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Beat the Heat
Staying cool when summer finally arrives

by Floyd Sklaver

This year’s Pride was hot, hot, hot—literally. So now that summer finally seems to have arrived, I asked Portland’s coolest queers how they stay that way.

Over at Just Out’s ever-popular Gay Skate Night, Don Edgar offered the unlikely solution of playing Pirate Mini-Golf, which is held in a black-lit basement. Kaylub Siegried often jumps in the fountains near Portland City Hall and the waterfront, then lets the wind dry him off. And Ashley Austin leaves her computer off until the sun goes down. In other news, Ashley left for Chicago in early June to have her breasts enhanced as part of her gender reassignment procedures. You go girl—literally.

Of course, you could hike above the snow line at Larch Mountain with Glenn Goodfellow, sip gazpacho in chilled bowls with Mary Defreese or swim with the Outlaws softball team, including Devon Driscoll, Nedi DaSilva and Kristin Powers. Speaking of playing ball, Colleen Buggs got sunburned at her nephew’s baseball game. But “heat doesn’t bother me,” she said. “A little sweat is good for us.” Also found rolling around were David Blessing, Justin Mott, Jack Roberts, Kim Dasso and Sam Morgan, who escapes the heat by going to an air-conditioned gym, which makes him both cool and hot at the same time.

The reception was certainly warm at Powell’s Books in Beaverton for legendary scribe Armistead Maupin, who spoke about his latest book, Michael Tolliver Lives, to a crowd of more than 200, including Jim Cornwall, Joshua Taylor, Todd Talarico and Collin Bounds. When asked about the heat, event coordinator Miles Mayberry said, “I get really cranky in heat over 80 degrees, so bring me a mojito and a fan.” Ben Tan recommends listening to the Religious Wrong on the radio because “they’ll send chills down your spine.” Librarian John Hunter opts for cookie dough ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. When asked which location, he explained, “There’s a really cute guy at the one in Wilsonville.”

The atmosphere was absolutely sizzling at Latino Pride, where the muy caliente Andy Stensaas worked the door and told me I should take a flying leap—but just to cool off by cliff diving in Battle Ground, Wash. Israel Aldama was in charge of the spectacular decorations with Jonas Colon. The spiky flowers were “inspired by piñatas and traditional Mexican décor.” Also on hand were Chuck Billedeaux, Dirk Fournier, Lee Litchy and Craig Tyson, who copes with air conditioning and a vodka cocktail. “Oh, and a hot boy with a banana leaf to fan me.”

Too bad Fernando Escobedo isn’t available. He spends the hot days under a beach umbrella with lots of cool water, which is fitting because he is a cool drink of water himself. Fernando dates the always hot Chris Coleman, who is preparing for Portland Center Stage’s hugely popular (and free!) Just Add Water Playwrights Festival from July 18 to 20. The pair were in the audience at the highly entertaining and touching performance of Dan Guerrero’s ¡Gaytino!, where Misha Peru showed up looking like a flamenco version of Bette Midler and where Eric Blaser wore a white fur, saying, “What heat?”

Afterward I headed over to the cast party for Lakewood Theatre’s hit production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, where director Ron Daum and Alan Anderson told me they cool their dancing feet in two little plastic pools from Fred Meyer. They bought the second accidentally when they didn’t realize two were stuck together. Matt Preston likes to go skinny dipping at Sauvie Island, while JP Latchaw is just happy to escape a sweltering Chicago summer to perform with Tin Pan Alley Theater, a new summer stock company doing Pippin and Annie Warbucks this month.

Over at a party honoring Q Center donors and volunteers at Cacao, Paul Soriano told me he likes to perch on a rock at Sauvie Island. He should meet Paul Fukui, who likes to lie around naked as well. LeAnn Locher used to lie in the sun on broil blankets with baby oil. Now that she’s older and wiser, she’s given up the baby oil but still likes to lie out with the sprinkler going. Among the crowd sipping chocolate were Charlie Calabria, Brian Chase and the aptly named Beau Breedlove, whose very presence raised the temperature in the room.

It’s a good thing there are so many ways to cool off while I’m Out Going.

Floyd Sklaver wants to know about your event. E‑mail him at floydsklaver@comcast.net .



 
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