EQME's Huntress & Dyke Marchers

Friday evening, June 15th, saw Portland, Maine's radical lesbians come out in force for their 2nd Annual Dyke March.  Approximately 200 self-described dykes, and at least one male cross-dresser, participated at the rally held at Portland's Monument Square at 7:30pm.  The Dyke March itself began at 8:00pm, and the lesbians marched in the middle of Congress Street, causing traffic to be re-routed for a short period of time.  Watch the youtube.com video here.

This year's version of the annual Portland Dyke March was sponsored and promoted by EqualityMaine and two Maine homosexual bars, Styxx in Portland and Maine Street in Ogunquit.  The Dyke March had both a formal website and a webpage listing on myspace.com. 

Cross Dresser at Dyke March

While the Portland Press Herald chose not to report on the Dyke March, both the homosexual friendly Portland Phoenix weekly newspaper and the homosexual InNewsWeekly newspaper (in addition to the League Record) did cover and write news stories about the event.

Darlene Huntress, EqualityMaine's Public Policy Director, addressed the gathering using a portable loudspeaker system.  She exhorted the dyke marchers, asking them, "We do have one thing in common, and specifically tonight, what is that thing that we have in common?  We're dykes, baby!"  Huntress advised the radical lesbian crowd to, "Never stop being who you are, be true to yourself, go out there this [Southern Maine Gay Pride] weekend, and show your stuff off."

Regarding the use of the word 'dyke' itself, Huntress shouted at the crowd, "It's an empowering word.  It is a word we should be proud of, and I say 'Happy [expletive deleted] Dyke March, y'all!'"

2006 Dyke March

From the InNewsWeekly article: "Since January, we've worked to create an entire evening of celebrating who we are as individuals and together. Pulling from our own multitalented local community, we have speakers, performers, roller derby girls, dykes on bikes, musicians and artists to make the event something for everyone.  This year we are again inviting dykes and all people who love them to come out, be seen and build community."

From the Portland Phoenix article: "A good indication of just how far the GLBTQ [Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning] community has come in Portland is that...there are competing [homosexual] Pride events scheduled — on Friday night alone, there’s a drag show at Geno’s, a party at the White Heart, and a post-Dyke March shindig at the North Star Café. The following night, there’s the Pier Dance and a Block Party, both cherries on top of the Pride Week celebrations."

The Portland Dyke March committee consisted of local Mainers Audrey Luce, Sarah Parker Holmes, Jen Hudson, Melissa Heckman, and Jill Barkley.  Unlike last year's event, this year's Dyke Marchers did not participate in public displays of nudity.  Immediately following the Portland Dyke March was an all-ages party at the North Star Cafe on Congress Street in Portland.

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