Piece of Cake
Cupcake is the newest queer-friendly party to come to Holocene. Stacy Bias, creator of this sugary-sweet night, has some big ideas of bringing in a little niche market that carries a lot of weight in thealterna-queer scene of gay Portland. Cupcake is designed for “fat folks and allies” to dance and minglein what she refers to as a “safe space.” Not exclusively queer, Cupcake’s intention is to help break down the stereotypes of our fatphobic culture, showing that “fitness and fatness are not mutually exclusive,” Bias explains, and that “self-worth doesn’t depend on size.” But with that agenda aside, Cupcake is also a fun dance party with a DJ, sexy big girl slide show and, best of all, cupcake hors d’oeuvres seductively laid out on all the tables. I was most impressed with the organization of the evening as Holocene was magically transformed to emulate a crafty homemade valentine. The tables and bar were not only filled with cupcakes, but also cute pink centerpieces and free stickers claiming that…well…basically, Jenny Craig is a fu*#ed-up bitch! And if you didn’t agree with Bias’ aesthetics, no problem—you could simply tell her what you wanted changed on one of her many survey sheets strategically placed around the room.The Sunday evening time slot, combined with snacks, stickers and a survey, gave the event a bit of an ice-cream-social, lunch-at-Martha-Stewart’s-house kind of vibe. Though I found it enchanting, it was not the down-and-dirty dance party I wanted it to be. This month Cupcake temporarily moves to a Friday night, March 24, so some of the organization might get trampled by the sweaty, sexy folks ready to show the world that sometimes the best things do come in large packages. Cupcake is held from 4 to 10 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of every month at 1001 S.E. Morrison St.Admission is $5.—
Mark “Zebra” Thomas - Just Out (Mar 17, 2006)