The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will declare June 2010 as Pride Month during the board meeting on June 17. Kendall Clawson, Q Center executive director; Joyce Liljeholm, Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition board member; and Kyle White, Basic Rights Oregon field manager, will testify in support of the proclamation. Following the proclamation, the Health Department will present results from the 2009 Speak Out LGBTQ Health Survey.
Multnomah County has been home to Oregon’s June Pride celebration since 1975, an annual event that includes the Portland Pride Parade. This year’s parade will be held on June 20, with the theme “Pride to the People.” Pride events recognize the long-term efforts and struggles of Transgender, Genderqueer, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and other sexual minorities in Multnomah County and throughout our region.
The Health Department’s 2009 Speak Out Survey findings revealed:
- 82 percent of respondents experienced insults or verbal abuse at some point
- 55 percent experienced threats of violence or intimidation
- 22 percent reported employment-based discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity
Multnomah County is committed to eliminating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Inclusive health coverage for gender minorities is available to employees working for Multnomah County, making it only the second local municipality to provide such care. Multnomah County’s employee network group Pride, Respect, and Integrity for Sexual Minorities (PRISM) has more than 300 LGBTQ and ally members. Additionally, over 1,700 same-sex couples have registered in Multnomah County since the Oregon Domestic Partnership Law went into effect in February 2008.
The Multnomah County Health Department will present findings from the 2009 Speak Out Survey Thursday, June 17 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Multnomah Building. The Portland Pride Parade will be held Sunday, June 20, starting in the NW Park blocks in downtown Portland at 11 a.m.
Pride Proclamation
- pride (1.37 MB)