On Saturday, June 9, the University Women’s Center will host the 11th annual OUT/LOUD Music Festival in Kesey Square in Eugene.@@http://tickets.uoregon.edu/@@ OUT/LOUD is the largest queer women’s music festival in the Pacific Northwest. The festival was originally named Lesbopalooza@@http://lgbt.uoregon.edu/Home/tabid/38/PostID/66/OUT-LOUD-Festival-June-9th.aspx@@ and started out as a small event just 12 years ago. Since then, the festival has grown to be a place for queer women and their allies to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer.
University Women’s Center public relations Coordinator Nina Nolen@@checked@@ said that the event is merely a form of expression for all who attend.
“OUT/LOUD is a time for queer women to express themselves through music, dancing, poetry and well, just having a good time,” she said.
This year, however, the Women’s Center is trying to add more of a festival feel rather than just a concert feel to the event. There will be a stage where various artists will perform, a beer garden hosted by Ninkasi Brewing Company.@@http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/@@ Voodoo Doughnut will be offering one dollar Gay Bar doughnuts all day.@@http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php@@
The first duo of the diverse lineup is Nina Sky, two identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino. Many might remember the two from their hit songs “Move Ya Body” and “Oye Mi Canto.”@@http://www.ninaskyhigh.com/blog/@@ Other members of the lineup include Andrea Gibson, Tender Forever, Krudas Cubensi, THEE Satisfaction, Siche Green-Mitchell, Nikole Potulsky and Csea Sky Leonard.@@http://pages.uoregon.edu/women/@@
Andrea Gibson will be presenting her poetry, the themes of which include war, class, gender, bullying, white privilege, sexuality, love and spirituality. Tender Forever, whose member Melanie Valera started the project in 2003,@@http://tenderforever.com/blog/?page_id=508@@ will be making her second performance at OUT/LOUD this year. Krudas Cubensi, a hip-hop group from Austin, Texas,@@https://www.facebook.com/pages/Krudas-Cubensi/329774232065?sk=info@@ will present their music. They use their music as a weapon that fights for everyday social rights.
The festival will also feature two University members. Returning to the University as an alumni, spoken word artist Siche Green-Mitchell will grace the festival with her poetry. Current University student Csea Leonard will also perform her activist poetry.
“One of the cool things is that there are a lot of students and community members participating this year,” Nolen said. “It’s a time for different community and student members and members of the queer community in Eugene to come together.”
Perhaps the most exciting event, however, will be the presentation of the first ever queer Glee Club at the University.@@https://www.facebook.com/uorainbowconnection/info@@ Rainbow Connection consists of queer members of the student body and their allies, and according to Nolen, they are unstoppable.
OUT/LOUD has had tremendous support from the ASUO and Fraternity and Sorority Life. The ASUO Senate granted the Women’s Center $15,000 for the event, and the Panhellenic Council also gave a significant amount of money.
“I think it’s really great that we have received so much help from the University,” Nolen said. “It’s amazing to see the ASUO support its students and fantastic to see sorority girls supporting their fellow sisters.”
So come out and support your fellow student body and community on Saturday, June 9 at Kesey Square at 12 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the University Ticket Office.