnight.

Our special guests for this informal round-table seminar discussion are some of Portland's esteemed Bar owners and bar tenders. Some were first active in the 1960s – now living treasures of Portland gay history. We want to listen to their tales and innuendos, adventures with customers, police, the OLCC, city hall, boyfriends, dancers, food and drink. And maybe go party after the event....

Our Stories: Women's Softball, November 5, 2011

Saturday Nov 5, 2011. 7pm

Softball has always had a special place in lesbian culture.

GLAPN and Q Center teamed up to take a look at the earlier days of women's athletics in Portland.

Guests joined us for a night of stories from women who loved the sport as they shared their memories of fast-pitch during the 1960s, the Erv Lind Florists, the impact of Title IX, and the Lesbian Community Project’s annual softball tournaments.

Here’s the line-up.

	Jeanine Wittcke -- opened the evening with a story about how her mother didn’t want her to play “that” sport with “those” women.	Donna Luckett -- talked about what softball has meant to her. She was involved with the Lesbian Community Project softball tournaments.	Louise “Chris” Mazzuca -- one of the best pitchers to ever play the game. She had 9 perfect games and 35 no-hitters. She played for several teams including Erv Lind Florists.
	Pat Cach -- became an active follower of fast-pitch softball during the 1960s as she cheered on the Erv Lind Florists women’s softball team. In 1962 she helped drive the team to a tournament in Connecticut. She also helped coach the Lavender Menace 2.	Timi Elwood -- coached girls’ high school sports before and after Title IX. She will talk about what Title IX did for women’s sports. Also, she spoke about the importance of having women in decision-making jobs such as “athletic director.”	Fern Wilgus — a left-handed pitcher for Dotty Moore Pennant Shop. She played from the early 1960s to 1971.