2020: A Different but Busy Year for Pride Northwest!

2020 was a year like no other, at least in our lifetime. The COVID-19 global pandemic and its accompanying economic impact and civil unrest, has affected the LGBTQ+ community in profound and long-lasting ways. This is especially so for Black, Indigenous, and other queer people of color.

For Pride Northwest, 2020 started off strong. We celebrated the 2nd Annual George T. Nicola LGBTQ+ History Fellowship and were preparing for the first Portland Pride Waterfront Festival expansion in over fifteen years. When the magnitude of the pandemic became clear, Pride Northwest, along with over 400 Pride celebrations around the world, made the difficult decision to postpone (and ultimately cancel) the Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade.

While the festival and parade were canceled, Pride was not! Our small team of three immediately began planning a series of events online celebrating Pride. During that process we engaged with community members to get their feedback. This year it was important more than ever that we focus on how Black Lives Matter in our community. Pride Northwest has been actively engaged in the issue of police accountability, as regards our community, through direct conversations with law enforcement, for some time and so this is not a new topic for us. Our first ever Virtual Pride showcased local and national Black queer talent, and sent a powerful message that Pride Northwest will continue to center these voices and advocate for true equity. If you missed Portland Virtual Pride (or just want to enjoy again!), you can find it on our YouTube Channel.

The virtual world also allowed us to continue offering opportunities for community to comer together, to honor and celebrate our history and diversity. Film screenings of “The Lavender Scare” and “Major!” sparked thoughtful conversation among attendees. A lively panel discussion with several Black and Indigenous queer artists from this fall’s BI2S Art Show (held at Q Center) offered a unique opportunity to learn more about their stories and experiences as community artists. You can enjoy the panel on the YouTube Channel.

In typical times, the post-Pride months tend to be slower times for Pride Northwest. This year, as Pride month came to a close, we knew that this was not the time to go quiet. While Pride Northwest is not traditionally a direct service agency, both board and staff made the decision to take a different path, and actively respond to the crisis facing our community. In addition to utilizing our social media and visibility to keep our community informed as the pandemic developed, we took a number of direct steps to support LGBTQ+ people (and more) in a number of ways.

Pride Northwest actively engaged (and is still engaging) in direct response efforts, collaborating with and supporting the C3PO (Creating Conscious Communities with People Outside) villages, established to expand shelter for unhoused folks, both as fiscal sponsor for one of the coalition partners Trans Housing Coalition, and through direct financial and organizing support. We also worked with the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Portland, to help disperse over $10,000 in funds to local community members in financial crisis, due to the pandemic.

When wildfires ravaged many communities late this summer, Pride Northwest collaborated with Peacock Productions and Esther’s Pantry to raise over $10,000 and get urgent supplies to impacted communities across Oregon. Community stepped up big time for the first ever Pride Northwest/PABA sock drive! With support from Columbia Sportswear, Seasons Hospice Care, PCC staff and faculty, and many individuals, we collected over 7,000 pairs of socks to support the unhoused community. Thanks to partnerships with Esther’s Pantry, Because People Matter, C3PO, Hygiene4All, and others, these socks have been distributed to unhoused people across the Portland Metro area.

Beginning in November, we began partnering with Q Center, PABA, and Feed the Mass to provide hot meals once a week to people in need, as well working with the People's Pantry, located inside Q Center. We look forward to continuing to work with Q Center’s new Executive Director, Ian Daniel Morton, in identifying and responding to community needs.

In the Fall, along with Pride organizations across the country, Pride Northwest participated in the first ever Pride Stride, a virtual 3-5K “walk” Pride Stride provided a great opportunity for our community to get outside and have a great time. We look forward to next year!

October through December, we partnered with the City of Portland to help ensure that Black, Indigenous, and other queer people of color were included in the City’s COVID-19 Household Assistance Program, making sure that $170,000 in direct support is making its way into those hardest hit in our community. More than most any activity Pride Northwest undertook in 2020, talking one-on-one with hundreds of community members about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their lives, motivates us to continue advocating for and bringing more resources LGBTQ+ Oregonians in what will, undoubtedly, continue to be a tumultuous and uncertain time.

December brought another opportunity to go virtual, this time with the annual Pride Northwest LGBTQ+ Youth Holiday Celebration. In partnership with The Living Room, we put on a virtual LGBTQ+ Youth Holiday Party and Variety Show. In addition, youth attendees received a Holiday-in-a-Box, filled with games, decorations, and other holiday-themed items. We are truly grateful to be able to continue building community with our young people this year!

Everyone at Pride Northwest is truly grateful for the support we have received in this time, and for the opportunities we have had, to serve and lift up our community. We look forward to the new year and to continuing to serve and celebrate you!