GOLDEN AWARDS

The Golden Awards didn’t start in Portland, it appears, as many things that have grown into an event in Portland started in San Francisco. It possibly was David Hamilton/Mame who loved San Francisco but wanted to stay in Portland more brought the news of these awards back to Portland. He was one of the original members of the Pruitts of Portland, Oregon’s first gay organization back in the mid-1960s. The reason I say this, is that in Drag Magazine there is an article by Linda Lee SAN FRANCISCO SCENE. Linda Lee had just attended what they said, “The weekend before Easter I attended the Golden Awards in San Francisco, this being a sort of gay Oscar. It was quite a show let me tell you. I’d say easily 1000 people and gorgeous outfits, big production numbers, singers doing the nominated songs, tearful acceptance speeches, etc. etc. [continuing in the article] The gay community in San Francisco is quite active theatrically. Just recently there have been all-male productions of….it is from these shows and various cabaret shows at the clubs that the nominees for the Golden Awards are drawn.” Drag : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Above ad announcing First Annual Golden Awards “coming in February” in the December 1972 The Fountain Newspaper.

It appears that Portland’s gay community was not as theatrically active, it’s Golden Awards per an article in the January 1973 newspaper The Fountain, was to award those who had outstanding patronage in the community, voted on by the community. This was just another of the Second Foundation’s [1970 The Second Foundation of Oregon is organized in Portland by the committee of Father Kiernan Healy, Neil Hutchins, and Dennis Kennedy.  Early officers are George Oberg, Larry Beck, and Dave Fredrickson.  It is both a social and political organization – they were different that The Portland Forum] way to gather the community together.

Even though there was an ad in the December Fountain (see above) the “1972 Golden Awards” though, were to take place on January 21, 1973. They were held at the Mayfair Room at the Portland Hilton Hotel in downtown Portland, per an article in The Fountain, January 1973 page 19 see below Left; ad below middle in the same newspaper and below Right is from the pamphlet.

Golden Awards – Year 2 August 25, 1974

The Golden Awards second ceremony was held on August 25 at the East Side Commercial Building located at 615 SE Alder where, after leaving the Pythian Building some of what was the Portland Gay Community Center moved to. Part of those in the building was Portland Youth Alliance where they opened ‘Stairs Down’. The space had a ballroom and a crowd where well over 200 attended and presented by Cherrese & Co. as cited in the Northwest Gay Review September 1974.

article above from  The Fountain, February 1973, page 19 and various photos from the evening along with the award.

Winners were announced in the Northwest Gay Revue Vol 1 Number 8 – September 1974

No documentation has been found or verified for this year. The photo below is believed to be from that awards show.

It was held at the W.C. aka Watercloset Bar, again produced by The Second Foundation. The only documentation found is from the Northwest Gay Review July 1976 - see below LEFT. Mentioned in the Changing Men newspaper calendar, June 1976 - below Right on September 26, same day as Gay Pride Fair.

Through research, this appears to be the final year. There are two mentions one in the Portland Scribe for Gay Pride Week and the other in the Gay Pride Fair calendar of events [see bottom Left]. The Fountain states that the Golden Awards [see bottom Right] would be the last item for the week for both of the articles. The event was held at the Top of the Cosmo/Hilton Hotel.

Below is the 1973-74 Program for the Golden Awards