Who can join?

The Rosetown Ramblers is a square dance club for gays and lesbians in Portland, Oregon. We are open to all square dancers, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

Do I need a partner?

Gay and lesbian clubs do not require you to bring a partner. At a gay square dance, it is always permissible to get into a square without a partner and hold a hand up if you are looking for one.

How can I learn?

The Rosetown Ramblers hosts classes teaching Basic and Mainstream square dancing each year in the fall. Classes will begin on September and consist of two 9-week courses taught by Ed Craig, an experienced and sought after local caller. Classes are held every Wednesday evening (excluding holidays) at the Milwaukie Grange. Graduation is the first week of Feburary.

For people who already know Basic and Mainstream dancing, Rosetown Ramblers also offers Plus level classes to dancers who are interested in learning.

Who dances what part?

Square dancing traditionally has men's and women's roles. The calls often designate dancers by their sex. When initially learning to square dance, a dancer will choose either to dance the boy's or the girl's part. Rosetown Ramblers does not require you to dance your biological role. As learning progresses through different levels of dancing, many gay and lesbian dancers learn to dance both positions. As a matter of fact, one's dance role is less synonymous with one's actual sex: People more often dance the opposite gender's role than in the general western square dance community.

All Positions Dancing (APD) and Dance By Definition (DBD) is the norm for LGBT dancing. Since genders usually aren't balanced at LGBT square dance clubs, LGBT dancers don't pay any attention to physical gender vs. dance gender. Many LGBT clubs practice All Positions Dancing (APD) and Dance By Definition (DBD). This means that callers may choose to use more sashayed or non-standard positions for familiar calls than you're used to. (1)

Do I need special clothes?

LGBT dancers dress very casually. Unlike most straight square dance functions, LGBT dancers don't have special costumes or dresses for dancing. Most LGBT dancers usually wear comfortable clothing, which could be anything from sweatpants or shorts to jeans or slacks. Shoes are usually whatever's most comfortable to walk in. Because LGBT square dancing is often higher-energy than straight square dancing, short sleeved shirts are very common, as are T-shirts. Collared long-sleeve shirts for men and full crinolines for women are usually too warm to dance in for the faster and more intense pace of an LGBT floor. (1)

Note (1): This article was written by Allan Hurst, and is reprinted with permission. Allan can be contacted at allanhurst@gmail.com. This and his other articles are available online at http://www.danceinfo.org