Employees at the city of Portland just formed Oregon’s second-largest independent labor union in the state. 

Professional employees of the city voted Tuesday, June 6, to unionize as the City of Portland Professional Workers (CPPW). 

A recent election saw 306 of 385 eligible employees vote in favor of the effort, representing 54% of all eligible employees. Organizers say efforts have been in the making for the past four or five years, spurred in part by salaries that haven’t kept pace with inflation.

“Effectively, our staff for the last three years have been working as hard, if not harder, than anyone else in the city because of inflation,” Connor Anderson, an outreach coordinator with the new union, told the Mercury on Tuesday. “One of the chief motivating factors for many folks is simple pay equity.”

Anderson said the group hopes to begin bargaining in August or September.

The new union represents professional positions, including coordinators, data analysts, policy developers, administrators, financial analysts, multimedia specialists, technology business representatives, and hearings officers. 

The group doesn’t include city commissioners’ direct staffers.

Kari Koch, CPPW organizing committee president, said the new union comprises employees whose expertise helps keep the city functioning. 

“City workers came out strong to say that we want a voice at the table,” Koch stated in an announcement of the new union. “CPPW members hold critical jobs in the city. We keep programs running, turn raw data into meaningful policy options, balance the books, and are helping guide Portland through the charter reform transitions. Our members work hard for the City and now are organizing for the respect we deserve.”

The Professional Workers are among the last city employees to join a union. Other employees are part of larger, national labor groups, Anderson noted. There are more than 700 employees who are now eligible to join the CPPW. 

Robert Pineda, who also serves on the organizing committee, said the city’s other unionized employees were often given more autonomy than professional workers.

“It’s been our members who’ve felt the sting of budget cuts, furloughs, and layoffs first,” Pineda said in Tuesday’s announcement. “While our unionized coworkers got the regular salary increases they deserved, and their rightful seat at the table to negotiate how best to deal with budget cuts, our members were lucky if they got two percent annual performance raises and are often the first ones on the chopping block. No more.”

The city of Portland employees are the latest in a wave of unionization efforts at businesses, restaurants, and nonprofits, small and large. 

In 2021, Burgerville employees signed their first union contract. Eight New Seasons Market locations are now unionized. Workers at Portland and Eugene locations of sporting goods and outdoor wear company, REI, have attempted to unionize, alongside Starbucks employees at a handful of Portland cafes, with mixed success.

Let's pause for a moment to recognize and celebrate the eye-popping talent of our Mercury writers... many of whom snagged awards this year for excellence in journalism and culture writing from the Oregon chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for stories published in the Mercury and elsewhere! Let's check 'em out:

Hard News category (second place): Former Mercury news reporter Isabella Garcia for her February 2022 feature, "Pumping the Brakes: How Can Portland Slow Its Rising Traffic Fatality Rate?" Isabella dug deep into the numbers, reporting on a startling rise (30 percent) in traffic-related deaths, and what the city is doing to slow down speeding drivers.

Review category (first place): Mercury Arts & Culture editor Suzette Smith for her March 2022 food review "Astral PDX's Han Oak Pop-up Is a "Fucked-up Good" Exploration of Mexican Cuisine." Suzette's smart and drool-worthy description of Astral PDX's five course prix fixe meal was a delight for all the senses.

Education reporting category (second place): Mercury News Editor Courtney Vaughn's (during her tenure with Pamplin Media) article "Teachers Say Special Education Is in Crisis." Special education teachers are understaffed and underpaid to the point where a crisis is imminent, and Courtney's deep dive into the situation was illuminating.

Review category (second place): Mercury Arts & Culture editor Suzette Smith for her September 2022 performance review "Four Hilarious Things That Happened at Takahiro Yamamoto’s NOTHINGBEING." Suzette offered a fun and intelligent description of TBA's thought-provoking NOTHINGBEING, a performance filled with amazing visuals, occasional hilarity, as well as... something kinda scary?

LGBTQ+ equity reporting category (first place): Mercury/EverOut Editor Janey Wong for her December 2022 piece for Eater PDX titled "This Nonprofit Provides Free Meal Deliveries to Portlanders Having Gender-Affirming Surgery." Janey reported on local nonprofit Meals On Us and their program Trans Meal Train, which delivers meals to folks post-surgery when their mobility is limited, while also highlighting the organization's necessary work and the people it helps. Check out Janey's excellent work every day at Eater and the Mercury's EverOut!

Plus it goes without saying (but since I'm here, I'll say it anyway), I'm super proud of all our Mercury staffers and freelancers, who I think are the most thoughtful, smart, and funny writers in the city! Help us keep all these great people employed and working for you every day by making a small contribution to the Mercury. Don't forget: Your contributions go directly to paying our editorial staff and nowhere else! PLEASE AND THANK YOU! ❤️

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Today we’re gonna party like it’s ‘92, because that’s today’s forecasted high temperature! Whew! Tonight’s low is 59. 

This toasty Tuesday is a good excuse not to cook. Instead, go get yourself a delicious, $8 sandwich from among the bevy of Sandwich Week participants. Where else can you get a filling meal for less than $10?!

Let's celebrate! 🎉 The Mercury's SANDWICH WEEK is officially underway! Get your creative sandwich creations all week long—and for only $8 each! 🥪😋https://t.co/PL1d5uKmq3

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) June 5, 2023

In Local News: 

• The Portland Police Bureau is trying to assuage an uneasy public, after online rumors and suggestions that the spate of homicides of six women in the greater Portland area might be the work of a serial killer. PPB released a statement Sunday, saying the cases are unconnected.
• If you’ve ever been stuck on the wrong side of the train tracks in Portland’s inner east side, you know the misery of waiting up to an hour just to cross. The train’s frequent, extended delays have plagued TriMet and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). Now, PBOT will use federal grant money to study the impacts of freight trains that block….err…run through Southeast Portland, transporting everything from dry goods to flammable materials. 

• Sen. Ron Wyden is pressing the FDA and DEA on the ongoing shortage of generic ADHD medications. Wyden cited “conflicting reports” from federal agencies, manufacturers and pharmacies about the cause of the shortage. The federal lawmaker who represents Oregon, says the persistent shortage is having an outsized impact on rural areas that often rely on independent pharmacies.
• In case you missed it, a Portland school bus driver accused of proselytizing to kids and asking them to sing along to religious hymns has been the subject of at least one prior complaint. The Oregon Department of Education determined Portland Public Schools shouldn’t be held to blame for the bus driver’s behavior, but the parent who initially reported the problem says the district is handling the issue poorly. 
• Nurses at three Providence medical centers voted to authorize a strike, citing unfair labor practices and failure to maintain wages that attract and retain experienced medical providers.
• Finally, if you’ve been playing the ‘is it allergies, or a virus?’ game, it’s probably the former. Grass pollen counts in the Willamette Valley have reached all-time highs, and cities as far north as Portland are feeling the impacts, albeit much less than in Eugene.

How to prevent allergy symptoms as grass pollen nears historic levels in Willamette Valley https://t.co/fIRf6EKOf6

— Statesman Journal (@Salem_Statesman) June 5, 2023

In National/World News:

• Former Vice President Mike Pence has officially filed to run for president in the 2024 election. He’ll face off against former President Donald Trump, current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and at least six other Republican candidates who will undoubtedly try to sell Americans on lower taxes and less government, while simultaneously applauding bans on abortion and drag queen shows. Grab the popcorn! 🍿 Can’t wait to see what Pence will say to Trump, who notoriously tried to get Pence to overturn the 2020 election results leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
• Speaking of DeSantis, a Texas sheriff’s office is recommending criminal charges be brought against his administration, in connection with flights paid for by Florida, which shuttled migrants in San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Authorities say officials coerced migrants to board flights with false promises of jobs, and used illegal restraint, including on some children. 

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said it has investigated the transport of 49 migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard last September by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and filed criminal charges — without naming any individual suspects. https://t.co/JtIumifavA

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) June 6, 2023

• The construction of a police training facility in Atlanta dubbed “Cop City” was approved for funding by the city’s elected leaders after a nearly 14-hour meeting. The training center, which has yet to be built, will require a large swath of forest to be cleared to make way for development. Environmental protesters have been actively fighting local authorities, leading to the death of a 26-year-old activist earlier this year.
• A school board in Oklahoma approved the first state-funded public charter school that is also a religious school. They’re either testing the legal waters in hopes of a Supreme Court review, or none of those poor souls paid enough attention in school to learn about the separation of church and state. Yes, the Oklahoma Attorney General already warned the board that its actions are likely to land the state in legal trouble.
• A new study from North Carolina State University found that sucralose, a common ingredient in artificial sweeteners like Splenda, damages human DNA. 

Here’s your reminder that dogs fix everything.

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Ahh yes. It’s that time of year where Portlanders set up camp on Sandy Blvd, arguing over who has “dibs” on a sidewalk space. My neighbors and I helping clean up your mess you leave behind after the multiple off key marching bands come by. And please, keep your kids out of people’s yards. That should be a no brainer, yet I can’t really plant anything until after this event because your little sex trophies ruin my yard every year. I know it has to be hard for you to realize, but not everyone is excited to see your children fuck up their yards much less trash our neighborhood. Be good neighbors, it’s not too much to ask.

Anyone who frequents inner southeast Portland is familiar with the persistent—yet unpredictable—freight train bottlenecks near railroad crossings in the area. Union Pacific freight trains rolling into town via the Brooklyn Intermodal Rail Yard cause such notable logjams in Portland's Central Eastside that more than 1,500 people signed a Change.org petition asking the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to do something about it. 

Now, thanks to a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the city hopes to do just that. 

Last summer, PBOT planners announced the bureau would apply for a planning grant through USDOT's new Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, which receives funding from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. The program allocates grants nationwide for jurisdictions to plan or build railroad crossing improvements that "maximize the safety and efficiency of the U.S. rail network." 

“The train blockages encourage unsafe behavior," PBOT planner Zef Wagner said during an August presentation addressing the railroad crossing woes. "Drivers might try to beat the gates if they see a train might be sitting there for a long time, and people walking and biking will sometimes hop the trains, which is really unsafe." 

The $500,000 federal grant will be supplemented with $150,000 from PBOT. The local match is funded with Central Eastside parking permit surcharge revenue and PBOT's heavy vehicle use tax. With this grant, PBOT will examine 15 at-grade crossings in Portland's Central Eastside, hoping to find a solution to the "frequent blockages [that lead to] safety and congestion issues."

This isn't enough money to start building anything yet, but PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera told the Mercury it's a good start. 

"This is really great news for us," Rivera said. He said the grant will fund a report containing recommendations for short-term and long-term fixes to help Portland overcome freight train obstructions. "[The long-term fixes] could involve capital construction dollars to adjust the freight tracks themselves or to build some improvements, like a bridge or under crossing to separate travelers in the area from freight." 

Freight train blockages aren't a new inconvenience for people traveling around Portland, but the problem has become even more noticeable in recent years. Freight rail operators have made cargo-carrying trains longer, saying it's cheaper and more energy efficient. Union Pacific's trains are 30% longer today than they were in 2018, when the rail company switched to a new service model to accommodate more freight capacity. The switch has resulted in extra-long wait times at railroad crossings nationwide, which local jurisdictions have no control over. 

"We’re as frustrated as the public is with the lack of responsiveness we get from Union Pacific," Rivera told the Mercury. "We have zero authority to influence what they do." 

In Portland, freight train blockages are especially prominent on the city's east side: north of Powell Blvd and south of Stark St. People in other parts of town are impacted, too, but PBOT said they want to deal with the Central Eastside first. 

"We’ve identified the Central Eastside as having among the most critical needs for railroad crossing improvements, but certainly there are other neighborhoods that have needs," Rivera said to the Mercury. "We’re hoping that what we learn in the Central Eastside will help us better understand options that could be applicable in other areas." 

To advocates who have been pushing the city to make changes at the railroad crossings, news of federal funding comes as a relief. 

"Any funding to help relieve a constant bottleneck in Southeast Portland is much needed," Andrew Lindstrom, a transportation advocate who lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood, told the Mercury. "Hopefully the study will find good ways to mitigate the root causes of Union Pacific assembling mile plus long intermodal trains in a yard that is too small to handle the trains without stopping to block a key local street connection."

Brooklyn neighborhood resident and accessibility advocate Josh Hetrick has led several informational campaigns to help people avoid getting stuck at the rail crossings, including a website that offers alternate route ideas.  

"I’d say that with longer and longer trains becoming the norm now, more study—and hopefully action—is definitely welcome," Hetrick told the Mercury. "The Bob Stacey Overcrossing elevators are out (again), and the #70 bus route was changed in part to avoid delays at that intersection, so this is something that’s increasingly disruptive to the area." 

Rivera said PBOT hopes findings from the railroad crossing study will be released by 2025. From there, the bureau will look into finding more funding for solutions. 

Fazilat Soukhakian is an Iranian artist, photographer, scholar, and storyteller whose work depicts the stories of bravery and strength of those marginalized by society, highlighting the act of overcoming struggle and inspiring others. She is currently an Associate Professor of Photography at Utah State University. In our interview, we talk about following dreams, challenging injustice, and creating a better future for LGBTQ+ people.

You started your career as a photojournalist in Iran, and became one of very few female photojournalists. Can you tell me about pioneering this career within a tremendously patriarchal society?

I did have a few examples of very strong female photojournalists around me, which gave me the courage and vision to start my career as a photojournalist when I was only 22 years old. It took me a while until I was able to prove myself as a female photojournalist working almost exclusively alongside men in the field. But I believe that this time was the most important period in my photography career, giving me a vision on what I wanted to do with photography. Being right in the center of the capital and documenting the governmental workings, I witnessed the inequalities, and I knew I wanted to portray them with my camera. 

That’s inspiring. And what brought you to the USA in 2011?

From my experiences working as a photojournalist in Iran, I realized the characteristic of photography as a tool of power where you can record, portray, and express your concern for social injustice, and inequalities. I realized how photography could be so powerful that it is considered a threat for those who benefit from this injustice. I wanted to learn more about this medium, so I decided to get my master’s degree and be in a place where I could freely practice photography without a constant risk and worry of getting arrested or being threatened for any project I would work on.

How did you find yourself creating the Queer in Utah photo series?

As a photographer dealing with social justice issues, born and raised in Iran; the country that still punishes the LGBTQ+ with the death penalty, I always felt extremely helpless that I was not able to reflect on this issue to showcase the challenges that my queer friends and community in Iran, were dealing with (the risk was too high).

After moving to the USA, I was shocked to find out that the LGBTQ+ community in certain regions of the United States goes through similar struggles and challenges of discrimination and suppression. The Queer in Utah project was started after witnessing people from my new community in Utah struggle with depression, sometimes even injury by self-infliction. Friends that had to choose between their faith and desires, all rooted in a system of self-doubt from a clash where faith and sexual orientation can’t seem to harmonize.

Growing up Mormon, this is something I can really relate to, and appreciate. What do you hope to achieve with this work?

My photographs simply portray these beautiful people in their pursuit of love in a society that considers their identity and desire to be something to feel guilty about, yet they resist in their own individual ways. I can only hope that, by sharing these stories, it inspires others in similar situations not to lose hope and to feel empowered towards their own love pursuits. Ideally, I hope to contribute a small part towards the normalization of the LGBTQ+ community in the conservative setting of Utah with this project. This project is evolving as the Queer community in Utah's situation is changing due to the fight of this community and the many activists working towards a better future. 

Currently, the series is on view at the Metaverse Gallery of FOTOEVIDENCE, where the project has been well received and viewed by many people from across the world, which is amazing. It is a very important time to highlight this subject, as the LDS church has recently backed a bill that supports same-sex marriage. I believe now is the time to push harder for real change to happen.

Find more of Fazilat Soukhakian’s work at soukhakian.com and follow her on Instagram at @fazilatsoukhakian.

The first full week of June is coming in HOT, bringing equally hot events from Portland Rose Festival to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and from Portland Mercury's Sandwich Week to Ocean Vuong and Anis Mojgani.

Psychotronic Afterschool Special in 16mm
Pop your edibles, people! This mind-bending 16mm collection from local film archivist and programmer Greg Hamilton is a thrilling addition to the mix of psychedelic film compilations that's been hitting the indie cinema scene lately. Psychotronic Afterschool Special is an all-new freaky mash-up of weirdo animations, commercials, processed ham slices, furry green menaces, and more. Cowabunga! (Wanna learn more about the man behind the madness? Check out this 2022 profile on Hamilton.) LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District)

IT'S A FACT: The pinnacle of human ingenuity is undoubtedly THE SANDWICH. And at long last, it's time to celebrate humankind's greatest feat with the Portland Mercury's Sandwich Week! (Brought to you by our pals at Jim Beam and EverOut!) And if you love sandwiches, you are gonna lose your damn mind, because happening RIGHT NOW from Monday June 5 to Sunday June 11, Portlanders will be feasting on delectable, original sandwiches built by the city's most creative sandwich makers... and if that's not enough, each of those sammies can be had for a mere $8! Are you dreaming? NO, YOU ARE NOT! 

The Mercury's Sandwich Week is not only a perfect excuse to shove a delicious sandy (or 10... or 20) into your mouth, but it's also a great way to support and introduce yourselves to local restaurants who might not be on your radar. AND it also helps the Mercury continue the top-notch investigative reporting and arts/entertainment coverage you rely on every day. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT!

Check in at portlandsandwichweek.com to see pics and descriptions of all of this year's one-of-a-kind sandwich creations, and plot your Sandwich Week course with our handy-dandy map—but before you start planning the most delicious week of your life, please keep a few things in mind:

TIP!
And please, don't be stingy! Sandwich Week takes a ton of work—especially from Portland's beloved servers, cooks, and bartenders! Let 'em know you appreciate it. With money.

BRANCH OUT!
Each Sandwich Week location has more than just fantastic sandwiches—you'll also find excellent drinks and sides! Could you survive this week eating nothing but sandwiches? Uh... probably. But you'd miss out on other awesome stuff!

RELAX!
Due to its official status as The Most Beloved Event on Planet Earth™, Sandwich Week can get a little hectic. There will be lines—so if a place is too busy, just come back the next day, or hit another Sandwich Week spot!

#PORTLANDSANDWICHWEEK
The Mercury's got you covered with Sandwich Week updates, reviews, and tips on Instagram, as well as Twitter (just search the #portlandsandwichweek hashtag for loads of up-to-the-second info). And make sure you're signed up for Portland Mercury and EverOut newsletters to stay up to date on ALL the news and events in town.

WE ADORE YOU!
Thank you so much for partaking and enjoying in the Mercury's food weeks and supporting small local businesses—especially those who may not get the attention they deserve! YOU'RE THE BEST. And, as always, if you appreciate the Mercury's daily efforts to keep you informed and entertained, please consider dropping a small contribution so we can keep it going!

Don't miss the delicious fun of the PORTLAND MERCURY'S SANDWICH WEEK happening right now from Monday June 5 to Sunday June 11! Your mouth never had so much fun!

Hello my little Trash Pandas, and welcome to The Trash Report! It's your girl, Elinor Jones, coming to you live from a rainbow T-shirt I bought at Target, which is not an act of defiance (or even really allyship, because capitalism is inherently harmful to marginalized communities), but it is kinda cool that wearing said rainbow T-shirt might piss off someone who sucks. I hope you are enjoying the early days of PRIDE month by being joyous and thoughtful while centering queer voices. (Or your own voice, if that's you!)

If you need any inspiration to get your head in the gayme, Jezebel has a great roundup of both successful and unsuccessful #pridemonth social media posts, the best being Kim Cattrall's announcement that she was reviving her Sex and the City character Samantha Jones for a brief cameo in the HBO spinoff And Just Like That, cementing her status as an queer icon who knows what the people want and need, and the worst being major league baseball who could only make it one day with their rainbow avatar, cementing baseball's status as the least gay major league sport.

Major League Baseball quietly removed their pride month logo from social media accounts after just one dayhttps://t.co/rk2nckNVYM

— OutKick (@Outkick) June 2, 2023

Now, onto the gossip!

Beloved daddy Pedro Pascal was on a Hollywood Reporter actor roundtable where he and others talked about weird fan interactions. Both of them seemed pretty gracious, which I certainly would not have been if I were Pascal: He shared that fans kept trying to recreate the moment his Game of Thrones' character Oberyn Martell got his eyes gouged out by sticking their grubby thumbs in Pascal's eyes after he agreed to take a photo with them to the extent that he got literal eye infections. Can you imagine?! The nerve! And ew, gross! This must say something about Pascal's approachability that they'd even try. I really doubt fans of Sean Bean (Ned Stark) would try to cut off his head. Or would they try to attack Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) with dogs? You gonna pretend to be a zombie attacking Bella Ramsay (Lyanna Mormont)? Get a grip, people. Or rather: Don't.

Speaking of people trying to ruin things, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega was recently papped smoking a cigarette, and then her own mom tried to shame her by posting on social media about the dangers of cigarettes. Which like, as a parent, yes, I understand the compulsive need to keep our children safe and use every moment as a teaching moment. But as a permanent teenager, honestly, isn't making our parents mad kind of the point of smoking cigarettes? People look cool smoking because it makes their parents hate it. Jenna's mom just made each cigarette a thousand times more delicious. Don't smoke—but if you do, make sure it makes your mom mad. That's how you know you're doing it right.

The American economy has added a lot of jobs since Joe Biden took the wheel, and our tiny horny grandmother Dr. Ruth got real about what it means:

More people with jobs means less depressed people which means a rise in the nation's sex satisfaction index. Who said economics isn't a sexy subject? https://t.co/dX0xDbj77b

— Dr. Ruth Westheimer (@AskDrRuth) June 2, 2023

I've yet to see Dr. Ruth not manage to sexualize any piece of news. Remember early in COVID when she told us lockdowns would be okay, because we could all have sex all the time? I'm flattered she thought any of us could have used that time for being horny and not just drinking too much and watching all of television, which is definitely what I was doing.  

In other news, several more Republicans either have or are about to throw their red baseball caps into the ring seeking the Republican presidential nomination. Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Ron DeSantis—as well as disgraced former president Donald Trump himself—have either formally announced their candidacy or been dancing around it. Trump did a lot of damage to American institutions, and one thing he totally FUBARed for me is the absolute glee I used to experience during primary season when power-thirsty Republicans would tear each other apart and debase themselves. Because last time they did that, Trump came out on top, and I feel like he might again, so now it's not fun anymore, it's just stressful. Thanks a lot, Trump. First you ruined golden toilets for me, and now this!

Through Lainey Gossip I was blessed with this link to a 2004 People Magazine roundup of that year's notable breakups and hookups, and it's outrageous for how foundational some of those pairings/unpairings have been to so much celebrity news that we enjoy today! For real, 2004 was the year of the demise of Bennifer 1.0 (with Ben Affleck and J. Lo) and the beginning of Bennifer 2.0 (with Jennifer Garner) as well as the beginning of J. Lo's relationship with Marc Anthony. Despite both of those romances resulting in long marriages and children, it's so clear now that they were trying to out-rebound each other. BTW, since Ben and J. Lo are back together again, do we call that relationship Bennifer 1.1? Bennifer 1, a? Anyway, this was also the year Lindsay Lohan and Wilmer Valderrama broke up, kicking off Lilo's wild child era, and the year that Britney married K. Fed, kicking off all of our wearing-tracksuits-with-words-on-the-butt-at-weddings era. What a time to be alive. #neverforget 

Some more old gossip that is important to me and whoever else spent a good portion of the 90s wearing out their VHS of Wayne's World is that Mike Meyers almost single-handedly ruined the movie and was probably the reason that the sequel sucked. The first film's director Penelope Spheeris told The Hollywood Reporter that while filming the first movie was relatively low-drama (aside from Meyers getting hangry, which like, relatable), after the film Meyers gave the studio 10 pages of notes about all the ways he wanted the movie changed, including such boneheaded suggestions as cutting the scene when they all sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the Mirthmobile, which has since become a touchstone of American comedy. In a heroic display of female excellence, Spheeris rejected Meyers's changes, resulting in her not getting brought back to direct the sequel, which again, sucked.

I gotta go now, but I hope that you have a gorgeous week in honor of this newest member of the LGBTQIA community:

Time to add a new stripe to the flag pic.twitter.com/YnWeulX9u3

— Jeff Yang 🫶 (@originalspin) June 2, 2023

Junely,

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Let the bells ring and confetti fall, because TODAY marks the triumphant return of the Mercury's SANDWICH WEEK—creative, one-of-a-kind creations made by the city's top sammy makers! And they're only $8 each? What? YES! It runs all the way through this Sunday, June 11, so get all the info you need while also checking out drool-worthy pics of these divine sandwiches HERE. And now, I invite you to drool over some NEWS.

Get ready, tummy! The most delicious event of the summer, the Mercury's SANDWICH WEEK, arrives this coming Monday! 🥪 EAT THEM ALLLLLLL!!!https://t.co/QCquz0teiv

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) June 2, 2023

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Thanks to a well-informed public, Mayor Wheeler's plan to implement the controversial ShotSpotter gun detection program (pushed by local big business, naturally) has been shelved following lots of outcry from Portlanders who didn't want to waste a poop-ton of taxpayer money on a technology that doesn't really work, is an invasion of privacy, and could send cops with their guns drawn into neighborhoods of color. TOO BAD, SO SAD. Our Courtney Vaughn has the deets.

The mayor and police chief cited police staffing shortages and community input in a decision not to move forward with gunshot detection technology. Data shows most Portlanders who were surveyed opposed the plan for a pilot project. https://t.co/kdRfnJ3ZBJ

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) June 3, 2023

• Measure 114—Oregon's new gun restriction law which limits ammo magazine size, and requires a background check and taking a safety class for those purchasing weapons—is going to court this week, where a judge will decide if it is constitutionally sound, or if it's okay to allow senseless mass shootings to continue.

• Oregon Republican legislators have about three weeks left to stop being goddamn crybabies and resume doing the job voters are paying them for, at which point the current legislative session could collapse and even the bills they like will vanish into the ether. Senate Dems are now threatening to fine these runaways $325 every day they're absent—but as we know dark-money GOP sources will pay for all sorts of ridiculous, self-defeating things. (I noticed yesterday that the patently stupid "Schmidt Show" billboard from People for Portland is still up.)

• Vancouver police say they will release the video footage (sometime? eventually? maybe?) of a deadly cop shooting where three officers and a Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed an alleged robbery suspect in a grocery store parking lot last Tuesday. It's unclear whether the officers will get to watch (or have already watched) the bodycam footage, giving them the opportunity to change their testimony in their favor.

• Two men were killed in a deadly crash early Sunday morning after their car jumped the barrier on the Morrison Bridge and fell to SE Water Street below. Police are investigating the crash, but suspect that speed and alcohol were involved. (Have you noticed the uptick in untrained idiots driving their cars and trucks waaay faster than they're able to control? Same!) 

HOW SMART AM YOU? Let's find out with this week's super entertaining POP QUIZ PDX. This week: Which long running Rose Festival parade was eventually canceled due to crowd shenanigans (which frankly sounds so much more fun than our current parades)? 🤔https://t.co/Ttw7POCVh8

— Wm. Steven Humphrey (@WmSteveHumphrey) June 2, 2023

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• A Trump-appointed judge shot down Tennessee's CLEARLY unconstitutional (even to a Trump judge) ban on drag performances in the state, saying it was both “vague and substantially overbroad." For a group that goes on and on about "protecting their freedoms," Republicans sure do hate "freedoms"!

• They also apparently hate average Americans making money:

Of the 49m jobs created since 1989, when a new age of globalization began, 47m, 96% have been created under Dem Presidents. Essentially all of them.

GOP econ track record in this period among worst in US history. 3/ pic.twitter.com/dXYepCuT3x

— Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) June 2, 2023

• A sonic boom frightened residents in Washington, DC, yesterday when military jets scrambled to respond a small private plane that wasn't obeying requests to turn away from the nation's capitol. The plane eventually crashed in Virginia, and authorities are looking into the mystery.

• Bad news for Elon Musk and Twitter (which equates to good news for everyone else): Since purchasing the social media platform, ad sales have plummeting under Musk's watch by a whopping 59 percent.

• In the WEATHER:

Warm temperatures are expected this week. The hottest temperatures Tuesday & Wednesday will create Moderate risk of heat-related illnesses.
🥤 Stay hydrated
⌚️ Limit time outdoors 10am - 4pm
🏠 Stay in a cool place during peak heat
➡️ https://t.co/b58LmSvqVP#ORwx #WAwx pic.twitter.com/j9irrUgWf9

— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) June 5, 2023

• In media news, Meet the Press host Chuck Todd—who is... often not great—is stepping down from his job for the usual "family reasons" and will be replaced by the far more capable White House correspondent (and the first Black person to hold the role), Kristen Welker.

• And finally... don't like deep fakes? Then NO SOUP FOR YOU!

OMG I love the internet 🤣

H/t @brianmonarch pic.twitter.com/MXCcbJYMKE

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) June 4, 2023

GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)

• Critics Call City's Proposed Camping Ban "Impossible to Comply With"

"I think expecting people to be able to comply with packing up tents and carrying away all their belongings every morning at 8 am is really unrealistic," one service provider said.

• POP QUIZ PDX!

Thinking caps on! 🧠 It's time for another super fun POP QUIZ PDX! This week's trivia quiz includes jerky local politicos, birthday chimps, and Rose Festival shenanigans throughout the years!🎺 See how well YOU score!

• City Settles Class Action Disabilities Lawsuit Over Blocked Sidewalks

The settlement agreement will lead to more reporting and sweeps of tents that block sidewalks. It will also curb the city's distribution of tents and tarps, with some exceptions. The lead plaintiff railed against "progressive extremism."

• THE TRASH REPORT

Time to take out the trash! 🗑️ This week in hot gossip: Omigod, so much poop. That is all. 💩

• Pedalpalooza, Portland's Summer-Long Bike Festival, Begins This Week

Three months of delightful Portland bike festivities are officially underway with Pedalpalooza!

• HEAR IN PORTLAND

The wonderful Kingsley released some ridiculously good videos, recorded at Clinton Street Theater. Read about her upcoming headliner show, and other UNMISSABLE Portland music world happenings in this week's unmissable music column.

• Nonprofits Say Social Service Workers Are Dangerously Close To Needing Services They’re Paid To Provide

Social service nonprofits play a key role in the city and county's ability to provide services, but some are struggling, due to substandard wages. Hundreds of nonprofit workers are now calling on regional leaders to build better wages into their contracts.

• Kickstand Announces Comedy in the Park 2023, New Brick and Mortar Location

The Portland comedy nonprofit hopes to parlay love for their free weekly park events into fundraising a permanent indoor space for the fall.

• The Best Things To Do in Portland This Month: June 2023

June brings the first official day of summer, Pride month, Juneteenth, Father's Day, and events from the Portland Rose Festival to the Tigard Festival of Balloons. We've compiled everything you need to know about for the month ahead here!

• Portland Thrash Trio U SCO Has a New Record, and It Was Worth the Wait

The new album from Portland tech thrash trio U SCO defies description, but we'll still try: monolithic and euphoric, with one track containing epic interlocking bass clarinet from Golden Retriever's Jonathan Sielaff.

• SAVAGE LOVE

An apparently "famous" artist doesn't want the world to know he's bisexual—and also apparently doesn't realize that no one gives a shit.

WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN'. I hope you didn't have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!

Portland won’t be implementing gunshot detection technology anytime soon. 

Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Friday, June 2, that he and Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell decided not to move forward with the technology, which would have seen acoustic sensors placed on utility poles in targeted areas of the city.

The city will instead rely on a partnership with Cure Violence Global, to implement a Portland Ceasefire program. 

“The Mayor and Chief determined now was not the time to proceed with a pilot proposal for [gunshot detection technology],” a statement from the mayor’s office reads. “This decision was based on community input, current staffing challenges at PPB, and the City’s plan to move forward with building our comprehensive gun violence strategy through Portland Ceasefire, partnership with Cure Violence Global to expand our street level outreach, and ongoing Office of Violence Prevention investments.”

The announcement followed a press conference the day prior, in which Wheeler and Lovell explained their decision. 

The ceasefire program will bring in the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to help train police on combing over shooting incident reports and finding patterns or key data that could help prevent future gun violence. It will also dole out millions in funding to community organizations aimed at gun violence prevention. The Portland Ceasefire plan will also lean on Cure Violence Global’s community-based violence interruption tactics. 

According to Cure Violence, the organization uses a public health approach, viewing violence “through an epidemiological lens, as a learned, transmissible behavior, which can be interrupted.”

The organization trains selected groups and “credible messengers” within a community, to identify and limit conflict, as part of a holistic approach to building healthy social norms, according to CVG’s evidence summaries. 

Overall, the number of reported shootings from January to April in Portland is down, compared with 2022, and slightly lower than those reported in 2021. 

An analysis of Portland’s gun violence problem conducted in 2020 concluded the majority of homicides involved “high-risk social networks” and the vast majority of victims and suspects were adults with previous involvement in the criminal justice system. 

The analysis looked at four years of data, from 2015 to 2019. 

In April, the community heard pitches from two gunshot detection tech companies–SoundThinking (formerly called ShotSpotter) and EAGL– who were both vying for a city contract. A pilot program was estimated to cost the city $70,000 to $85,000 per-square-mile. 

Portlanders were skeptical about the effectiveness and accuracy of the technology, concerned about the surveillance aspect, and doubtful of its ability to help drive down rates of shootings. 

Previously, the city auditor investigated SoundThinking's lobbying of the Portland Police Bureau, as the city was considering whether to purchase the company's products. 

Before abandoning plans for the technology, the city commissioned Portland State University’s Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute to help poll a random sample of 23 neighborhoods that are most susceptible to gun violence, based on past police data.

Households were surveyed on whether they knew about the city’s consideration of a pilot program and whether the city should go forward with one. City commissioners also sent the poll to community groups, business and neighborhood associations, and staffers at City Hall.

Overall, the majority of those surveyed opposed gunshot detection technology. Those with more knowledge of the program and technology were more likely to be opposed, according to the survey results.

Wheeler indicated gunfire detection technology isn’t off the table for future implementation. 

“The Mayor and Chief agree that the topic should be revisited in the future at a time when PPB staffing can better support GDT and we have the benefit of evaluating the results of our current efforts,” the announcement stated.

IT'S A FACT: The pinnacle of human ingenuity is undoubtedly THE SANDWICH. And at long last, it's time to celebrate humankind's greatest feat with the Portland Mercury's Sandwich Week! (Brought to you by our pals at Jim Beam and EverOut!) And if you love sandwiches, you are gonna lose your damn mind, because from Monday June 5 to Sunday June 11, Portlanders will be feasting on delectable, original sandwiches built by the city's most creative sandwich makers... and if that's not enough, each of those sammies can be had for a mere $8! Are you dreaming? NO, YOU ARE NOT! 

The Mercury's Sandwich Week is not only a perfect excuse to shove a delicious sandy (or 10... or 20) into your mouth, but it's also a great way to support and introduce yourselves to local restaurants who might not be on your radar. AND it also helps the Mercury continue the top-notch investigative reporting and arts/entertainment coverage you rely on every day. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT!

Check in at portlandsandwichweek.com to see pics and descriptions of all of this year's one-of-a-kind sandwich creations, and plot your Sandwich Week course with our handy-dandy map—but before you start planning the most delicious week of your life, please keep a few things in mind:

TIP!
And please, don't be stingy! Sandwich Week takes a ton of work—especially from Portland's beloved servers, cooks, and bartenders! Let 'em know you appreciate it. With money.

BRANCH OUT!
Each Sandwich Week location has more than just fantastic sandwiches—you'll also find excellent drinks and sides! Could you survive this week eating nothing but sandwiches? Uh... probably. But you'd miss out on other awesome stuff!

RELAX!
Due to its official status as The Most Beloved Event on Planet Earth™, Sandwich Week can get a little hectic. There will be lines—so if a place is too busy, just come back the next day, or hit another Sandwich Week spot!

#PORTLANDSANDWICHWEEK
The Mercury's got you covered with Sandwich Week updates, reviews, and tips on Instagram, as well as Twitter (just search the #portlandsandwichweek hashtag for loads of up-to-the-second info). And make sure you're signed up for Portland Mercury and EverOut newsletters to stay up to date on ALL the news and events in town.

WE ADORE YOU!
Thank you so much for partaking and enjoying in the Mercury's food weeks and supporting small local businesses—especially those who may not get the attention they deserve! YOU'RE THE BEST. And, as always, if you appreciate the Mercury's daily efforts to keep you informed and entertained, please consider dropping a small contribution so we can keep it going!

Don't miss the delicious fun of the PORTLAND MERCURY'S SANDWICH WEEK: Monday June 5 to Sunday June 11! Your mouth never had so much fun!

Get the scoop on the latest updates in the Portland food world, from Mike's Drive-In's new drive-thru location in Kenton to a Woodlawn bar inside a former silent movie theater. Plus, read about HeyDay's Doughnut Day specials and the start of the Portland Mercury's Sandwich Week 2023. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.

The Lobby Bar
On May 11, co-owners Jessica and Kirk Kelley opened this charming bar in a former silent movie theater in Woodlawn, with a seasonal spring menu of bites like green garlic butter popcorn and brown butter cabbage with aged goat's Gouda. Cocktails range from "Garden Notes" (vodka, Lillet, lemon, rhubarb syrup, and fresh mint) to "Smells Like Camellia" (gin, Meletti, vermouth, and a lemon twist). The live performance theater Dekum Street Theater is slated to open under separate ownership in the adjoining space sometime this fall—it sounds like the two businesses will make a great date night destination.
Woodlawn
Dine-in

We want you to make the most of your precious weekend, which means not wasting a lot of time deciding what to do. To help you out, we're suggesting the best, budget-friendly events around, from the CareOregon Starlight Parade to the Latino Cultural Festival and from My People's Market 12 to the Portland Spring Beer & Wine Fest. For more ideas, check out our guide to the top events of the week.

Portland Spring Beer & Wine Fest
After a long hiatus, the Portland Spring Beer and Wine Fest is back and better than ever. Satisfy your thirst for abundance with a myriad of craft beers, ciders, wines, spirits, and food, from vendors like Buoy Beer Co., Pono Brewing, Ecliptic Brewing, Binary Brewing Co., Taqueria La Merced, Spice of Africa, Catman Cellars, Portland Cider Co., and more. DJ Bobby Brown will set the ambiance with tunes from open till close. JULIANNE BELL
(Washington Monroe Park, Buckman, $5-$15)

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! 

Good Morning, Portland: Happy Pride!—more generally, as Portland moved it's Pride Parade to mid-July.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Speaking of Pride, some fucking g o r g e o u s news dropped yesterday: Wildfang and Darcelle XV Showplace are teaming up to try to break the Guinness World Record for longest drag show. Read everything we know about it—at this time—right here.

• And now back to the SHAME. Following swiftly on the heels of a ridiculous settlement Portland City Council approved this week—which proposes a city that can't manage a whole slew of other things can somehow create and maintain a "web-based data dashboard... accessible to the public, with information on the city’s response to complaints of obstructed sidewalks, and a 24-hour reporting system... for the public to... report when tents or related items are blocking a sidewalk"—Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office introduced a camping ban proposal, which would prohibit sleeping or placing tents within 250 feet of super special areas between super special times that are meaningless because we will never be able to enforce such a wrongheaded move in the first place.

• At least the city has abandoned its gunshot detection pilot project. "It really came down to resources: time, money, bandwidth and personnel,” Mayor Wheeler said at a press conference, ignoring that such things were also necessary for his new, ass-backward anti-homeless-people-exsisting initiative.

• Also encouraging on a Friday, Oregon lawmakers who have been engaging in the prolonged walkout that has stymied the state legislature are about to be fined for skipping class:

It's a short week but it's been a busy one in Salem. Kotek declared an impasse, Republicans argued they spotted a key loophole in Measure 113 and now Democrats say they will fine Republican senators $325 per day until they return. @LaurenDake reports https://t.co/FUndKz2iiz

— Andrew Theen (@andrewtheen) June 1, 2023

• A retired paper mill worker in Warrenton, Oregon told OPB that it’s not unusual to find a dozen Elk roaming his yard. "They eat his flowers and defecate on his lawn. Worse still, he’s sometimes scared to go outside to get the mail." OPB reports that the Elk population has ballooned in the area and along the Oregon coast, due to a variety of reasons, including Elk GAINING A TASTE for rhododendrons. Allegedly elks can weigh a thousand pounds, and they have been ramming cars and even attacking people. Fuck yes (tears up credit cards) I've been waiting for this. They have antlers; put them in charge!

 • Are you ever having one of those weeks where not a lot is happening, news-wise? Yeah, me neither. QUIZ YOURSELF on all the bullshit in the news recently with our Pop Quiz PDX! This week's trivia quiz includes jerky local politicos, birthday chimps, and Rose Festival shenanigans. See whether you agree with our use of shenanigans there.

• It's freakin' Friday. So you know that means: the 10 am ticketing drop. This week you can scoop tickets to Blonde Redhead. Aaaaannnnnd everything else looks boring. You know what's not boring? STRAWBERRY. FUCKING. MUSEUM. The event that led to our current love affair with quirky and so changeable Montavilla dessert cafe Zuckercreme, Strawberry Museum has a simple premise, strawberry stuff: Cakes, creams, drawings, hats—just strawberry stuff. You can't go wrong. It starts today! (It was supposed to start yesterday, but there was too much strawberry stuff and they needed to hold off until today.)

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by zuckercreme ☻ (@zuckercreme)

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Yesterday President Biden tripped:

The White House said President Biden is fine after he tripped and fell after delivering a speech and handing out diplomas to graduates of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Thursday. Biden was helped up and appeared to recover quickly. https://t.co/HLFP3fuWsX pic.twitter.com/qQH7nPAcSY

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 1, 2023

• Chaos ensued:

Welp, Joe Biden just fell down. Say goodbye to reading anything important on this site for the next 72 hours.

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 1, 2023

• But then the Senate finally passed a bill to suspend the national debt limit until 2025, preventing the federal government from defaulting on the national debt. President Biden is scheduled to address the nation tonight about the bill, which includes compromises with Republican politicians to limit government spending. 

• The New York Post and Uproxx have been reporting on a story about Tom Morello's Instagram account... 😔. Apparently the former Rage Against the Machine / Audioslave guitarist posted an unattributed quote: "If 9 people sit down at a table with 1 Nazi without protest, there are 10 Nazis at the table." The choice to report about the DOZENS (?) of people that upset tells you what those publications consider news. This isn't important, but someone will inevitably mention it to you at a party this weekend.

This says a lot more about the Post than it says about Tom Morello. https://t.co/QogRvnN3sD

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) June 2, 2023

• In other stories that should never have been reported at. fucking. ALL, if you eat meat you don't get to talk shit on the three teens who caught, killed, and ate a swan in upstate New York. That swan had a far nicer life than anything involved in your McGriddle, including the wheat. While I'm open to having my mind changed by the impeding series of True Story: Swan Killer podcasts these events will doubtlessly spawn, at this moment I have read that the bird fed a family for a feast. The youths were keeping the cygnets to raise as pets. They have now given them back and apologized. All the reportage is coded weird against outsiders, and I don't like it.

• In conclusion, Happy Pride to people attracted to Cate Blanchett:

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by queer cate blanchett lookbook (@dykeblanchett)

Directioners, are you listening? Niall Horan has revealed dates for The Show tour next summer in support of his forthcoming album. Three Days Grace, with Chevelle, will bring you back to your Hot Topic days with a stop in Portland this fall. Plus, we’ve got your early warning for Janelle Monáe tickets, which go on sale next Wednesday. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

MUSIC

Blonde Redhead
Wonder Ballroom (Fri Oct 20)

The Common Opus
Winningstad Theatre (Sun July 30)

The Japanese House
Revolution Hall (Sat Nov 25)

Darcelle XV Showplace is no stranger to world records. Opened and operated by namesake Darcelle XV—herself the oldest performing drag queen, until the passing of Walter Cole in March—the Old Town-situated theater reigns fiercely as the West Coast's longest running drag venue.

In July, it's looking to break another record. Partnering with Portland-founded, gender-infinite clothing boutique Wildfang, Poison Waters and Darcelle's want to take the crown for the longest running drag performance of all time. More accurately, they want to blow the record to high heaven with a 48-hour DRAG-A-THON.

Promising a number of famous and funny hosts—comedian Cameron Esposito and stylist Stacy London from What Not to Wear have joined the charge with, of course, Poison Waters—the chaos and charisma unfolds just before Portland's newly moved Pride weekend, Monday July 10-Wednesday July 12.

But while this could just be about glamour, style, and sheer longevity, the act of endurance is here to make a more profound statement about self-expression, directly responding to the Tennessee drag ban and other anti-drag bills proposed in US states. DRAG-A-THON hopes to raise $250,000 for the Trevor Project and additionally tuck some dollars into the nylons of queens from the impacted areas.

"Everybody's aware that Tennessee has introduced a drag ban," Wildfang CEO Emma Mcilroy told the Mercury. "There's actually 13 other states that are on the verge of doing something similar, so it's not a one-off."

That ban, which was signed into Tennessee state law by Gov. Bill Lee in March, is currently on hold due to an injunction from a federal judge, who pumped the brakes on the law's constitutionality, on grounds that drag performance is protected freedom of speech. The law and the vagueness of its wording—lumping male or female impersonators "or similar entertainers" into an adult cabaret category—direct its bad faith outrage at the queer community and steep legal penalties towards those it would punish.

"We wanted to do something to respond," Mcilroy said. "And in this case, we're meeting it directly head-on with joy. We noticed that there were a bunch of [Guinness World Records] for drag, and one of them was already being held by Darcelle. I called Poison, and I called the other event producer, Eden—and I said do you think it's even possible? And Poison straightaway said 'Yes, of course'."

As a longstanding co-hostess at Darcelle's, Kevin Cook, whose alter ego is Poison Waters, had stepped into a figurehead role since even before Cole's passing. Cook revealed this plan has been in the works since mid-March and was aimed at supporting out-of-town queens, the Trevor Project, and the venue itself.

"It's a way to highlight the club—to highlight Darcelle's Guinness World Record." Cook told the Mercury. "And I love the idea of helping out these other queens. Not to sound condescending, but they may not be able to perform in the place they call home. So we wanted to bring them in and say 'Hey, you have a home here.' Darcelle's has always been a gathering space for the community. Let's bring in all the drag queens!"

The current record for longest drag artist stage show was set in 2017, in Australia. At 36 hours and 36 minutes (and 40 seconds), that show included "88 performers and over 350 different songs." Setting their goal at 48 hours, Wildfang and Darcelle's want to blow that time out of the water, setting a stake to hold onto the title.

The feat will not be easy. The Guinness World Records team has issued tight parameters, Mcilroy said. Queens need to perform within fixed windows of time (no less than two minutes, no more than ten) and must switch out after every set. That adds up to potentially hundreds of consecutive performances.

They also need at least 25 people in the audience at any one given time, so the team projects selling tickets for two-hour seatings, staggered with the performances. You may have to leave in the middle of Whitney Houston, Mcilroy said, but it's for the cause.

Cook said that the staff is enthusiastic and onboard, even about the staggered show plan: "Darcelle's is unique, in that our show is kind of theater-style. Every other drag place in the world is more in line with this event. Every other queen is used to audiences coming and going, getting up, [and] walking around because they're in a bar."

The DRAG-A-THON team hopes to raise $250,000 for the Trevor Project, "which will go towards both legislative and human crisis services for this community," Mcilroy noted. "And that feels really good."

"Anytime Emma gets behind anything she does it with such passion and gusto." Cook said of the longtime Poison Waters / Wildfang relationship. "You don't stop to think. Is this gonna be nuts? Yes, let's do it. I immediately had the fire. And, this is my vibe. I don't respond to the hate. I just wanna do more drag. If they're trying to take away drag, the obvious response is: Let's do more drag."

The Mercury plans to liveblog DRAG-A-THON, with a team of arts writers. Cook said Poison Waters will also try to be there for the whole duration. "As I become sleep deprived, every hour I'll become a little bitchier. By the time it all wraps up, I won't have any friends left," Cook said, laughing. "I'm probably going to have a beard by the time it's over. But you know, that's the new thing now. Bearded queens are all the rage. I'm going to start out classic Poison, and I'll wrap this up as bearded Poison. I bet we're not gonna stop. It'll be Sunday, and they'll be like, 'Okay, you guys, can stop!'"

DRAG-A-THON will attempt to break the world record for longest drag queen stage show Mon July 10-Wed July 12 at Darcelle XV Showplace, 208 NW 3rd. More info and tickets are forthcoming.

Who's ready for a little EEEEVIL?

Well, you're in luck, because Mercury Geniuses of Comedy, Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy, are your hosts for the most diabolical, hilarious, and EVIL live game show in town… TWO EVILS! And it's all going down TONIGHT at 7:30 pm! Join Arlo and Kate as they ask a series of truly evil questions, and it’s up to our special guest contestant and the audience (who will vote on their phones) to decide which is the lesser of TWO VERY EVIL ANSWERS. Are there prizes? You bet your butt! Is there comedy? Oh, absolutely!

Plus, we'll be welcoming very special guest comedian contestant NARIKO OTT! 😍

And WARNING: This show is getting dangerously close to selling out (just like it did last month) SO GET THOSE TIX QUICK NOW AND HERE!

Don’t miss the most delightful and morally corrupt comedy game show of the century… TWO EVILS with Arlo & Kate!

WHEN: TONIGHT, Thursday, June 1, doors 7 PM / 7:30 pm show

WHERE: The Siren Theater, 3913 NE Mississippi

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 door

Presented by your pals at the Portland Mercury!