Openly gay Lincoln City Councilor Rick Brissette called those who spoke out against the Iris Festival, the city’s first Gay Pride event held Sept. 19 to 21, “a vocal minority.”

Brissette, who is running unopposed for re-election, is also a small-business owner. He said the festival was good for Lincoln City by bringing tourists and their dollars into his business, Little Antique Mall, and other hotels, restaurants and shops around town. Approximately 1,200 people attended the festival’s street fair, and 112 came to its comedy show.

The City Council gave the community a chance to comment about the festival at an Aug. 8 meeting after Brissette received e-mails and Mayor Lori Hollingsworth received phone calls in opposition. A total of 10 spoke in support of the event, and one person spoke against it.

The Lincoln City News Guard printed a smattering of letters Sept. 24 representing both sides. Most critics focused on the City Council’s support of the festival, and some were opposed to the entire idea of a public Pride event. Three people also protested with signs outside the festival’s youth dance Sept. 20.

According to Hollingsworth, confusion exists about the city’s involvement in the festival. She said while she and the council are in support of the festival, the $6,100 of financial support came from the Visitor and Convention Bureau, which is financed by the transient room tax, a 9.5 percent tax added to lodging in Lincoln City. The council does not approve or oversee any events thrown by the bureau.

Brissette chastised Lincoln City residents against the festival with what he called a rant at the Aug. 8 meeting. “I said I’m shocked that I’m hearing this because we passed a nondiscrimination law three years ago, and not one person spoke in opposition. The festival will continue to have my full support, and it’s an event that needs to happen again.”

Your Portland Pride tradition may include an early morning brunch with Dad or at least a brief phone call from the waterfront.

As reported first on the Just Out blog, Portland Pride 2009 won’t coincide with Father’s Day. Debra Porta, Pride Northwest president, announced in an e-mail: “Per the city’s preference, the 2009 festival will be on June 13 to 14, which is the weekend before Father’s Day. We will very shortly be making a decision about future years. The decision will be based on consistency and maintaining the positive relationships we have with the city and our supporters.”

Porta says Pride Northwest has received only positive feedback on the date change. Of the six comments on the Just Out blog post about the date change, five were in favor of moving Pride off Father’s Day and only one was against the change.

Pride Northwest has a new board in place, with four new members. Portland Area Business Association board member Mark Santillo is the outreach coordinator. Rob Nathan, last year’s unofficial assistant to Pride Northwest’s lone staff member, Mark “Zebra” Thomas, is now the festival coordinator. Pride volunteer veteran Collette Keele is the festival and volunteer coordinator. Another valued volunteer, Katelyn Cabot, is the entertainment coordinator.

New mom, drag king and Portland State University instructor Hank Renfrow will return as vice president. Longtime Pride board member Patrick Olsen will be back as treasurer and parade coordinator.

For more information visit www.pridenw.org.

Sporting pink—the chosen color for expressing passion about the fight against breast cancer—thousands of Portlanders filled Waterfront Park while raising money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation on Sept. 21.

Race for the Cure participants—including members of Portland Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays—ran or walked for five kilometers around downtown. Meanwhile, Row for the Cure participants—including members of the Amazon Dragons, Portland’s only lesbian dragon boat team—rowed on the Willamette River.

Many others in the sexual minorities community joined teams of co-workers, families or friends to honor those afflicted with the disease. Be it one’s mother, sister, family member, partner or even themselves, breast cancer is an important issue.

“This disease is reaching deep into our organization as we are aging women and mothers,” says PFLAG member and breast cancer survivor Patricia Keeney. Breast cancer not only affects women, as about 1 percent of newly diagnosed cases are among men.

“We come out to show our visibility and represent the diversity of individuals with breast cancer or those associated with it,” Keeney told Just Out, tearing up. “It is wonderful to be out at such an event because it shows you are not as isolated in your struggle as sometimes believed.”

PFLAG walkers honored queers affected by breast cancer by carrying large signs stating names such as the late Ann Shepherd, who co-founded the local chapter in the early 1970s. The group raised $3,500 this year; as 75 percent of the money stays in the region, members are considering creating their own chapter support groups.

The Amazon Dragons also have a few active members who are breast cancer survivors. Their goal was to exceed last year’s donation of $5,000. Anita Stacey explains that requesting contributions is “a very personal because it is often in memory of those we want to honor.”

Dharma Rain Zen Center, a member of the Community of Welcoming Congregations, invites members of the queer community to Gay Tea, a monthly discussion group for those interested in or practicing Buddhism from a sexual minority perspective.

The 3-year-old group is facilitated by lesbian novice monk Genko Rainwater. An open house for Gay Tea will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Portland Dharma Center, 2514 S.E. Madison St.

For more information e-mail keidogenko@gmail.com.

Bitch, a much-lauded Portland-based indie feminist magazine, announced Sept. 19 that it had averted a financial emergency and potential closure by raising more than $40,000 in 72 hours.

“We’re thrilled to announce that in just three short days, you’ve rallied together and propelled us beyond our $40,000 fund-raising goal,” publisher Debbie Rasmussen wrote in a blog posting on the magazine’s Web site directed to readers and supporters.

The emergency fund-raising appeal came as a result of dramatically dropping magazine sales in the past few months, according to Bitch development director Amy S. Williams, who has since stepped down. In phone and e-mail communications, she said the 12-year-old magazine—which The Chicago Tribune has hailed a “breath of journalistic fresh air”—was on the brink of closure because of “dramatically” dwindling newsstand sales, resulting in an equally dramatic shortage of cash on hand for the nonprofit publication, which also relies on public donations to buoy its coffers.

“Our distributor informed us we have had our numbers go down dramatically on the newsstands and therefore we are not getting the money from the distributor, and therefore we can’t pay the printer,” Williams wrote in an e-mail, “and if we can’t pay the printer, we can’t print the next issue, and if we can’t do that, well, we are done.”

To fight off the flood of red ink and keep itself afloat, the magazine launched a “Save Bitch” campaign, including YouTube, e-mail and telephone appeals.

“We know many of you have ideas and concerns about Bitch’s future and sustainability,” Rasmussen continued in her blog posting, “and we’re grateful for the critical feedback and ideas you’ve offered so far. We’re listening. And we assure you we’re hard at work on a sustainable vision, based on your feedback.”

Civil rights attorney Charlie Hinkle will be awarded the Fighting Spirit Award at Basic Rights Oregon’s 26th annual dinner and auction Oct. 11.

“In a legal career spanning 36 years…Charlie has offered critical strategic support to ballot measure campaigns, served as a cooperating attorney for the [American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon] and lent his expertise to Basic Rights Oregon’s legal advisory group,” said Jeana Frazzini, BRO executive director.

Hinkle filed the first sexual minority nondiscrimination lawsuit in Oregon in 1972 and successfully represented a teacher who was fired for being a lesbian. He also filed the first ballot title challenge to the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s first anti-gay ballot measure in 1988 and has been on the forefront of every ballot fight since. Community Spirit Awards will also be given to recipients from around the state.

“Metamorphosis” is the event’s theme, “embracing the transformation of our movement for equality as we celebrate our successes and take on new challenges,” according to BRO. Radio personalities Daria O’Neill and Mitch Elliott of The Buzz 105.1 FM and songstress Storm Large will be the evening’s hosts. Along with the usual live auction, BRO has added a silent auction.

The dinner will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Tickets are $150.

For more information visit www.brodinner.com.

The Portland Office of Human Relations is in full swing, with newly appointed members in place, keys to an office outside City Hall and even its first action against what it calls hate speech.

The new commission tackled its first challenge when the Good Faith Coalition, a group of peace activists, asked it to weigh in on the Sept. 28 insert of the DVD Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West distributed in The Oregonian. According to the commission, the DVD was a form of hate speech meant to further fear against Muslims. Although Mayor Tom Potter contacted Oregonian publisher Fred Stickel, asking him to pull the insert on behalf of the commission, the DVD was still distributed as planned.

The 15-member commission, with 11 members on its honorary board of directors, was announced Sept. 17, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the passage of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The interim chairman is Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, and the commissioners are Arwen Bird, Bruce T. Bliatout, Jorge E. Espinosa, Donita Fry, Anastasia Godsey, Moloy K. Good, Emily G. Gottfried, Patricia A. Knoll, the Rev. Hector Lopez, Abdul Majidi, Donna D. Maxey, Everette L. Rice, Kathleen Saadat and Edmund Sherman. Advisory members are Bill Y. Chin, Pietro R. Ferrari, Herman M. Frankel, Jeana Frazzini, Ed Garren, the Rev. LeRoy Haynes, Robert S. Milesnick, Andy Nelson, Clara Padilla Andrews, Peggy Ross and Jeff Selby.

Office staff includes bureau director María Lisa Johnson, executive assistant Koffi Dessou, immigrant and refugee program coordinator Polo Catalani and community outreach and education coordinator Muna A. Mohamud.

Of those involved, Bird, Saadat, Frazzini and Garren are members of the sexual minorities community.

According to Johnson, the selection committee also made an effort to choose people of color and those with experience and connections within the faith community, civil rights arena, physical and mental health care industry, education field, legal profession and housing industry as well as advocates for people with disabilities.

Next month the office will move from City Hall to 5315 N. Vancouver Ave., a neighborhood that Johnson describes as “vibrant with other social justice organizations nearby.” The office has an access ramp and a large meeting room available to lend to other community groups.

The Human Rights Commission’s first meeting will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Lovejoy Room at City Hall, 1221 S.W. Fourth Ave.

With a champagne toast, Portland’s queer community center announced a major landmark Sept. 30: Q Center raised a record $213,116 in its first-ever capital campaign, exceeding a matching challenge donation set forth from an anonymous donor.

“We had the challenge: 90 days, do $200,000,” said Q Center executive director Kendall Clawson, reminding the crowd of the center’s daunting task. “But oh no, sorry, we’re the gays!” she enthused. “We know we can do more than that!”

With that, Clawson brought out a line of six Q Center board members, each bearing an overblown gold balloon in the shape of a single number, which Clawson shuffled around until she saw her campaign’s final number: “$213,116!” she exclaimed into a hand microphone, and a roar went up from the crowd.

That amount will be matched in full by the anonymous donor who was “unmasked” at the ceremony: multimillionaire philanthropist and art collector Ed Cauduro, a major donor to institutions like the Portland Art Museum and Pacific Northwest College of Art. Clawson, who’s never met or spoken with Cauduro, identified him as “a friend of a member” of the center.

As she rattled off a litany of thank-yous to wrap up her campaign celebration, Clawson became misty-eyed.

“I’ve never seen anything so amazing in my entire life, and I’m not lying to you, I swear,” she said. “The outpouring of support and love and cash flow has been unbelievable. Unbelievable. And what it says to me is this community…needs a place. We need a place that’s ours.”

Unity Project of Oregon is one of more than 800 organizations across the United States that will sponsor programs to commemorate National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 7, 2009. In recognition of the day, the African American AIDS Awareness Action Alliance will host a talent showcase 1 p.m. at Concordia University’s Luther Hall, 2811 N.E. Holman St.

Unity Project is accepting submissions for performances in Portland and Southwest Washington. The event will showcase the talents of visual artists, written word performers and live, audio or video acts.

According to event organizers, the talent showcase is meant to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS among African American and to involve community members in using that awareness in creative ways. Showcase participants will be encouraged to learn about the disease and to get tested, treated and involved with HIV/AIDS outreach work in the black community.

Portland’s event is adopting the national event’s theme, “A Black Life Is Worth Saving.”

“We feel like the community needs to step up and really value our lives,” said Khalil Edwards, a program director for Unity Project. “In doing that, we need to take it upon ourselves to get educated, get tested, get treated and get involved. Artists have their own ways of interpreting that.”

Other community organizations will also be involved, offering information and free HIV testing.

All submissions will be honored, and prizes will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place entries in each category.

The submission deadline is Dec. 19. For an entry form, visit www.knowsexpdx.com/getinvolved.html. For more information or to donate prizes, call Edwards at 503-417-7991 or Ronnie Meyers at 503-988-3030, ext. 25677. For more information about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day visit www.blackaidsday.org.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced Aug. 18 that 1,049 daily U.S. newspapers now accept wedding announcements from same-sex couples—a more than 15-fold increase since Aug. 18, 2002, when The New York Times integrated its “Weddings/Celebrations” section after conversations with GLAAD.

In Oregon, 17 newspapers—including The Oregonian in Portland, The Statesman Journal in Salem and The Register-Guard in Eugene—print wedding announcements from same-sex couples.

Among the notable benchmarks of the sixth anniversary of GLAAD’s “Announcing Equality” campaign: An estimated 83 percent of U.S. newspaper consumers read a publication that accepts wedding announcements from same-sex couples, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia have newspapers that print such announcements.

The project began with an initial group of 69 newspapers in 2002, and by 2004, the list grew to 462. In 2006, 883 papers accepted gay wedding announcements. And in 2008, that number has soared to 1,049.

For the full report visit www.glaad.org/announcingequality.

By Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Jaymee R. Cuti and Matthew Free