In an effort to create an affirming event and promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Transsexual, Queer and Questioning Two-Spirit, Intersex,
Asexual and Plus people (LGBTQ2SIA+) business owners, Identity Euphoria
will host a Rainbow Saturday Artisans Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,
Nov. 19 in the Rainbow Lodge at the Hull Foundation & Learning Center,
43233 S.E. Oral Hull Road in Sandy.

“Serving smaller communities of Oregon and Washington will help build
community for queer people and provide opportunities for non-queer people
to learn about queer culture and issues,” Identity Euphoria co-founder Charlie
Joplin said.

The event will have approximately 20 vendors selling a variety of craft and
handmade items perfect for gifts. Vendors will have a variety of items for sale,
including house plants, handmade pottery, hand-carved and burned wood
crafted items, jewelry, bath bombs, artwork, home and vehicle decor and
more.

Entry to the event is free, while a raffle of donated items to raise money for
the Hull Foundation will also be held. Commemorative tote bags will also be
available for purchase, with a third of the proceeds from the sales going to the
Hull Foundation as well.

One vendor, Bright Eyes Photos: NW, will offer family holiday photos against a
fireplace backdrop for $5 each, and donate 60 percent of the proceeds to the
Hull Foundation.

There will also be a booth with local women offering affirming mom hugs, and
the Sandy group Students Advocating for Equality will also have a table and
be offering information on their causes and events.

Joplin and co-founder Brittany Allen formed Identity Euphoria, a nonprofit
corporation working to acquire 501(c)3 status, in late 2020, inspired by a lack
of resources for the queer community in the smaller towns they grew up in
and in the Pacific Northwest overall.

“Identity Euphoria’s vision is to make a better future for queer people in
smaller communities and, therefore, better for the communities as a whole,”
Allen said. “Identity Euphoria is the resource I wish my hometown had when
my generation was going through grade school.”

This event aims to create a safe and empowering space for queer small
business owners to sell their wares as people begin their holiday shopping.
Identity Euphoria’s organizers hope that rather than queue up outside a big
box store on Black Friday, people will come do some of their holiday shopping
with local, queer-owned small businesses.

“With more and more people looking for ways to be more intentional with
their spending, this event gives folks a way to not only shop local from
Oregon business owners, but support members of a marginalized population,”
Allen said.

For more information, visit Identity Euphoria’s Facebook event page at
fb.me/e/2Oxht66xk.