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It’s been a terrible year for LGBTQ+ rights. Legislators have introduced hundreds of transphobic and homophobic bills, and 2022 is on track to set a ghoulish record. Queer people still face discrimination, violence and death threats daily, with slanderous rhetoric accusing us of child abuse ramping up online and in the real world.
Still, we want to party, we want to be among our people, and we are not turning back the clock on how far we’ve progressed in our own self-acceptance and understanding, to say nothing of our allies.
Portland’s got more than 100 LGBTQ+ Pride-related events throughout June. We rounded up some of the best based on category to give you a clearer understanding of what’s happening to celebrate the LGBTQ+ people in your life (which might even be you).
PORTLAND PRIDE BY PRIDE NORTHWEST
Events organized or endorsed by the nonprofit Pride Northwest Inc.
Pride at the Museum
OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., omsi.edu. 6 pm Friday, June 10. $8-$12.
A family-friendly night where lasers set to Queen and Lady Gaga count as queer science.
History of Black Drag in Portland
McMenamins Kennedy School Theater, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. 7 pm Thursday, June 16. $25, tickets at racetalkspdx.com.
Lawanda Jackson, Cicely, Maria Peters Lake, Sheniqua Volt enlighten in-person and digital audiences about Black drag queens in Portland’s nightlife history. Coco Jem Holiday, Nay Nay Leakes Cartier, and DJ No Bi. Es. perform.
Portland Pride Waterfront Festival
Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Noon-6 pm Saturday, 11:30 pm-6 pm Sunday, June 18-19. $8 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds), VIP passes at portlandpride.org.
Community organizations, vendors and entertainers gather to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community on Portland’s largest waterfront park for two days of fun. Expect live main stage performances by dancers, drag queens and musicians, along with the two-day Pride Pics film festival.
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway. 7:30 pm Saturday, June 18. $19-$56, tickets at pdxgmc.org.
The Portland Gay Men’s Chorus performs new music and pop standards, debuting their lockdown-era digital show “Chasing Rainbows” for a live audience.
Gaylabration: decaDANCE!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 9 pm Saturday, June 18. $17.99-$24.99.
Celebrating its 10th year, Gaylabration is the official dance party of Portland’s Pride Festival. Dance with hoopers, LED performers, aerialists and DJ Deanne.
Dyke March
Tom McCall Waterfront Park. 6 pm Saturday, June 18.
Portland’s Dyke March celebrates and centers trans and cisgender lesbians, giving space for queer women and their admirers to proudly declare their space in the community.
Portland Pride Parade
North Park Blocks, route information at portlandpride.org. 11 am Sunday, June 19.
Portland’s Pride Parade kicks off in the North Park Blocks near Old Town, still the center of the city’s queer nightlife scene. Expect floats by queer-focused or -friendly organizations, dogs in cute costumes and endless rainbows.
PDX Latinx Pride! A Queer Latinx Dancy Party
Candy, 904 NW Couch St., pdxcandy.com, facebook.com/pdxlatinxpride. 9 pm Sunday, June 19.
Kaina Martinez hosts Candy’s Pride Month gay Latinx dance party.
Alegría
Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Drive. 8 pm Saturday, June 23. $72-$96, tickets at tickets.cirquedusoleil.com.
Cirque du Soleil offers a 20% discount on admission to its Pride Night performance with the code PRIDE20, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Pride Northwest.
Let’s Pride Together Block Party
Badlands, Northwest Couch Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway. Noon Saturday, June 25.
Badlands (aka historic gay bar Embers) isn’t open yet, but Pride Northwest closes out Pride season with a block party centered on an augmented reality mural. Portland creative laureate Joaquin Lopez hosts, with performances by the Portland Lesbian Choir, the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, and drag artists.
Portland Pride Paddle
Willamette Park, route information at portlandpride.org. 11 am Saturday, June 25.
Pride Northwest closes out its programming with a relaxing group rainbow paddle along the Willamette River, from Willamette Park to Ross Island and back.
DRAG & BURLESQUE SHOWS
Darcelle XV
208 NW 3rd Ave., darcellexv.com. Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
It’s no secret that Darcelle XV, Portland’s grand dame of drag, sorely missed performing during lockdown. Her exact itinerary hasn’t been published yet, but Darcelle’s weekly shows include Tuesday’s Catch a Rising Star Revue, alternating Sunday brunches, and nightly shows on Fridays and Saturdays with some of Portland’s most revered drag queens.
Diva Drag Brunch
Bit House Collective, 727 SE Grand Ave. 11 am Saturdays and Sundays. $40-$120, tickets at Eventbrite. 21+.
Early Bird Drag Brunch
The Nest Lounge, 2715 SE Belmont Ave., @silhouettepdx. Noon Sundays. No cover. 21+.
Superstar Divas Mega Showcase
CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis St., ccslaughterspdx.com. 8 pm Sundays. $15+. 21+.
The QT (Queer Talent) Show
The Queen’s Head, 19 SW 2nd Ave. 9 pm first and third Thursdays. $5.
Drag’d to Dinner
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water Ave. 7 pm Friday, June 3, $5-$20, tickets at Eventbrite.
(W)horror Show
The Queen’s Head, 19 SW 2nd Ave. 9 pm Friday, June 3. $10, tickets at Eventbrite.
High Klass Brunch
Escape Bar & Grill, 9004 NE Sandy Blvd. Noon Saturday, June 4. $15, tickets at Eventbrite.
High Tea with the Queens: A Royal Invasion
The Queen’s Head, 19 SW 2nd Ave. 5:30 pm Sunday, June 5. $5, tickets at Ticket Leap.
Dusted Dolls
Mississippi Pizza, 3552 N Mississippi Ave. 8 pm Tuesday, June 7. $10.
Galore! Pride Edition: Drag in Abundance!
Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., cstpdx.com. 8 pm Friday, June 10. $16.
BOYeurism: The Pride Edition
Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., bossanovaballroom.com. 9 pm Friday, June 10. $20-$30. 21+.
XXXY Hot Mix
Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., curiouscomedy.org. 9:30 pm Friday, June 10. $5.
Demand Drag’s Big Hats Brunch
Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., curiouscomedy.org. 11 am Saturday, June 11. $15-$150.
Pride Drag Brunch
Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta St., albertastreetpub.com. Noon Saturday, June 11. $25.
Top Shelf Drag Brunch
Santé Bar, 411 NW Park Ave. 2 pm Saturday, June 11. $15, tickets at Eventbrite.
Queer Happy Hour & ‘90s Prom Dance Party!
Zoiglhaus Brewing, 5716 SE 92nd Ave. 4 pm Saturday, June 11. $5, tickets at Eventbrite. 21+.
Booze & Bimbos
Gigantic Brewing & Taproom, 5224 SE 26th Ave. 7 pm Sunday, June 12. Free.
Monstro Menagerie
Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Ave., startheaterportland.com. 7:30 pm Monday, June 13. $15-$100. 21+.
New Mutants: An X-Men Drag Show
Mississippi Pizza, 3552 N Mississippi Ave., mississippipizza.com. 8 pm Tuesday, June 14. $12.
Melange: A Queer & POC Variety Show
Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., cstpdx.com. 8 pm Wednesday, June 15. $15.
Triple Nickel Drag Show
Triple Nickel Pub, 3646 SE Belmont St. 7 pm Thursday, June 16. $6, tickets at Eventbrite.
Trans-Uhh-Licious
CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis St., ccslaughterspdx.com. 9 pm Thursday, June 16. No cover. 21+.
Keepin’ It Klassy: A New Experience
Escape Bar & Grill, 9004 NE Sandy Blvd. 8 pm Friday, June 17. $15, tickets at Eventbrite. 21+.
It’s Bolivia! (Bolivia Carmichaels’ Variety Show)
CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis St., ccslaughterspdx.com. 8 pm Sunday, June 19. $10. 21+.
Queer Clothing Swap & Drag Show
411 NE 18th Ave., Suite B. 2 pm Sunday, June 19. $1-$10, tickets at Eventbrite. 18+.
Black Out/Intersection
Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., bossanovaballroom.com. 8 pm Sunday, June 19. $25-$50. 21+.
Juno Birch: Attack of the Stunning
Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., dougfirlounge.com. 8 pm Wednesday, June 22. $25. 21+.
Dapperlesque
Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., albertarosetheatre.com. 7 pm Friday, June 24. $25-$35.
WAREHOUSE & BLOCK PARTIES
Scandals Block Party
Scandals, 1125 SW Harvey Milk St., scandalspdx.com. June 14-16. 21+.
Pride Bar Crawl
Silverado, 610 NW Couch St. 4 pm Saturday, June 18. $15-$20. Tickets at Eventbrite. 21+.
Back and Black: Juneteenth Black Queer and Trans Pride Kick-Back!
Black & Beyond the Binary Collective, 5633 SE Division St., blackbeyondthebinarycollective.org. 4 pm Sunday, June 19. Free. All ages.
THEATER
American Girl Script Reading
Back Door Theater, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd., fusetheatreensemble.com. 2 pm Sunday, June 12. Free. All ages.
Mikki Gillette reads from her biographical play about the life of Nikki Kuhnhausen, a trans teen murdered in Vancouver, Wash., in 2019.
MOVIES
The Boys’ Love Revolution
Movie Madness, 4320 SE Belmont St. 7 pm Thursday, June 9. $40.
Hollywood Theatre’s Movie Madness University offers a crash course in the history of yaoi from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, examining several films associated with this romantic, uplifting gay genre.