This week’s Multnomah County Board meeting included a lively discussion of tobacco licensing fees, homelessness policies and the celebratory Loving Day. But when Liz Rodriguez, Candi Brings Plenty, and Manumalo Alailima took their seats to address the Pride Proclamation, the final item on the agenda, the mood shifted.
Things fell silent as Rodriguez, the co-chair of Prism, an LGBTQ-focused employee resource group, asked those present at the meeting to honor the lives lost at the mass shooting that occurred in a gay nightclub last Sunday in Orlando, Fla.
Next was Brings Plenty, director of the Equi Institute and the Portland Two Spirit Society and this year’s grand marshal of the Pride Northwest Parade, who stood to give a prayer, speaking in Lakota before switching to English.
“I’d like to extend all of our love, our compassion and our prayers to those who passed away, those 50, and those others who have been injured, and especially their partners, and to their loved ones, and to their families,” she said.
This year’s Pride Proclamation, declaring June as a month of LGBTQ Pride in Multnomah County and affirming the county’s role in supporting LGBTQ issues, had a solemn tone in the wake of last Sunday’s tragic events. Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and the board of commissioners took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of pride in every sense.
“We get these reminders that...homophobia and violence is still there and we haven't come as far as we thought,” said Commissioner Jules Bailey. “It's a reminder for us that Pride Month is as important and more important than ever.”
The proclamation also highlighted the intersection of LGBTQ issues and issues surrounding racism and culture. Brings Plenty, who is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, used the platform to discuss the lack of attention indigenous cultures receive.
“It is very important to open doors and bring visibility,” said Brings Plenty. “And if someone is not at the door, then they need to make the effort to go out there and find the representative or to bring that community to the floor.”
The issue also hits close to home for Rodriguez, who is Latina and identifies as a lesbian. Many of those killed in the Orlando shooting were Latino or Latina.
“Each time you put a layer of social intersections on a person's identity, it creates more and more barriers to access, to acceptance, and I think we saw that in the events last weekend,” said Rodriguez.
In the county’s 24th year of supporting Pride celebrations during the third weekend of June, the festivities will take place through the weekend. Rodriguez and other Prism members encourage community members to participate to show their allegiance to the LGBTQ community and demonstrate resilience in the face of the recent tragedy.
The Pride festival will take place on the waterfront Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, from noon to 6 p.m. A county booth will be located at the south end of the festival both days. Employees from departments across the county will set up shop to spread the word about the vital programs the county provides to its residents.
Additionally, county employee and Prism member Dana-Rae Parker will lead a march in the Pride Northwest Parade on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Those interested in joining in the march can join the county contingent at the intersection of Northwest Flanders Street and Northwest Park Avenue.
“We stand together with pride,” said Chair Kafoury as Thursday’s meeting came to a close. “Pride in knowing that we have overcome so much fear and hatred to reach this moment today. Pride in knowing that we stand together to turn back those forces that would underline our collective accomplishments that would make this country and this county worse for our children.”
The Pride proclamation was approved unanimously by the board.
For those struggling to cope with the Orlando tragedy, the county provides several resources:
24/7 crisis line that provides callers someone to talk to in times of crisis and, if needed, connects them to long-term counseling options The number is 503.988.4888.
Urgent walk-in clinic located at 4212 S.E. Division St. in Portland, where people can meet in-person with mental health professionals.
