Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2003)
mTTTTTTTnTJnews ivil rights, H1V/A1DS education and a community center top the list of needs expressed hy Port land queers, according to what might he the first-ever compre hensive survey of the city’s sexual minorities community. Throughout June and July, more than 1,500 people responded to an extensive poll conduct ed hy the LG BTQ Community Center Fund, a nonprofit organization with a mission to assess the need and support for a potential facility serv ing the Portland metro area. Questionnaires, available in Kith English and Spanish, were dis tributed at a variety of public meetings, online and as inserts in 35,000 copies of Just Out. “The survey results show agreement among the various types of respondents akiut what the most pressing needs of the local community are,” said Ellen Jean, an auditor with the city of Portland who analyzed the results on a volun teer basis. “ Because of the large number of respondents, the statistical reliability is high. A large majority thought a community center would help address LG BTQ needs.” Civil rights was identified as the primary exi- . gency for the community. Specifically, respon dents were interested in health insurance and other job benefits for domestic partners; same- sex marriage; and hate crime protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When reviewing additional feedback volun teered by respondents, however, Jean also observed frequent points on issues with broader implications. “There was quite a bit of discus sion on racism and classism— and not solely gay issues," she remarked, also noting a number of comments addressing economically disadvan taged segments of the community. Second among the most important needs of local gay, lesbian, bi and trans people was HIV/A1DS education. More than half of the respondents, regardless of their sexual orienta tion and gender identity, reported that they believed the epidemic is a more urgent problem than it was five years ago. A community center—or some sense of iden tity and gathering place— ranked third. This included calls for a place to meet, a resource cen ter, cohesion, cooperation and unity among the sexual minorities community. In fact, 97 percent of respondents said a queer center would be “very" or “somewhat” helpful, and 93 percent specifically said they would have a reason to visit or use such a facility. In addition, nearly one-third of those questioned said they would he interested in volunteering to help create a center. A total of 70 individuals offered to make a financial contribution. Survey respondents were asked to ch<xise C enter C onsensus Survey manifests a common sense of community— and the desire to be more connected by T im othy K rau se g 3 | £ L G B T Q Com m unity Center Fund representatives Meg Daly (left) and David Martinez listen as Ellen Jean (right) analyzes the results of a survey of Portland queers three programs or services most important to them personally for inclusion in a queer commu nity center. Health services—such as HIV/STD prevention, testing and education— were a pri ority. Also ranking high were art, cultural and music programs; youth services; gay-friendly business referrals; and activities for gay families. Many indicated a desire to have programs that would not only respond to problems but also enrich the community through functions such as housing the offices of queer organiza tions and maintaining a library/history resource rcx>m. T ie facility “shouldn’t focus on just prob lems in the community,” summarized one survey taker. “It should also promote the gtxxJ things as well as he accessible and usable by everyone.” Another said, “Portland is very gay-friendly, hut if you’re under 21, there just aren’t that many things to do.” Other desired characteris tics: a destination that isn’t a bar; a safe hangout for youth; a place to k* politically and stxdally active; and a central venue for entertainment, to meet or to get information. The most important function, however, would he to serve as a visible and positive symkil of the gay community, a role that surpassed the next most popular choice by more than 250 votes. When reviewing the results, LG BTQ Com munity Center Fund co-chairman David Mar tinez pointed out that despite an often disparate- feeling community, a common Kind is evident. T ie survey was not aKiut just a community cen ter “but an option to talk akiut what’s going on in the community right now— giving people an opportunity to really give their opinion and per spective on how they see their lives here,” said Martinez, who works as the community rela tions liaison to Multnomah County Commis- sioner Maria Rojo de Steffey. For example, akiut one-third said they have experienced discrimination based on their real or perceived sexual orientation within the past 12 months. And nearly one in five have felt that way akiut gender identity, though survey repre sentatives expect that figure to be significantly higher when looking specifically at the trans population. T ic gtxxJ news is that 97 percent said they are open at least somewhat akiut their sexual orientation or gender identity. Furthermore, nine out of 10 reported having sensed no increase in violence among the community compared to one year ago. Mayor Vera Katz’s former chief of staff, Sam Adams, who facilitated the initial organization al meetings of the LGBTQ Gimmunity Center Fund, said those high responses are gcxxl indica tors of a healthy community that feels comfort able within the larger society. But Portland’s lack of a centralized “gay ghet to” also can be a Catch-22, whereby queers are so well integrated into the general population that they lack a visible or tangible link to each other. That was reflected in the survey data, too. Although 68 percent said they feel part of the sexual minorities community, 71 percent wished they were more connected. When asked which organizations serving queers are effective, survey respondents wrote in more than 200 different names. Leading the list were the Sexual Minority Ytxith Resource Center, Cascade AIDS Project and Rasic Rights Oregon. An equal number of male and female respon- dents (48 percent) participated in the survey. When asked to describe their sexuality, 42 per- cent identified as gay, 32 percent lesbian, 10 per cent bi, 5 percent straight, 1 percent trans and 1 percent questioning. Another 5 percent checked multiple categories. The discrepancy between gay and lesbian was attributed to the fact that 3 percent to 5 percent of female respondents identified as gay while another 10 percent identified as bi. Although within reasonable approximation of general Oregon census figures, most respon dents were white, between 21 and 54, with an annual income of less than $50,000. The survey marked the first step in a four- part feasibility study to explore the creation of a queer community center in Portland. Next steps include a survey of organizations that serve the sexual minorities community, a fund raising study to document sufficient resources and a budget analysis to ensure adequate ongo ing support. The survey results also will be made avail able to organizations throughout Portland. For example, Cascade A ID S Project, Basic Rights Oregon and other major service providers for the sexual minorities community have expressed interest in using the data for their own analysis. Pleased with the robust data and high num ber of additional, often detailed comments, Jean remarked: "People took this very seriously and put a lot of effort into answering.... I came across repeated things where people were really quite thoughtful." For example, when queried which three civil rights issues were most important, one person asked, “Which basic human rights are more important than others ?' But some responses also reflected the com munity’s sense of humor, such as one person’s colorful suggestion simply to “paint it pink.” JH For more mftrrmatum about the LGBTQ C om m un ity C enter F u n d contact eexhairs Guenn Baldum at gwenn@mrvnutumfxirtnershi[).(irx or David Martinez at dLivid.martmezJ@co.multruimah.(ir.us. Features Editor TIMOTHY KRAUSE can be reached at am@jusumt.com. Dignity in Safe Schools i EQUITY Investing m Dignity Your gift to Equity is an investment in dignity. A Gay-Straight Alliance can make all the difference. That's why Equity Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of Safe Schools projects throughout the state, including at Madison High School in Portland. Chris Enyeart, a student at Madison, says, “Every person who knows there's a GSA feels safer, because our group is totally unbiased and open.“ Equity Foundation's Safe Schools Initiative assures that all youth have the opportunity to learn in an environment free of bullying and harassment. Make your contribution today so young people across Oregon can feel safer in their schools. Founded in 1989 by Oregon’s Gay and Lesbian community W W W . C Q U i t y f 0 U n d d t i 0 n . 0 r 9 Ad sponsored by Marvin Salles. Realtor and Susan Nestor. CPA. V PO Box 5696 Portland. OR 9 7 228-5696 505-2J1-5759
