PORT ANGELES — The Esprit Gala returns to Port Angeles this Sunday as it begins a weeklong conference for transgender individuals and their spouses.
The gala has been held at the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., since 1991.
Major public events include the World Famous Esprit Talent Show and concert performances by two bands, The Nasty Habits and The Pop Drops.
The talent show, which will be open to the public, will be at 6 p.m. Friday, May 13, followed by a 9 p.m. dance party with DJ Icy Aly in the Elks Lodge ballroom, 131 E. First St.
Tickets will be $5 per person at the door.
Talent show entries will include Esprit attendees and local residents who are associated with the convention.
Nasty Habits
Nasty Habits is a Seattle-based transgender band that plays punk, glam and pop covers from the 1980s and ’90s.
The group’s performances are not technically part of the Esprit convention but have been scheduled in conjunction with the convention for several years.
They will perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. May 13 and 14 at The Metta Room,132 E. Front St.
Nasty Habits performances are open to the public. Advance tickets are $12 at The Metta Room or $15 at the door.
Pop Drops is a drag band from Seattle that plays pop dance hits, with covers from the Go-Go’s, Devo, the Cars, No Doubt, Lady Gaga and Pink.
They will perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. May 12 and 13 at Castaways, 1213 Marine Drive. Ticket prices were not available Thursday.
Most of the events at Esprit are private, for attendees only.
Keynote speaker
The keynote speaker for the May 14 luncheon will be Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Keisling will discuss “Where We’ve Been & Where We Are Going: A Perspective on the Transgender Movement.”
Also featured will be a special speaker, Knight Sor, a conciliation specialist with the Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sor will speak to the group May 13-14.
Times and locations for Sor’s presentations were not available Thursday.
Some classes at the conference include serious discussions on issues facing transgender people, such as what to do if they become victims of hate crimes, health care insurance issues, family dynamics and discussions of transgender people in the popular media.
The schedule also includes a self-defense class.
Instructional classes and information sessions include information on hormonal and surgical treatment options, cross-dressing 101, makeup classes, introduction to belly dance, the art of graceful movement and vocal modulation.
There are also informal activities, such as golfing at The Cedars at Dungeness, morning coffee klatches and clothing exchanges.
Attendees also take sight-seeing trips to Butchart Gardens in Victoria and Lake Crescent and can attend a private movie showing at Deer Park Cinema.
For more information, see www.espritconf.com.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.