News & Events Significant events and stories happening around us.
Contact Us How to reach us, sign up for our email update, let us know your ideas
"We do not see things as they are; we see things as we are."
- Anais Nin
We are a gender educational and advocacy organization on the west coast of the United
States of America. We are a chapter of
It's Time, America! (ITA),
the first nationally-organized grassroots civil rights group
seeking to secure and safeguard the rights of all transgendered persons.
Dear Friends,
It's Time, Oregon! is moving forward in its advocacy, resource and
educational efforts, renewed and encouraged by some very promising
developments over the last year. Policies have been created and implemented
that will protect the rights of people to claim and express their gender
identity, including civil rights protections for the City of Portland. Many
of these initiatives have been in process for a long time.
The commitment of major gay and lesbian advocacy organizations to gender
identity rights and to advocacy inclusive of transgender people is on the
upswing as well. Their expanded dialogue with transgender rights advocates
will create an atmosphere of common cause and respect. But substantive work
still needs to be done to heal decades of misunderstanding within the LGBT
community. ITO is committed to this healing process as well.
Most importantly, there is a growing awareness of the appropriate place for
gender identity rights as part of the legacy of diversity and dignity that
we all hold so dear. People of all external identifications and
self-descriptions realize that our collaborative work to honor and protect
every citizen benefits us all. As each of us becomes more free and is
welcomed into full discourse in this society, so we are all enriched.
We hope you share this vision of a better world, but it won't be created
easily. Even as the tide of diversity rises, there are negative influences
ready to deny or divert it. It is a regrettable truth that fear and hatred
still exist towards gender-different people, and that a sense of entitlement
to be derogatory or dismissive of transgender people continues. Obviously,
there is still much educational work to be done.
We welcome your support, your comments and suggestions, and above all, hope
you will consider contributing your talent, experience and resources to our
community, and to the work of ITO. Please share with us, and let us share
with every person who needs support, information or education around gender
identity issues.
Thanks for stopping by. The door is always open for friends.
