This week on Oregon On The Record, we discussed the progress and the setbacks facing the LGBTQ+ community as we celebrate Pride Month.
The origin of Pride which traces back to the Stone Wall Riots in New York in 1969 where members of the gay community fought back against police intimidation.
Today, celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride are seen in almost every community in the nation, and all the way to the White House.
This community has both experienced huge strides forward, but also significant steps back. While key pieces of legislation that enshrined marriage equality were ground shaking improvements, other governmental action in red states like Florida’s commonly named "Don’t Say Gay" measure show that the battle for complete equality rages on.
We talked with experts and advocates from several organizations to learn about the status of the LGBTQ+ community in our region, state and nation.
We conversed with Kachina Inman of Lane County Department of Human Services to learn about how the County protects and helps marginalized communities. We heard from leaders at OUT Central Oregon, Weston Kleinert and Brayan Gonzalez, and Queer Eugene founder, Lake, who told us about these organization’s efforts to advance the cause of the LGBTQ+ communities.
Finally, we talked to Robin Maril, an Assistant Professor at Willamette University who is a legal scholar and expert about laws that help, but also hurt this community.
Below are links to the organizations and people we spoke with:
Lane County LGBTQ+ Resources
Queer Eugene
Out Central Oregon
Willamette University College of Law
