2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

Hello!

I have a few questions! I am a 26 year old queer social worker who works with adults with developmental disabilities in portland, oregon.

1. "Each year an estimated 17,500 men, women, and children are trafficked into the U.S. for purposes of sexual and labor exploitation throughout our states, including Oregon." (Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans) -How would you focus on creating more services, shelters and rehabilitation for children and youth who are victims of the human trafficking happening in oregon?

2. With the recent suicides of gay youth in the nation, how would you address hate speech and discrimination towards the LGBTQ community in our government, military, schools and local communities? Do you see public officials as having a duty to address the violence and bullying that is happening in our schools?

Source: http://www.oregonoath.org/

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
view in context

Hello! 

I wanted to bring up accessibility issues within the LGBTQ community and small community groups. I have dealt with various attitudes within the community when I bring up the lack of accessibility for an event. I think that when community groups plan any type of activity (panel discussion, musical event, workshop, poetry reading etc.) lgbtq focused or not, there must be time set in the organizing to ensure that the event is accessible. 

I was part of a group of LGBTQ folks who organized a conference in 2007 in portland, OR  that addressed this specific issue. The conference was spawned from a global queer event that was being hosted at a campground in Vancouver, B.C., that was not accessible and in general organizers did not think through the various needs of people in the queer community. 

While organizing the conference I dealt with a variety of opinions about how we were "disrupting" the community by separating everyone into FOR and AGAINST. My stance was that the community had  already divided when people can not attend an event, because it is in a space that is not wheelchair accessible, or there is not an ASL interpreter, or microphones for the speaker etc. 

I know that when small groups are organizing it is often hard to gather supplies and afford ASL interpreters, but the resources are out there. For example, DHOR the portland based group, which can provide grants to groups for ASL interpreters (dhorpdx.blogspot.com/).

 I am hard of hearing and have been to countless queer events, where I went to hear people in my community talk about their experiences, but then realize there is no microphone or the sound system gives out and there is no urgency to fix it.

I think it takes education, patience, flexibility and the time to really think through the planning of an event to make sure that as many people as possible can be there and in a safe and fun way! Thank you!

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
view in context