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Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho

A trio of iconic performers—and advocates for and in the LGBTQ community—converges on Portland. Aren’t we lucky.

As far as last names go, they don’t get any more singular. Etheridge. Cho. Lauper. Icons of rock, comedy, pop and, yes, having fun for generations—unapologetic, uncompromising, unmistakable, unusual.

They’ve defined the ‘80s, ‘90s and aughts, speaking up about what makes a family; provoking with social, political and sexual commentary; lobbying for LGBTQ equal rights and AIDS education—and just plain entertaining crowds that span eras, gender, orientation, genre and more.

They sing, they act, they write, they campaign, they tell stories, they crack wise. They record, tour, appear on TV, in movies, on Broadway. Together, Melissa, 49, Margaret, 41, and Cyndi, 57, constitute a trifecta of ass-kicking estrogen. They simply rawk. What can we say? We’re not worthy.

We are, however, superfans.

So with a curious and altogether awesome Sapphic convergence bringing the respective talents—Etheridge on August 24, Cho two days later, August 26 and Lauper the following Wednesday, September 1—to the Portland area within a week of each other, we pay our respects to these fierce, fearless ladies.

All hail the queens.

 


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Courts: Gov. Can't Be Forced to Appeal Prop. 8
 

As the Sept. 11 deadline to appeal a District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling overturning California's Proposition 8 approaches, the chances that the measure banning same-sex measure will have a valid defendant seem increasingly slim.

Both Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown have stated that they are not interested in defending the measure. And it looks like no one can make them.

A California court on Thursday denied a petition filed by Pacific Justice Institute on behalf of Joshua Beckley, a senior pastor Ecclesia Christian Fellowship in San Bernardino, that sought to force the officials to file an appeal notice.

According to The Advocate:

Kevin Snider, chief counsel for Pacific Justice Institute, told The Advocate on Tuesday that Schwarzenegger's stance denies voters the right “to a fair and meaningful review of Prop. 8 in the appellate courts."

Brown, however, replied in a statement that he did "not believe that he can be forced to prosecute an appeal of a decision with which he agrees."

Oral arguments in the appeal filed by the coalition of groups that initially sponsored Prop. 8 are set to begin December, but there has been speculation that they do not have the authority to appeal. The Associated Press reports that 27 members of the California Assembly have requested that the governor appeal if Brown won't.





 
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