Q-Seattle Events: Tacky Tourist Clubs

We (your editorially plural but otherwise singular WebWrangler) were so embarrassed by the delay in getting pictures up from this year's Queen City Cruise, that we almost let this weekend's mass drop of photos go by without comment.

After all, Fall has come way early this year and it's difficult by now to even imagine the spirit of such an event. But there they are. Remember that? Ahh! Summertime. To make up for our insufferable delay and to account for the recent explosion of cameras, we've made this year's collection bigger than ever.

It's a great collection. We thank everyone who sent us images, and especially Antonio Gonzales (definitely not the xAG AG) who gave us a wonderful group to choose from this year. You'll also find images from Dan Lane, Jim Cash, Marcy Kraft, Tom Poppie, Scott Cammack, Emo, Jeff Thompson. "Neil" NLM sent us some great ones (which, to be fair, have been displayed since early September) including that great shot of Moms Finley. And -- yeah -- Robin Evans contributed, too.

And, yes, we probably missed a few of the great shots in the collections. We'll probably go through again and maybe add a fourth index, but we're not promising anything.

Labels: fundraisers, gay party, Gay Seattle, Seattle, shirtless hunk

A couple of significant Pride Week news bits have come along while your webwrangler was off doing other things.

SOAP fundraiser
SOAP, the producers of the downtown parade, will hold a Halloween-night fundraiser called Pajama Party at the W Hotel [get directions] on October 31 from 7pm until midnight. Suggested donation at the door is $15. Proceeds benefit SOAP and the BRA Show for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The party will include a no-host bar, complementary appetizers, music for dancing, and an informal fashion event for men and women that will include the W Hotel's own loungewear line as well as bra's from Seattle's own BRA Show, and bras designed by Seattle local designers including Le Mare, Jessica Lovelace, Zombie Hearts, Cintli, and Lisa Doran.

And there's likely to be fascinating fashion from the crowd because a prize will be awarded to the attendee sporting the most creative PJs.

SOAP seeks Pride Parade theme suggestions
The official theme of the 2007 SOAP parade was -- somewhat wistfully -- "Come Together". They're now seeking suggestions from folks in the community about what their parade theme should be for 2008. Deadline for suggestions is January 1. The person submitting the theme chosen by SOAP's board will win a one-night stay at Seattle's Hotel Monaco.

Email your suggestions to info[at]seattlepride.or snail-mail them to 1605 12th Ave, Suite 2, Seattle WA 98122, Attn: Theme 2008. Include name, mailing address, and phone number with your suggestion.

SOAP seeks board members
SOAP is looking for board members to help guide the organization. Send an email to the same address if you think you have what it takes to perform what's often a thankless job. And, hey, you might be able to help choose the theme that way. But this is not for the feint of heart. Applicants should be willing to work tirelessly on next year's downtown parade and be willing to suffer criticism from some among us who might not SOAP's mission an entirely admirable one.

New non-profit for Seattle Center Pride festival
Egan Orion of OneDegree Events last year pulled on one of the most remarkable feats of event production ever seen when he and his staff pulled together a major Pride Sunday festival at Seattle Center, after others had proved incapable of meeting that considerable challenge.

Although there are few details yet, Orion announced in an email to the OneDegree mailing list that a 501(c)3 [i.e. tax exempt] non-profit will be formed to oversee future iterations of the festival. He promises more details real soon now.

Labels: fundraisers, gay pride, Gay Seattle, org:SOAP, Seattle Pride

The 21st Annual Seattle AIDS Walk will be held on Saturday, September 29. An opening ceremony hosted (as it has been since the first walk) by KING5 News anchor Jean Enersen will begin at 9 am. The AIDS Walk will begin and end at Volunteer Park [get directions], rain or shine. The one-mile walk will take a circular route from the park starting at 10 am, heading south on the wide and hill-free pavement of 12th Ave. to Thomas St. and then north on Broadway, returning to the park via the hill at Prospect St.

The Walk is both a way to remind folks of the still-daunting needs of people living with AIDS and HIV, and a major fundraiser for the area's primary AIDS service organization, Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

Whether you'll walk as an individual or as part of a team, pre-registration on the Walk website is encouraged. On-site registration for those who prefer standing in line opens at 8 am at the park.
On its impressive event website, Lifelong provides fundraising suggestions for walkers and creates a webpage and other virtual tool for pre-registered walkers to help them solicit donations. You can walk as an individual, join an existing team, or form your own team. A wide array of non-profit groups, and ad-hoc groups, along with companies large and small have formed teams (and, remember, many of the companies will match donations raised by an employee).

If you won't be in town or can't walk for other reasons but still want to raise funds, you can sign up as a virtual walker. You'll have access to all the same fundraising tools as physical walkers. Or consider making a donation directly to LLAA or sponsoring a walker or team.

Your donations and sponsorships will go directly to Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Lifelong is a comprehensive AIDS service organization (ASO) located in Seattle, offering a spectrum of care services, advocacy, and prevention education for people in Seattle/King County.

Care programs include information and referrals, case management, nutritional support including meals and groceries, housing, and medication adherence. Our insurance program is statewide, and helps people with HIV/AIDS pay their insurance premiums. The prevention education team works with some of the highest-risk populations in our area: men who have sex with men, transgendered women, and young people.

As Lifelong is the only ASO in the Northwest with a full-time advocacy team, our national advocacy also includes work on behalf of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The advocacy team works at the local, state, and national levels to ensure that legislators and policy makers consider the unique needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in their decisions.

Lifelong hopes to raise $800,000 with this year's event. According to the fund thermometor on the site, they're at 43% of the total now with pledges of over $340,000.

Labels: activism, fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle

Next year at this time, the town's clubs, restaurants, hotels, and ball fields will be teeming with gay softball players. Emerald City Softball Assn. (ECSA) will host the 2008 Gay Softball World Series here from August 22 to August 30, 2008. ECSA is expecting more than 200 teams and about 3500 people to visit Seattle for the annual competition.

In addition to a busy tournament schedule of games, the Series will include splashy opening and closing ceremonies at locations to be announced.

Hosting something like this requires both a lot of time to organize things (which is provided by ECSA volunteers) and a lot of money. And it's that second item where you come in. ECSA is now offering "Gem Club" tickets for those who want to help with that vital second item. Buy your tickets now online to help ECSA prepare to showcase Seattle for visitors from around the country. With the top two tiers, you'll even get guaranteed entry to the opening and closing ceremonies. Other advantages are outlined in this pdf document.

Gem Club Level	One-Time Payment	4 Monthly Installments	10 Monthly Installments
Diamond Level	$ 500	$ 125	$ 50
Emerald Level	$ 300	$ 75	$ 30
Ruby Level	$ 150	$ 38	$ 15

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle, sports

Miss Candy, this year's Washington State Ms. Leather, presents a fundraiser this afternoon for the Center for LGBT Health. Called the Big Gay Bootcamp, the fundraiser kicks off at 2 pm at Cal Anderson Park near the fountain [get directions]. There's a $10 suggested donation, but you can cut that down to $5 if you wear "hot pants".

For those who want to sweat under direction, Miss Candy will offer a 45-minute boot-camp style exercise class. (Wear comfortable clothes if you plan to participate.) There will also be a push up contest open to everyone with a fabulous grand prize for the winner. A less taxing way to possibly win a fabulous prize will be available with raffle contests held throughout the afternoon.

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle

Local blogger "Ted" has a great video from Saturday's Blue Ball "Drag Bus" fundraiser. And it really does look like a fun time was had by all, proving that both boats and buses can successfully raise funds on the same day.

After seeing their splashy float in the downtown pride parade, we looked for a link to post something last month about the event, but didn't find it in time. We're delighted to now (even though we're way late) to find the link to event sponsor rosmariesbaby.com and to learn the history of the Drag Bus party and other parties sponsored by Philip:

John Gardner, of Aria Floral, started "Birthdays Are A Drag" years ago in New Orleans.

In order to ride the Birthday Bus, party goers were required to wear drag. The bus would take the participants on a bar tour of the city, terrorizing unsuspecting folks along the way.

In 1998, John moved to Seattle. Along with him came the party. There were 18 participants that first year. Each year thereafter, the party grew immensely - constantly changing the surprise locations, until the last party in 2005 tallied over 100 people. "Birthdays Are A Drag" was named the "Most Coveted Party Invitation" by OUT magazine in 2001. A documentary crew followed the 2002 event.

John passed on the torch to Philip Heier in 2006. The "Drag Bus" was then re-created into a charity event where drag is not required (though encouraged), the color theme mandatory, and the locations of the tour are no longer a secret.

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, gay party, Gay Seattle

What has become one of the major drag shows of the year returns September 8 when Seattle Counseling Service presents its major annual fundraiser, ICON 4, A Celebration of Drag, Art & Life. The event will be held this year at Town Hall on First Hill [get directions], beginning at 6:30pm.

It's worth mentioning this now because the $50 tickets to ICON generally sell out long before the night of the show. Make your reservations by calling SCS at (206) 323-1768 or emailing info[at]seattlecounseling.org.

The lovely Aleksa Manila [MySpace page] once again hosts the evening with an all-star lineup. Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse makes a "special appearance" along with "Las Vegas sensation" Miss Toni James. Sara & The Rhythm Knights will offer what is billed as a "surprise performance".

But there's far more, including performances by local stars Sylvia O?Stayformore [MySpace], The Queen Bees [MySpace], Nina Maxwell, Rosita, Miss Gay Latina Chica Boom [MySpace], Miss Gay Seattle Regina King. Kristina Kash and Empress Jaylene travel from Vancouver to join in the evening's festivities.

And that really is an all-star-drag lineup.

It's notable, too, that the name of the even, Icon, now gains greater significance in the event's fourth year because SCS will lit its iconic signs yesterday.

[Gawd, how we hate the need to post those MySpace links, but that barely-working non-web News Corp/Fox site has the numbers. There may be more, but we can take only so many "Server busy" messages.]

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization, Gay Seattle

Tacky Tourist Clubs of America marched with Butch the prize-winning big pink "Trojan Poodle" at the two Pride parades as a way of introducing a short series of events called the "Classless Reunion" that will reach climax on August 11 aboard the 26th annual Queen City Cruise which has been given the reunion tour name "Pier Pressure."

The most elaborate of the pre-Cruise Classless Reunion parties will be held tomorrow, Friday the 13th at Seattle Eagle [see bar map] starting at 9:13 pm. It's a Night in Detention, to be hosted by Cruise co-host Tony Buff, serving on Friday as Friar Buff, Dean of Discipline.

Friar Buff will be joined at the party by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of St. Joan, and by the wood-shop instructor who has volunteered to stay after school to help students in detention learn a useful skill. On Friday night, he'll offer special instruction in the art of wood-stroking -- always a popular subject.

All of that high-schoolish double-entendre hearkens back to a party that Tacky Tourists last hosted ten years ago, in 1997. It was called The Prom...You Never Went To! and attracted thousands each spring to multiple rooms in a venue that looks remarkably like a boomer high school, The Mountaineers Building on lower Queen Anne. For one night each year from 1983 until 1997, the building became Lavender Valley High School and launched thousands of stories.


Your current WebWrangler used to contribute slightly to those stories by channeling a character called Dewey Boulavard who was "editor-in-chief" of a fake newspaper called The Poodleer ("chief" -- although sometimes spelled "cheif" by Dewey -- was always required). It started out as a one-and-a-half page feature story in a short-lived gay paper called Lights. By the end of the party's run, the fake high-school paper had become a four- or eight-page insert in Seattle Gay News. For The Poodleer, I made up the stories, built quotations out of vaguely character-appropriate hole cloth, and even made up names occasionally when someone was required for a quotation.

What always struck me as remarkable about the party, is that even some of those made-up characters from The Poodleer would appear a few weeks later at The Prom. But that was the magic of the party: Its theme encouraged most of the thousands who bought tickets to create their own fantastic high-school stories. Each year, partiers would create the costumes and stories for dozens of school groups that nobody planning the party had ever expected. One year, a group came "back from Dead Man's Curve" with tire marks to prove it. There were oh-so-many pregnant "girls" along with the non-necessarily exclusive "Hebrew Club," and many naughty waitresses, chearleaders, jocks and nerds. Each had a story to tell that was often just as fascinating as the costumes.


And, now, let us double-bury a lead here: This year's 26th Cruise which honors that party last held a decade ago is to be the last Cruise sponsored by Tacky Tourist Clubs. Randy Henson, the event's creator and creative director from the start in 1981, has been hinting at doing this for years, but promises that this will be the last Cruise for which he will serve as producer. The Cruise is expected to continue next year with a different group taking on primary production responsibilities. Randy has said that he will remain involved as a consultant to the new sponsor, but the party is likely to change -- perhaps significantly -- with a new sponsor.

A change in producers isn't unprecedented for Tacky Tourist Clubs. After several years in the 80s of producing Seattle's biggest Halloween party, Tacky Tourists transferred production responsibility for Things that Go Bump In the Night to Gay City and Seattle Men's Chorus. Since then, the party's new producers have turned The Bump into an even bigger fall party. The Cruise is also likely to continue and might similarly grow more elaborate under a new producer.

We bury this part of the story, because Randy hasn't yet been willing to announce the change publicly, and so we're talking here "out of school" as it were. Some of us who have worked with him over the years, are guessing that he'll reconsider, but that seems unlikely. It seems only fair, while there are still some tickets available for the Cruise, to give those who have occasionally enjoyed the party during its twenty-six year run a chance to celebrate the last Tacky Tourist production of the event.

Ten years ago, the last Prom was promoted as such. It gave folks one last chance to experience Lavender Valley's big dance. We figure it's only fair to give those who have enjoyed the Cruise over the years a similar chance to enjoy its unique spirit one last time under the guidance of its original producer.

Labels: fundraisers, gay bar, gay organization, gay party

The Pride Foundation grants thousands of dollars each year to dozens of organizations in the Pacific Northwest -- Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This year's fund will distribute about $65,000 to organizations in the the five states. Grants from the group normally require an grant application (a complex process for many groups) and evalution process.

The standard process for the 2007/08 grant cycle will continue. Grant applications will be screened, as always, and approved by knowledgeable community volunteers.

But the Foundation has also come up with some additional money that will be distributed in a streamlined process this year for a few lucky groups. They're now taking nominations for a unique raffle that allows anyone to designate a favorite 501(c)3 non-profit for special grants. The Foundation is now accepting web-based nominations for a raffle it will hold on September 14, 2007.

It will give a total of $7500 through the raffle, including $2500 to a group drawn randomly from nominees along with $1000 to each of five groups nominated most often from each of the five states. (And that, of course, is a huge advantage to groups in Montana, Idaho, and Alaska -- something that strikes your Montana-native WebWrangler as entirely fair.)

You can nominate any registered non-profit, tax-exempt group that does not discriminate. And here's where it gets a bit complicated:

The Pride Foundation believes it is appropriate for an organization to provide programs and services to a specific population when the targeted groups require specialized programs to meet specific needs not shared by the general population. Organizations funded by the Pride Foundation may target their programs and services, but may not discriminate in regard to race, color, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, age, creed, religion, heritage, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental, or physical ability. The selected agency will be required to sign a statement affirming compliance with this policy.

Pride Foundation will also hold a couple of events this weekend to mark its standard granting cycle.

The Foundation's Pierce County regional group holds its first annual Pierce County LGBTQA Community Awards Friday from 6 to 9pm at the Rainbow Center, 741 St. Helens Ave. in Tacoma [get directions].

In Bellingham, the Whatcom/Skagit regional group will hold a Recognition Buffet for the area's 2007 grant and scholarship recipients. The buffet starts at 11am at the Bellingham Co-op Connection Building, 1200 N. Forest St [get directions]. The buffet is one of the opening events for this year's Pride celebration in Bellingham. The celebration includes a Saturday picnic and a Sunday parade starting at 11am at Bellingham High along with several events at Rumors Cabaret.

[Update: 'graph two changed to better reflect (hopefully) the unique nature of the prizes in the raffle. The raffle distributes additional monies, outside of the regular granting process.]

[WebWrangler's note: Our slow summer posting rate continues, as regular readers might have noted. We'll try to catch up today and tomorrow with a few of the many items we've missed recently. But the best way to shame us into posting about your event or a news item that you think deserves a mention is to send us an email. We find those hard to ignore. Another way is to add us (webwranger@ttca.org) to an email list if we haven't found it already. (Bots should not apply since we have a very aggressive spam filter on that address.)]

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, gay pride

This year's 26th annual tour of the Queen City Cruise slips away from its dock on downtown Seattle's Pier 55 at 1200 hours (that's noon to landlubbers) on Saturday, August 11. The ruby-red lips on the bow of the Goodtime II will be puckered and ready to blow (kisses, that is) as the party boat takes its five-hour tour of Seattle's wettest spots, including -- of course -- the ever-popular passage to and fro through the Ballard Locks.

Tickets for this incredible party are still $50. They go on sale this Saturday, June 23 and are available only online at ttca.org. (But here's a special blog-reader hint for those who hope to avoid any virtual lines: The tickets button is currently live on the site for a "preview sale", so you could actually snap up some of the first tickets even before the official start date.)

The Queen City Cruise is -- as we're wont to call it on this blog's (current) host site -- an "Unforgettable Naughtycal Adventure on the High Seas" and a deliciously deviant contribution to Seafair. If you haven't been on the boat yet and wonder what that means, you can get a hint from the photos in the TTCA gallery. (But, really, the on-board photographers are usually circumspect about what they're willing to share with the public site, so you'll have to use your imagination. But don't go too far. Remember, it's called naughtycal and not nastycal.)


The theme of this year's Queen City Cruise is Pier Pressure. "Why?", you ask. It's because the Cruise this year is the climax event of the LVHS Classless Reunion. The Reunion a full summer of activities commemorating the student bodies of Lavender Valley High School.


Some of you might recall Lavender Valley High as the home of Seattle?s most notorious springtime party: THE PROM... You Never Went To!. That party had a fourteen-year run from 1983 to 1997. This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Last Prom, so the Tacky Tourists are celebrating the occasion by holding a Classless Reunion. (It's classless because graduation was never something that caught on at Lavender Valley High School.)

Even if you don't remember any of that, don't worry. All you need to know is that LVHS was some kind of ineffable place or feeling. It existed in its own odd world where everyone had the chance either to create the high school that we wished we went to or to make up bizarro versions of the places we actually did suffer through. And create they did. Again, the TTCA galleries feature a few hints of what things were like.


The brain trust of Tacky Tourist Clubs is hoping that some of the same creative energy will be on display this summer on the Cruise and other Classless Reunion events.

To help spur the creative juices (ahem), TTCA has created Butch. You'll see him this weekend if you go to either or (come now -- show your Spirit) both of the Pride parade/marches. Butch is the huge, very pink, tres gay, and well-endowed (sorry Bob Barker) mascot of the LVHS Fighting Poodles. You'll see him rolling down both Broadway and Fourth, and may even catch sight of him elsewhere over the weekend. (Go ahead, pet him. He's friendly.)

Blogger's note

Your webWrangler sends this personal note: I'm sorry for the lax posting during the past week or more. I've missed a few things that deserved to be posted, and still haven't gotten to making a complete wrap-up of Pride events. (Still hoping to get to that tomorrow.)

If you dig through to the url of our site or our RSS feed, you'd note the original intent of this blog that has long since moved on to other things: QueenCityCruiseNews is what the feed is still named. And that partly explains the recent posting downfall.

Mostly, now, I leave the Cruise news to an email list and only occasionally post an update here. But whether it's on the list or here on this blog or in the too-long text parts of posters, flyers, and such, I do end up writing most of it. And frankly, I'm not all that good at multi-tasking these days. So while the site got its updated pages for the Reunion, the Cruise, and all that, the blog took a back seat. We'll be back to the usual schedule in a few weeks, so keep (or start) sending those press releases for us to rewrite.

And, yes... as I've been hinting for months: This blog will move to its own URL late in the summer. Given the lack of participation here in the comments, I'm not sure it's worth it, but other indications tell me that there actually are a few folks reading some of the posts. For you, we'll give a dedicated site a try. Later.

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, gay party, Gay Seattle

It looks like our unseasonable spurt of summer will last through at least Sunday. And who among us doesn't enjoy a summer spurt, eh?

One good way to celebrate a good summer day is with a barbeque on a patio. If you haven't been invited to a private party of that kind, you should check out The Cuff [see bar map] on Sunday. Washington State Mr. Leather 2007, Gylan Green, hosts an afternoon of "burgers, dogs, and buns" Sunday, June 3, from 4 to 8 pm on The Cuff's large patio space.

The fundraiser was dubbed "Hot City Barbeque" when nobody could have know the name would be so appropriate this weekend.

It's a benefit for Gay City and Project Neon of Seattle Counseling service.

Of course they will also host their weekly T-dance all afternoon and evening in Cuff Dance. DJ Peter Calandra mixes. The usual "Dollar Sunday" specials apply: $4 double wells and $1 domestic drafts/sodas.

Labels: fundraisers, gay bar, gay party, Gay Seattle

Two groups working to make schools in Washington safer and more comfortable for LGBTQQ students will hold a major fundraiser on June 1 at Lakeside School [get directions].

Washington GSA Network and GLSEN Washington State will hold their third annual awards banquet and auction at the northend private school. Tickets are available from Brown Paper Bag. The cost is $10 for students and teachers; $20 for low income; and $35 for other guests. Tables seating 10 people are available for $300 and are ornately decorated by volunteers. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1-800-838-3006.

For those not familiar, here's the unpacking of those acronyms:

• GLSEN: The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
• GSA Network: The Washington State Gay-Straight Alliance Network, a project of GLSEN Washington State, is a youth-led organization created to help connect public and private GSA-based clubs and other community groups throughout Washington State. Students will develop leadership skills and help to build peer support through programs, workshops and trainings.

This year's banquet features a keynote talk by GLSEN founder and executive director Tom Jennings. A reception starts at 5 pm. Dinner seating is at 6 pm.

The silent auction is a major fundraising effort by the groups to support their work throughout the year and features some nifty offerings:

Do your political networking along with your gifting by bidding on one or more special meetings with any of three out politicians:

• Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen offers a walking tour (for two people) of the historic Alki neighborhood and refreshments at the Alki Bakery with Tom.
• Seattle City Councilmember Sally J. Clark offers a walk through the revitalized Hitt's Hill Park with Sally and a sit-down over coffee and pastries at Columbia City Bakery.
• State Rep. Dave Upthegrove invites you to enjoy a tour of the Capitol Building with a 3rd term member of the legislature. End your visit over lunch with Dave.

If you'd rather bid on stuff, there will be plenty of that. Some of the initial offerings:

• from Microsoft / GLEAM:
  • Wireless Desktop 6000 ($66)
  • Fingerprint Reader ($42)
  • MapPoint 2006 with GPS ($280)
  • Windows Vista Ultimate English NA DVD ($348.09)
  • Office Ultimate 2007 Win32 English US Only DVD ($545.00)
• from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
  • Four Broadway/Off Broadway play posters signed by New York Cast
  • The Producers: The new Mel Brooks musical (signed by cast)
  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (signed by cast)
  • Primo, based on the book "If This Is A Man" (signed by Anthony Sher)
  • Altar Boyz (signed by cast)
• from Coca-Cola
  • Marcus Traufant signed Seahawks jersey
  • Rashard Lewis signed Sonics Jersey
  • Diet Coke Director's Chair
• from Etherea Salon.Spa
  • "Feel Heavenly" Salon and Spa package ($125)
  • Choice of 1 hour massage or botanical facial and haircut
• from Maid in the Northwest Inc.
  • 3 hours of house cleaning ($117.00)
• from Massage Envy - Capitol Hill
  • 1 hour massage session
• from Spring Hill Suites (Marriott)
  • One night weekend stay
• from Julia's Restaurants
  Dinner for two (up to $75.00)

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle

This is the big weekend for the Seattle Quake Rugby Team, as they host their annual tournament, Magnatude 15.07. The games take place on the fields of Marymoore Park in Redmond [get directions] all day Saturday. Look for the large tents pitched near the "pitch" (we figured out that that's what they call a field).

If you head over to the large eastside park, you'll be able to see plenty of games. Seattle Quake competes with teams from seven other cities -- Minneapolis Mayhem, Dallas Diablos, Portland Avalanche, San Francisco Fog, Pheonix Storm, Los Angeles Rebellion, and Vancouver Rogues. (Great names all, eh?)

Saturday's preliminary-round games feature 15-minute halves with games starting at 10 am, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15 pm, 1:30, and 2 pm. The winning teams then face off with 20-minute halves at 2:45 pm, 3:05, 3:30 and 4 pm.

But hey, it's a tournament of gay rugby teams, so there's more than just scrums on the pitch [or something like that]. There are plenty of parties, too, with the official ones happening at sponsor bars C.C. Attles, R Place, and The Cuff. [see bar map]

It starts tonight (Thursday) with a pre-festival informal get-together at CC's from 7 until 10 pm.

Registration is Friday at R-Place from 7 to 9 pm. Quake will set up a merchandise table to sell their sexy Quake gear.

The Cuff hosts the big post-match party Saturday from 7 to 10 pm. Tickets for the public (that's all the rest of us who aren't black-and-blue from the day's scrums [or whatever they call them]) are $10. There will be a kangaroo court, announcement and awards, and a closing ceremony.

It's still not over, though, because Quake will host a fundraiser Sunday at The Cuff from 4 to 8 pm featuring $3 burgers, brats, and brews, along with raffle tickets and Jello shots.

And just in case you're not familiar with Quake, here's the official boilerplate:

The Seattle Quake Rugby Football Club is a non-profit, community-based, amateur athletic organization.

The mission of the Seattle Quake RFC is to foster local, regional, national and international participation and competition in the game of Rugby Union Football and to create an environment where members of the community can learn the laws and practice of Rugby Union Football thereby improving their capabilities as players.

The Seattle Quake RFC is especially focused on providing opportunities for learning and playing competitive Rugby Union Football to communities traditionally under-represented in the sport, including gay men and men of color.

Labels: fundraisers, gay bar, gay organization, gay party, Gay Seattle, sports

Matthew Browning has posted his usual collection of great shots from the May Gay Bingo night which had the entertaining Mother's Day theme, "Come As Your Mother."

It looks like Glamazonia's mother is ready to shove a Pop-Tart into the toaster and send the kids on their way.

It's sold out, but there is still one more game: Rocky Horror Gay Bingo on June 9. Lifelong offered a few last minute tickets at their thrift store this month, so there's still a slight hope that you could get in there to do the Time Warp again. Matt's MySpace blog offered a warning for this month's rush tickets. You might watch and hope again this month. (That link goes to Murdoch's closed MySpace world, so it may not work from the unprivileged web.)

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, Gay events, gay party

Time magazine finds some evidence that drag queens have become the defacto callers for bingo games throughout the country.

Following a long-established Time formula, the magazine then explains, "How Drag Queens Took Over Bingo".

Bingo and drag queens. Where, you might understandably ask, did this ever come from? Seattle, as it turns out. In the early 1990s, as director of development for the Chicken Soup Brigade, a support organization for people with AIDS, Judy Werle was charged with dreaming up fundraising events. "I checked out places where people gathered and spent money, because I figured if you had that, you could redirect the money to a good cause," says Werle. That logic led her to bingo halls. "They were totally full of obsessed people," she says. "But it was also extremely boring. So we decided to liven it up in the way that only gay men can."

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, drag queens dressed as nuns, hosted the Brigade's first gay bingo (the game's original name), and the line wrapped around the block. The charity quickly scheduled more. In the beginning, the crowd was almost entirely gay, but slowly straight people started showing up ? good news for the Brigade, now part of the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, which was eager to expand its donor base.

And you thought it was hard to get tickets this year.

Link: Lifelong AIDS Alliance

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, gay organization

Matt Browning, the official paparazzo of Lifelong's Gay Bingo, has posted the latest photos from the sold-out fundraising events.

Party masks helped to symbolize the theme of the night on Saturday, April 14, for the event dubbed "Art Appreciation" night.

The monthly Gay Bingo nights are sold out for the year, but there are still tickets available for the elegant close to it all. Black Tie Gay Bingo will take place at the Seattle W Hotel on Saturday, May 5, 2007. Gay Bingo star Glamazonia will welcome celebrity guest callers for an elegant evening of bingo, prizes, entertainment, and a fabulous dinner.

Tickets are pricey for this version with a "coach" ticket for one going for $175. A "Host committee table" for ten will set your group back $2000 for this major fundraising event, but for that you get a dinner at the W, a bag of schwag, and a night of incredible entertainment. And there will be plenty of chances to win prizes.

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle

Save the date: Thursday, April 26. That's the night for Lifelong AIDS Alliance's 14th annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser.

On that night you can you can help fight AIDS in our community by simply enjoying a delicious meal at any of 150 Seattle-area restaurants. The list of participating eateries spans a wide range of prices, styles, ambience and area.

Each restaurant will donate 30% of your bill to Lifelong's services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Seattle/King County.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance provides a variety of services to people living with HIV/AIDS in King County, including fresh meals and groceries from our Chicken Soup Brigade kitchen, insurance continuation, housing, and case management. Lifelong is also a leading HIV/AIDS public policy advocate in the Pacific Northwest. The group sponsors education and prevention programs that aim to stop the spread of HIV.

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle

Matt and Brian at SeattlePaparazzi.com have added new galleries of pics from the March Gay Bingo party. It was Groovy '70s night, complete with big hair, polyester, and plenty of the usual fun.


And, hey! We heard that, but you're wrong. Those cylindrical things most folks are holding are daubers. That's daubers, used to mark the bingo cards.

If you don't already have your tickets to one of the remaining regular Gay Bingo nights, you're out of luck until June. They haven't yet put up the "sold out" sign for the June 9 Rocky Horror Gay Bingo night. Hurry to make your reservations or drop by the Lifelong Thrift Store [see map]. Other nights are sold out for the year, so you'll just have to find a friend who was wise enough to get tickets early. Or you could get yourself on a waiting list and hope for the best.
But there's another way to get in on the fun at the major fundraising close-out of the games. Tickets are still available for the Black Tie Bingo fundraiser to be held this year at the W Hotel downtown [get directions].

A host committee table that seats ten goes for $2000. "First class" tickets are $200 each. You could get in on the still-elegant "coach class" for $175 each.

The evening includes a cocktail hour+ starting at 6pm. Dinner and entertainment starts at 7:30 pm. You'll be playing bingo in style at the trendy W. Prizes include travel packages to great W Hotel destinations around the country. There will be celebrity callers, unexpected surprises, and, of course, Gay Bingo star GLAMAZONIA.

This major fundrasing event for Lifelong AIDS Alliance is sponsored by W Hotels and Alaska Airlines.

Labels: eye candy, fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization, Gay Seattle, photos, shirtless hunk

GSBA presents a 6pm reception with the director and a 7 pm screening this evening of the film Inlaws & Outlaws, which was produced by a Seattle-based organization. Tickets for non-GSBA members are $10. It's at Broadway Performance Hall [get directions]

The event will be emceed Seattle comic Peggy Platt, and will be attended by stars of the film. It includes a hosted reception donated by Herban Feastas well as a silent and live auction featuring prizes from Alaska Airlines, Geraldine?s Restaurant.

The film?

As the gay marriage debate rages on, this new film by Drew Emery gets past all the rhetoric to capture the heart of the matter: it's about love. Everybody has a story to tell about meeting their mate, deciding to commit and struggling with the ups and downs of a long-term (or not-so-long-term) relationship. By weaving together a series of refreshingly honest interviews, Inlaws & Outlaws takes a humorous and wide-angled look at real relationships of all shapes and sizes. Whether straight or gay, young or old, coupled or single, by the end, you'll be rooting for them all ... and falling in love with love.

The February 23rd event introduces the film to the Seattle business community and launches the filmmakers' Washington state Hearts + Minds Campaign, which will distribute the film at the grassroots level in early 2007.

[via Seattlest since we missed GSBA's announcement.]

Labels: fundraisers, gay organization, Gay Seattle, movie, Seattle

The Imperial Court of Seattle Coronation Ball -- the mother of all drag shows -- takes to the stage and to the bars the weekend of February 15 to 18, but with previews this weekend.

Coronation 2007 is Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Red Lion Hotel downtown at 1415 5th Ave [get directions]. The night begins with a monarch's reception at 5pm followed by dinner and show at 6pm. Tickets are $75. The night is hosted by former emperor George Rey, who is a very good show announcer when he isn't begging for money or fawning over cooks at Channel 9. Empress Jack E. of Reno is co-host. The night offers "command performances" by The VisQueens, Filipiniana Dance Co, Miss Gay Seattle XXII Miss Smokee, Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse, and many more.

This whole affair is the big deal of the year for the "Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic and Rainier Empire", aka ISCSORE and includes far more than just the coronation ball. The annual affair kicks this weekend with voting day starting at 11am on Sunday followed by a show and in-town awards Sunday evening at Neighbours, 6pm ($15).

Folks from other courts far and wide travel to these affairs, so there will not only be a large number of fabulously dressed "dignitaries" at the ball, but there will also be shows during the week leading up to the big night.

The courts of Denver and Salt Lake City will present a show for Seattleites on Thursday, February 15 at Sugar (see map) at 6pm. Pay only $7 at the door. Another out-of-town show will be presented on Friday at Neighbours and also at 6pm. Cover is $15. That show will be followed by a "Las Vegas Dam Water Party" at The Cuff (see map) starting at 11pm.

On Sunday following the coronation, you'll have a chance to congratulate the winners at an 11am Victory Brunch at the host hotel, the Best Western, 200 Taylor Ave [get directions] ($25). At 3pm the newly crowned Empress and Emperor will preside at the "Alaska Bird Water Party" at C.C.Attle's (see map) .

Advance tickets for any of the shows can be purchased online.

This ball includes not only the crowning of new Seattle royalty, but also the crowning of Empress Nicole The Great as Queen Mother of the Americas. She succeeds Empress I Jose, founder of the international court system and, until that night, titular head of International Court of Council of USA, Canada and Mexico, which will be holding its annual meeting in Seattle on Saturday.

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, Gay events, Gay Seattle, Seattle

It is not often these days that one has the opportunity to dance to a live large swing band. But you'll be able to do exactly that on Saturday, February 10 when Rainbow City Band presents a benefit dinner dance and auction in the Hotel Deca Ballroom at 4507 Brooklyn Ave NE in the U District [get directions].

The 18-member Purple Passion Swing Band will supply the big-band music for couples on the elegant ballroom's dance floor in the newly-renovated classic deco hotel. A dinner and auction precedes the night of dancing. It's all a benefit for the non-profit organization's concert and marching bands.

The evening's schedule:

• 6 pm: Registration & Silent Auction Open
• 7 pm: Dinner & Live Auction
• 9 pm: Live Dance to Purple Passion

Reserved tickets are required can be purchased online or by calling 866-841-9139 ext 2126 by February 1. Tickets for the full evening of dinner, auction, and dance are $100 per person. Tickets for the 9 pm dance only are $20 per person.

The event is a major fundraiser for Rainbow City Band (RCB).

Founded in April 1998, Rainbow City Band is a non-profit organization based in Seattle. RCB is the umbrella organizaiton for a community band of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay-friendly instrumentalists and supporters consisting of about 60 musicians. The band is conducted by Jo-Ann Christen and includes associates who keep the band running smoothly.

RCB belongs to the Lesbian and Gay Bands Association (LGBA), a group of 30 concert and marching bands from North America and Australia.

The organization divides its musical year into concert segment in fall through mid-spring and a marching season in mid-spring through summer.

Labels: fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle

GayCity and its neighbor Kaladi Bros. Coffee [see map] will host a wine tasting and art gallery this Sunday, January 14, starting at 5:30 at Kaliadi's comfortable space in the Center for LGBT Wellness at 511 E Pike St.

Enology will "facilitate" the wines and the tasting. Their declared philosophy is that "wine should be fun, not intimidating," which is a nice fit with the spirit of the evening that GayCity calls Holiday Hangover Party. (If you don't already have a holiday hangover, reading the doggerel on that page will give you a good simulation.) Featured wines from Maple Leaf Cellars will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $35 each. Online purchase is recommended. Funds raised benefit Gay City.

Labels: fundraisers, Gay events, Gay Seattle, Seattle

Seattle's wacky Gay Bingo kicks off its 13th season on Saturday, January 13. If you're superstitious and worried about that doubling of 13's, don't sweat it because there will be plenty of folks in attendance capable of fighting off any dastardly deeds of bad-luck: The theme of the premier-week event is Superhero Gay Bingo.

The monthly party happens at the old Naval Reserve Building on South Lake Union, 860 Terry Ave N [get directions]. Individual tickets are $20 and can be bought in advance at the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Thriftstore at 1017 E Union [get directions] on Seattle's First Hill.. Your $20 ticket allows you to play ten bingo games with a $100 cash prize for each.

Doors open at 6 pm.
Gay Bingo starts at 7 p.m

The Thriftstore is closed today but will resume normal hours tomorrow: Mon-Sat 10:30 am to 6:30 pm and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m

Although it features similar cash prizes, calling, and big marker pens, this isn't your grandma's bingo game. The frivolity is hosted by 7'2" drag queen extraordinaire Glamazonia, with assistance from Miss Intermission and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Gay Bingo is a wild night of fun, glitz, glamour, cash prizes, costumes and music -- all while playing bingo. Everyone is encouraged to dress to the nines for the night?s theme. You could win a $50 cash prize for best costume.

Large group tables are sold out for this month's games, but tables for eight or more can be reserved online for future games. You and your table-mates will be given special consideration as Queens For A Day at that game.

[[Note to Lifelong: Despite what you claim in several places on your websites, your offices and thriftstore are on First Hill and not on Capitol Hill. Check the sign on Broadway just to the west and north.]]

Labels: drag show, fundraisers, Gay events, Gay Seattle, Seattle

As we mentioned when we posted Toronto speedo pics, we were waiting for this one.

As he does each year, Towleroad now has a rich and varied collection of pictures of the original Santa Speedo Race that was held this weekend in Boston.

The sixth annual race, held Saturday, is a creative benefit for Ellie Fund to fight breast cancer.

A full collection of photos of the race by Patrick Lentz is available on Flickr.

You'll also find more pics on the benefit's own site.

Labels: eye candy, fundraisers, link bites, shirtless hunk, speedos

We love it when folks from cold places get creative with Christmas-time fundraising, like, oh... Santa Speedo races. The Parisian Boys blog found pictures (including the ones seen here) from the Toronto Santa Speedos who took to the streets of the Yorkville neighborhood last Saturday December 9th 2006. The run was a benefit for a children's health charity.

The original Santa Speedo run in Boston is scheduled for next weekend.

Labels: fundraisers, link bites, shirtless hunk

You'll have another chance to catch a funny theater piece from last summer when Sex*But Remounted is, well... remounted once again as a one-night benefit performance for Seattle PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

The special benefit performance for the PFLAG scholarship fund will be remounted this time at the Langston Hughes Center at 104 17th Avenue S. The one-night benefit performance is Saturday, November 19 at 7:30.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at the benefit's website or at any TicketWindow location.

Sex*But Remounted was created by Eric Sniedze and is directed by Andrew Tasakos. The show was inspired by the notoriously misinformed Chapter 8 of the best-selling 60s book "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*But Were Afraid to Ask" by "Dr" David Ruben.

Sex*But takes Dr. Ruben's words verbatim and catapults them into a campy send up harking back to the time when homosexuality was listed as a mental illness. The production comes complete with slide images, an UNDERWEAR FASHION-SHOW-AND-TELL, and 1970s inspired dance number!

Technorati tags: Gay Gay theater Seattle Queer

Labels: fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization

For the first time in its 19-year history, Seattle's AIDS Walk -- the major benefit for Lifelong AIDS Alliance -- will wind its way though the Capitol Hill neighborhood, starting and ending at Volunteer Park on Saturday, September 10.

Walk organizers expect over 4000 people to participate this year in the annual fund-raising event which is now just over half-way to its total campaign goal of $600,000. A program at Volunteer Park before and after the walk will feature entertainers and several prominent speakers along with food after the walk.

The new 1.2 mile (2.5 km) walking route will lead strollers south from Volunteer Park on 12th Ave E to Denny Way, past the new Cal Anderson Park, and north on Broadway to E. Prospect and back to the Park. (The latter half being most of the traditional Pride Day March route.)

Everyone is urged to participate as a walker and especially by making a donation or by volunteering. (But volunteer quickly because mandatory training sessions will be held this Tuesday or Wednesday.)

Donations can be pledged to an existing team or walker to you can form your own team. The Walk's website includes forms for all types of virtual participation in the event.

Walk-day registration opens at 8am at Volunteer Park. The walk and program are from 9 am until noon.

The Walk once again is sponsored by several prominent Northwest corporations including Microsoft (the presenting sponsor whose employee team has also pledged over $32,000), Starbucks, John L. Scott Real Estate, KING-5, Comcast, Swedish Medical Center, Girlie Press, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Technorati tags: Seattle, AIDS Walk, Fundraising

Labels: fundraisers, Gay events, gay organization