City of Portland, OR

06/01/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/01/2023 12:28

Happy Pride Month!

News Article
An update from Jeff Selby, Interim Director
Published
June 1, 2023 11:05 am

June 1, 2023

Today marks the first day of Pride Month, where we gather to celebrate and honor our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit communities (LGBTQIA2S+).

Pride emerged from the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 and thanks to those who sparked early movements such as Black, gender-nonconforming, feminine-presenting, politically engaged activist, Marsha P. Johnson, the intersectional fight to amplify queer voices and LGBTQIA2S+ rights is inspired and stronger than ever.

I am proud to work for an organization that prioritizes the Core Values of Equity and Anti-racism. I am proud to work alongside Lex Jakusovszky, the City's first LGBTQIA2S+ Policy Advisor at the Office of Equity and Human Rights, and under the leadership of Commissioner Dan Ryan. And I am proud of our City's Queer Alliance employee resource group.

As we know from the deadly violence at Club Q and Pulse, book bans, and countless anti-LGBTQIA2S+ and anti-drag laws being instituted around the country, it has never been more vital to support our queer colleagues, friends, family, and neighbors. I urge you to learn more about our LGBTQIA2S+ communities' histories and join me in celebrating Pride.

Sincerely,
Jeff Selby

[email protected]