To kick off the last weekend of Pride in Portland, the Oregon AFSCME LGBTQIA+ Caucus in partnership with AFSCME Local 2805, Multnomah Defenders, Inc and Local 3668, Metropolitan Public Defenders, hosted a line-dancing event to raise funds for Outside In’s LGBTQIA+ programs.
Held on June 28th at Director’s Park in Portland, the event drew in a crowd of over 60 AFSCME members and friends. Attendees were given a 30-minute dance instruction and then spent the evening stepping their way to a good time for a good cause!
The event raised $2,050 for Outside In, which provides wraparound behavioral health and case management services to vulnerable residents in the Portland-Metro area. Outside In workers organized in 2022 and are now represented by AFSCME Local 1790, joining over 2,000 unionized behavioral health and social services workers across the state.
“We wanted to bring our union family together to celebrate queer joy during Pride, but we know that our communities are often faced with economic and social barriers to success,” says Fay Carroll, a Legal Assistant with Multnomah Defenders, Inc. and an AFSCME Rainbow Caucus member. “As public servants, we see the impacts of these barriers every day, and we want to make sure that Pride continues to be both a celebration and an act of resistance, especially in our current political climate.”
The Oregon AFSCME LGBTQIA+ Caucus holds meetings each month to discuss queer issues, plan events, and create a safe space for AFSCME members who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community. You can join here!
