The item stood out from the usual social offerings on the nonprofit’s January’s schedule of events.

But there it was, tucked between the cooking classes and “pizza bingo” — a chance to take the stage in what might be Portland’s first-ever drag show for the developmentally disabled.

Unusual, yes. But the Bridges to Independence clients — gay or straight, seasoned drag performers or shy neophytes — seized the opportunity. And on Jan. 11, more than 10 Bridges regulars donned sequins, top hats and wedding garb, twirling and lip-syncing their way into the hearts of a sellout crowd.

The event, say organizers and performers alike, was a success for Bridges and its clients, who work with the nonprofit to learn to live independently, obtaining skills such as budget planning and healthful menu planning.

Whether Bridges will achieve the larger goals behind the event remains to be seen. The drag show served as a fundraiser and promotional effort for the tentatively titled “LGBTQ+DD” program, which Bridges is launching to encourage open-mindedness as well as to accommodate and enrich the unique needs of its more than 80 clients — increasingly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

More important, staff members want to provide such clients with a comfortable forum to be themselves and ask questions — often a rarity in a society that struggles to see the developmentally disabled as sexual in the first place, to say nothing of gay or lesbian.

“The people who are gay or transgender or queer are hypersexualized in the community, whereas people who have disabilities are seen as asexual,” says Emi Koyama, Bridges volunteer coordinator, and that can make dealing with family difficult.

Indeed, some of the drag show’s most-spirited performers spoke recently of fear their parents would shun them if they came out, asking not to be identified by name. For these clients, Bridges offers a rare forum to express themselves, they said.

Others, such as Sy Waranch, 25, are open about sexuality and see the show and program as a long time coming.

“A lot of people doubt and misjudge people with disabilities,” said Waranch, who has Asperger’s syndrome and regularly performs in local drag shows (stage name: Brookheart Lynn Palace-Michaels). They “should be allowed to act or behave or dress up like they want.”

Specifics of the program are being developed, but Koyama envisions it including sex education, social functions and other activities.

“People with disabilities are people like anyone else,” says Leslie Bendjouya, Bridge’s executive director. “Some of them are queer.

“Our agency has a reputation for being accepting because we’re doing this and it’s kind of new.”

It’s this reputation, Bendjouya says, that’s led similar local agencies to increasingly refer gay and lesbian clients to Bridges. It’s also garnered interest from people such as Emese Ilyes, a project coordinator at North Portland’s Project Grow.

Ilyes works with developmental disabled adults and contacted Bridges staff members about coming to speak about sexuality to Project Grow’s clients and supporters. It’s a topic she says gets short shrift.

“It’s a very natural and human need and requirement, but it still requires permission that we do not give to people with disabilities.”

–Dirk VanderHart, Special to The Oregonian

Want to know more? Contact Bridges to Independence at 503-774-1764 or visit www.bridgesto independence.org

But for now, we deliver to you Leslie, our interim executive director!