An Open Letter to the LGBTQ community from the President of Pride Northwest

Questions continue to be raised about the intentions, responsiveness and decision-making process of the Board of Pride Northwest. Since we are responsible to the entire community for our actions, we feel a need to answer these questions in a public forum, directly and, we hope, definitively.

One of the greatest misperceptions about Pride Northwest is that we make closed-door decisions that ignore the community will. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your feedback is key to our development as a community-based organization. We have listened for four years to a community that has felt abandoned by Pride, to other community organizations who felt no connection to Pride; to the marginalized communities within the larger LGBTQ community who have been searching for a voice with which to make their presence and needs known; all while still respecting and celebrating our diversity. Yes, we have been listening, and we are proud of the decisions we have made as a result.

Two years ago, for example, a few members of the community complained about our decision to restrict smoking on the festival grounds at the waterfront. In making that decision, we were responding to the serious concerns of our youth and non-smokers, including families, who objected to the health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke. That risk has been well documented and we believe it was the right thing to do for our community even in an outdoor venue.

One recent decision that has garnered some publicity concerns the changing parade route. We understand the confusion the community experienced when first one new route was announced, and then a modified version was announced a short time later. As we stated to the media there were both internal and external reasons for this change.

Externally, the city has established certain policies regarding the permitting process that we are required to follow. Much to our surprise, these policies did not favor the new route that, based upon a preliminary approval by the City, we announced in March. We were not made aware of these policies at the time, nor did the City inform us of them until after the announcement had been made. As a result we were required to shift the route again slightly, from Stark Street to Burnside. We do not think that change to be all that significant, especially as the Parade will now travel down the major East/West artery of the city and the businesses on Stark Street can continue to have their block party, which generates revenue for struggling businesses during this touch economy.

Internally, we had good reasons to change the route back to Stark Street, which we have shared publicly and will restate here. First, however, some history. The traditional parade route went down Stark Street for many years, through the heart of the LGBTQ community. The previous route was changed in 2005 by the will of the acting board at that time to create the shortest most visible route possible. Some folks with disabilities voiced concerns that the route for the parade was too long, making it difficult for them to participate. Also, a community partnership was formed with the businesses on Stark Street in order to allow them a block party while shortening the parade route. As much thought and consideration went into changing the route in 2005 as has taken place in 2010.

Some people in our community have stated that marching past Pioneer Courthouse Square provides an opportunity to challenge the notions of those outside our community about who we are, as a community; that moving back to our historical roots is akin to going back into the closet. It makes us wonder for whose benefit these critics think we operate the parade and festival. Yes, it is partly to educate our straight neighbors, but it is first and foremost a community celebration for us by us to which we invite the rest of the city. Pride is not about what “they” think of us, it’s about what we think of ourselves. In the opinion of the current board, having the parade on one street or another should not determine our opinion of who we are as a community.

When we thought about the implications of this year’s theme, “Pride to the People,” we knew we wanted the parade route to reflect where the community actually lives, works and plays. The new route expresses a commitment to bring the parade past our businesses and recreational venues. The new route invites the city to come see how we live right now. We would rather showcase the neighborhoods downtown where the community resides, drawing attention to the reality of our lives, than commit scarce resources to maintaining a “show” of visibility. Visibility is about more than parade floats once a year; it is about being present in neighborhoods, businesses, the arts and community organizations every day of the year.

We have also stated that one of our motivations for moving away from Pioneer Square was a desire to maintain or lower our costs, and with good reason. We are committed to adroit financial management of the funds entrusted us by the community. In these tight fiscal times, when many non-profits are struggling, Pride Northwest is one of the few non-profit, volunteer-run Pride organizations to remain financially sound. The money that we saved by moving away from Pioneer Square has already been reinvested to help other LGBTQ organizations working to better our community.

Some of the organizations and efforts that we have financially supported in recent years include Portland Latino Gay Pride (La Lucha!), Black Pride, the Trans March and Dyke March, the Q Center, The Gender Free for All, Our House of Portland, Basic Rights Oregon, the Elder Resource Alliance, Deaf and Hearing Outreach, the HIV Day Center, and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (not a complete list). This year we have chosen to also assist the “Bridges to Independence” organizers as they struggle to provide unique services to LGBTQ people with developmental disabilities, and to honor the contribution of Native American “Two-Spirit” people. We were also major sponsors of the first ever Oregon Queer Youth Summit, a statewide queer youth empowerment partnership between SMYRC and the Safe Schools and Community Coalition. Though our Pride 365 initiative, we will continue to seek out opportunities to recognize, support, and celebrate the broad diversity of our community, in keeping with our mission.

We would like to end with a statement of the values that guide all of our decision-making, and let the community judge whether or not these are the correct priorities for Pride Northwest. We welcome your feedback at our open Board Meetings and your active participation in the organization.


As an organization, we are committed to:

•Social justice and making organizational, fiscal, and social choices that enhance the lives of those in the LGBTQ and Allied communities of Portland, of diverse backgrounds.

•A free and accessible, donation-based festival

•Diversity in the selection of speakers, entertainers, and award recipients

•Diversity in our sponsorships, partnerships, volunteers and hiring process.

•Deficit-free budgeting to ensure our financial stability and integrity

•All-volunteer and diverse Board of Directors

•An open meeting structure to which all community members are invited to participate and to voice their concerns and suggestions.

•Avoidance of taking stands on issues that may divide our community in any meaningful way. The organization and celebration of Pride is unique in that we are expected to represent and speak to the full spectrum of our community.

•Working to advance the status of traditionally disenfranchised or underrepresented groups within the LGBTQ community.

•Support for local LGBTQ and Allied vendors and businesses.

•Outreach to and partnership with community organizations committed to the equality and betterment of the LGBTQ and Allied communities.

•A unified queer community that is free of bias or discrimination in which all people are valued and respected.

Thank you for listening.
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Oregon heatwave-could be worse

Courtesy of my mom, who still lives in Texas...lol.

*Note-This is NOT her actual diary!:)

Dear Diary

Just moved to Texas! Now this is a state that knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a place! It is beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

June 14th:

Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshiper.

June 30th:

Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th:

The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least, it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat is taking longer than I expected.

July 15th:

Fell asleep by the community pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body). Missed 3 days of work.. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 20th:

I missed Lomita (my cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon. The car now smells like Kibbles and Sh*ts. I learned my lesson though. No more pets in this heat. Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.

July 25th:

The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th:

Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now, $225,000 house and I can't even go inside. Lomita is the lucky one. Why did I ever come here?

Aug. 4th:

It's 115 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid state.

Aug. 8th:

If another wise a*s cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?' I'm going to strangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work, the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

Aug. 9th:

Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and when sat on the seats in the car, I thought my ass was on fire. My skin melted to the seat. I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and a*s . . . Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried a*s, and baked cat.

Aug 10th:

The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do Sh*t for 2 damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever rain in this damn state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth of cactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in this damn heat.

Aug. 14th:

Welcome to H*LL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead. Forgot to crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot enough for you today?" My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail. Freaking Texas. What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?? Will write later to let you know how the trial goes.

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

Ballpark in Lents

I just received this email update:

ROSE CDC Executive Director, Nick Sauvie shares the story and says it best:

"At 12:30 pm today [June 19th], prior to entering a meeting with Mayor Adams, I learned that Mr. Paulson had withdrawn his proposal to use urban renewal funds to build a minor league baseball stadium in Lents Park. The reason cited was non-support from the neighborhood. According to OPB, Commissioner [Randy] Leonard has withdrawn his support for MLS soccer in Portland and [Merritt] Paulson is not interested in alternative sites in Lents, [or] less reliance on Lents urban renewal funds. Thanks to everyone who worked so diligently on this campaign including allies at the Oregon Opportunity Network, Community Alliance of Tenants, Coalition for a Livable Future, League of Women Voters and the awesome Friends of Lents Park.

"I know that the many people who supported the stadium in Lents Park sincerely believed that the proposal would have been good for the neighborhood and are disappointed by this result. Hopefully everyone can move ahead from here toward our shared goals of building an even stronger community." And here is the rest of it.

Legislation explained

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month. I've been busy getting ready to graduate and with planning for the Pride festival (June 13-14!) but this was worth sharing.

I absolutely love it when law-makers actually take the time to explain in detail (but not mired in legalese) the impact of legislation that gets passed. Michael Dembrow is outstanding at this.

From his most recent newsletter:


HB 2578, the predatory towing bill that I sponsored with Rep. Chuck Riley, unanimously passed the Senate today. The bill requires a tower to contact a property owner or tenant before towing and allows the vehicle owner to move their vehicle without fees beyond the initial hookup. The bill also requires that parking rules be clearly posted by a landlord.



Patrol towing generally involves an agreement between a property owner and tower to allow any unauthorized vehicle on the property to be towed without notice. HB 2578 prohibits this practice except for in cases where public safety or access is compromised. The bill would also require a tower to take photographic evidence of a parking infraction before towing a vehicle. There was a minor amendment on the Senate side, so the bill will come back to us in the House for a concurrence vote, and then on to the Governor.



Hearing Revenue Bills



Last week I reported on the Co-Chairs’ proposed budget, involves $2 billion in very difficult cuts. It’s a very daunting prospect, very tough work. But it will be even worse if we cannot find ways to add new revenue to the budget; the budget assumes that we will be able to raise $800 million through increases in individual and corporate taxes. Our office has received emails and letters opposing any increases in the upper tax brackets, but many more in support of asking wealthier Oregonians to help us get through these difficult times.



I want to clarify one thing about the individual income tax. We are currently looking at an increase of just under 2% (above the current 9%) for those with household incomes above $250,000. Some have been misinforming the public and saying that all their taxable income will be taxed at this higher rate. That’s not true. The additional 2% is ONLY on the income above $250,000. So, for a family with a $260,000 income, they would only see their taxes increased on the additional $10,000 in income. And here is the rest of it.

Connecting Schools to Family and the Community

Message from PCC Cascade's campus president:

Cascade Campus and Portland Public Schools will hold a joint event, Connecting Schools to Family and the Community—A Discussion with Karen Mapp, on May 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., MAHB 104 (lunch will be provided). The first 50 registrants for this event will receive a free copy of one of Dr. Mapp’s books, Beyond the Bake Sale. Dr. Mapp is a lecturer with Harvard School of Graduate Education.



The official flier and RSVP information is linked below.

http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-PCC-Flyer.pdf
http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-All-Informational.pdf

This is a free event!

Hope you can join us.

Thanks,

Algie… And here is the rest of it.

Pride NW Letter to Community

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. With that in mind, Pride NW wants to give tribute to the past and present accomplishments of our global community in relation to civil rights. Additionally, the past year has been one of highs and lows for the LGBTQ community. Both locally (with the division amongst our community about mayor Sam Adams), and on a National level (with anti-same sex marriage Proposition 8 in California and similar measures in other states) we have seen visible division. These facts, in combination with Pride Northwest's continued efforts to reach out to the many facets of our diverse community by building community partnerships over the last few years with, including but not limited to; Portland Latino Gay Pride, Black Pride (put on by The Unity Project), Basic Rights Oregon, the Portland Area Business Association, the Q Center, SHARE, the Sexual Minorities Youth Resource Center, Our House of Portland, and many others, has led us to choose this year's theme, "United We Stand."

The process for choosing this theme was extensive. Pride Northwest Inc. asked for community input via our website, word-of-mouth, advertising in Just Out magazine, a press release, and lengthy discussion amongst our board members. In addition to this process, Pride Northwest Inc. board members checked in with other west coast Pride celebrations to see what their themes were this year. It seemed that everyone was trying to create a comprehensive message of unity. Pride Northwest Inc. is not exempt from this effort. Especially considering that, in the past, we fully acknowledge that this nonprofit organization has not always been proactively inclusive or successfully built bridges within all areas of our community as is our responsibility. This sad fact has left deep wounds in some facets of our lives and Pride Northwest Inc. is dedicated to doing as good a job as possible in repairing past shortcomings and in new ways to be the best we can be. We serve this community and that is our only function.

We cannot do this alone. We are not perfect. We need community input, direction, guidance, and checks and balances to help us all do our best. We always invite positive new energy on our board and within our organization and constructive criticism from the community whose diversity is our soul. We thank you for caring about the Portland Pride celebration and ask you all to stand united with us to make our world a better place.

For us, Pride Northwest is a work in progress and we are completely committed to working toward that vision of inclusion and representation that the community looks for and expects from us.

This year's festival is the weekend of June 13-14, with the parade on Sunday the 14th. More details at pridenw.org

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