- Basic Rights Oregon
Transcription
- Basic Rights Oregon
2008 ANNUAL REPORT A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Basic Rights Oregon is entering a new era. We have a strong and vibrant statewide organization, our historic domestic partnership and nondiscrimination laws are secure, and opportunities to build on this success abound. The support of the Oregon community has provided a solid foundation to support the growth of Basic Rights Oregon and has helped us win significant change. We have affirmed the fundamental right of all Oregonians to live and work free from the sting of discrimination. And as we develop our analysis of racial and social justice, we continue to refine the community understanding of what it means to pursue equality for all. We appreciate your investment in our work. You have created the opportunity for the organization to transition from a successful campaigning organization to a movement-building organization. As you read this report on our accomplishments in 2008, I hope you will be as amazed as I am at the breadth of the work. Not only did we vigorously defend our rights by protecting the domestic partnership and nondiscrimination laws, but we mapped out the vision for the next five years in our bold strategic plan. We saw tremendous success in developing leadership among youth through our Next Generation Project and we developed new partnerships in communities of color as we expanded our racial justice work. Together, we have made tremendous progress, but discrimination aimed at gay and transgender Oregonians persists. Together, we will continue to work towards the day when every gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied Oregonian experiences equality. Thank you for continuing on this path with us. We truly are all in this together. With deep appreciation, Jeana Frazzini Executive Director Basic Rights Oregon DONOR SPOTLIGHT Overview Basic Rights Oregon’s Strategic Plan represents a bold new approach to ensure that all LGBT Oregonians experience full equality. Discrimination against LGBT people continues in Oregon – we are excluded from the freedom to marry, LGBT teens have the highest rates of suicide, our youth endure bullying at school, and transgender people endure disproportionate unemployment rates. Marriage discrimination has a daily impact on caring, committed couples, hurting Oregon families in very real ways. Our strategic planning process began in early 2008 with a six-month listening and research project. The input included more than 50 hours of in-depth interviews with local and national community leaders, extensive surveys sent to 200 active grassroots leaders, a trans and genderqueer focus group, and thousands of conversations and surveys at Pride festivals across the state. Robin Castro and John Halseth Strategic Plan 2009-2013 A Bold New Path to Equality Robin and John have been a couple since 1996. Building An Inclusive Movement Mission Statement Cultivate the leadership of transgender people, youth and LGBT people of color. And prioritize their interests while deeply engaging businesses, community leaders and straight allies in a statewide network to broaden support for equality. Winning majority support for full marriage equality for all Oregonians Ultimately, marriage has a federal solution, but Basic Rights Oregon will play an important role in creating the national tipping point by achieving a statewide marriage victory. To win, we need to build majority support for marriage equality and run an inclusive campaign that addresses the needs of transgender families, LGBT families of color and young people. 2 Robin Castro and his partner, John Halseth, have been steadfast supporters of Basic Rights Oregon since the 1990s. While they usually prefer to stay out of the spotlight, when it comes time to stepping up for what they believe in, they are ready to claim a place on the frontlines. Basic Rights Oregon will ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Oregonians experience equality by building a broad and inclusive politically powerful movement, shifting public opinion, and achieving policy victories Achieving significant policy change to improve the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming Oregonians Basic Rights Oregon supports policies that are inclusive of transgender Oregonians. We seek to understand and articulate the impact of all of our campaigns on trans people across the state. In addition, in the next five years, Basic Rights Oregon will coordinate ambitious policy campaigns to increase the safety and well being of transgender members of our community. Enforce and Defend Our Victories Fully implement and enforce domestic partnerships and nondiscrimination laws while working with businesses and state agencies to educate about these laws. We are also committed to defending against any and all attacks on LGBT equality and working through the courts and the legislature to close any loopholes. Increasing and enforcing protections for LGBT and allied youth across Oregon Basic Rights Oregon will build upon our work with LGBT and allied youth. We will lead a policy agenda that increases the safety and well being of LGBT and allied youth. “John says we met in a workshop I facilitated for a local nonprofit group,” explains Robin. “But I remember meeting him in a square dance class in 1987. Either way, after ten years of friendship, we became partners.” Robin didn’t have a strong opinion about the fight for marriage equality, but his attitude has changed. “We never thought we would see marriage as an option for us, and yet it’s so very close,” says Robin. “Equality, and nothing less, is what every Oregonian should strive for because it is the right thing to do.” Robin and John were married in 2004 when same-sex marriages were permitted in Multnomah County. When their marriage license was taken away from them, they were crushed. They had shared the joy of their marriage with their family. Their friends even hosted a wedding shower to celebrate their union. This loss strengthened Robin and John’s commitment to support Basic Rights Oregon’s work for gay and transgender equality. Both believe that public education will be a critical factor in the work ahead. They recognize that Basic Rights Oregon will not give up, and that the work of the organization is far from over. Robin says, “It is important that we support Basic Rights Oregon by making a donation, by sponsoring tables at their events or by attending rallies and volunteering in the office whenever possible. We need to be talking to our friends and family about the issues that matter to our community.” We are grateful for their steadfast and generous support. 3 A BROAD AND INCLUSIVE MOVEMENT Since our last statewide ballot measure campaign in 2004, Basic Rights Oregon has worked to start a new chapter in Oregon’s movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. We know that our movement is bigger than one vote, broader than one issue, and stronger than the fear and intolerance that we must overcome. And for all of us to win, all of us must be invited and empowered to participate. We win victories for equality by engaging a large base of LGBT and allied Oregonians in the struggle. In 2008, more than 3,000 people volunteered with Basic Rights Oregon. Volunteers identified thousands of new pro-equality voters, and recruited over 500 new activists at fairs and festivals across the state. Others organized public events, vigils and demonstrations. And our volunteer speaker’s bureau gave presentations to dozens of neighborhood associations, labor unions, and social service agencies about the importance of gay and transgender equality. Our team works to develop volunteers’ skills and political analysis - building community leadership around the state. In April, over 100 activists gathered for our third annual Statewide Grassroots Leadership Summit to refine their organizing skills, deepen our movement’s commitment to gender and racial justice, and chart the path forward. In addition to the annual Sum- 4 mit, we conducted dozens of local trainings and seminars and helped activist leaders across the state to recruit new volunteers, plan local events, and educate the public. Basic Rights Oregon is proud to play a strong role in Oregon’s movements for social justice. We know that no movement for equality can win without developing deep and reciprocal relationships with allied individuals and organizations. We maintain our longstanding partnerships with choice, civil liberties and labor movements, and have built strong alliances with movements for racial justice and immigrant rights. More than 3,000 people volunteered with Basic Rights Oregon in 2008. Building Bridges & Advancing Racial Justice In 2006, Basic Rights Oregon launched our Anti-Racist Organizational Development initiative, working for racial justice within Oregon’s gay and transgender rights movement. Since then, we’ve built coalition partnerships with racial justice and immigrant rights organizations, supported and developed gay and transgender leaders of color, and started a conversation about the role race plays within our community. Our work to support and highlight the leadership of gay and transgender people of color included developing a team of people of color trainers for our political education sessions, helping with the “Putting Color in the Rainbow” program at the Oregon Students of Color Conference and our New Roots Fellowship program. We also worked with Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), to support the development of the nation’s only AfricanAmerican PFLAG chapter. And during the election, our team worked overtime, standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners, defending against several anti-immigrant ballot measures. By taking a stand for immigrant rights, we make it clear that no one should be afraid for the security of their family. Following the roundtable, Western States Center launched its Gender Justice Dialogues project. The project aimed to provide resources and support for organizations based in communities of color. Ultimately, the Dialogues helped organizations to address the needs of their gay and transgender constituents, and to build coalition partnerships for racial and gender justice. Basic Rights Oregon was proud to offer staff support and movement analysis at the Dialogues. In March, Basic Rights Oregon, Western States Center, and Unity Project of Oregon convened a roundtable of organizations and individuals working for racial and gender justice. The roundtable looked to build relationships and to take on collaborative projects in the short and long-term. 5 “Basic Rights Oregon provides youth fellows with hands-on training in grassroots organizing. All of us work on real projects with real impact.” - Cyd Quetzal La Luz, 2008 New Roots Fellow YOUTH IN ACTION The Next Generation Project is Basic Rights Oregon’s investment in the future. Through the project, we provide youth with skills training and leadership opportunities in our organizing, lobbying, and community education work. We are especially committed to working on issues affecting LGBT youth of color, transgender and gender non-conforming youth, youth facing multiple forms of oppression, and youth most impacted by discrimination. In 2008, the Next Generation Project worked with over 200 youth to deepen their understanding of gender justice, racial justice and grassroots organizing. We also launched the New Roots Fellowship program - a unique opportunity designed to recognize and develop the leadership of transgender youth and LGBT youth of color in grassroots organizing. Fellows led ten-week summer programs, and several stayed on through the fall to prepare for our Safe Schools campaign. Four talented young leaders held Fellowships in the summer of 2008. Their leadership and vision launched QPOWER: Queer Portlanders Organizing and Working for Equal Rights. QPOWER is a group of young, motivated leaders in the Portland Metro area who are committed to building an inclusive and powerful LGBT movement by fighting to pass policies and elect candidates that will bring full equality to Oregon. Our commitment to create safe schools for all youth has led us to work closely with the Oregon GSA Network. Together, we provide organizational support, leadership development and educational workshops that strengthen Gay Straight Alliances in schools throughout the state. We also continue our partnership with the Oregon Student Association to address the barriers that gay and transgender students face in accessing post-secondary education. In 2008, we partnered to train and support over 70 students who developed, distributed, collected and analyzed 3500 campus climate surveys from twelve universities and community colleges statewide. Students and staff worked together to release the report, titled Too Afraid to Learn. Although the findings highlight some positive trends towards inclusivity, the report also demonstrates just how much further we need to go. 6 “I am proud to partner with Basic Rights Oregon to make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family.” - Governor Ted Kulongoski VICTORIES AT THE BALLOT BOX The November 2008 election marked only the second Presidential election in two decades where the fundamental dignity of gay and transgender Oregonians was not up for a public vote. Together with our Equality PAC and Measure PAC, Basic Rights Oregon devoted well over $175,000 a proactive campaign to elect fair-minded candidates to public office, advance basic rights at the ballot and double our list of pro-equality voters. We won significant victories for LGBT equality while also supporting our coalition partners in labor, racial justice and immigrant organizations, who have spent twenty years helping us advance equality for the gay and transgender community. In October, we held Vote Equality ballot measure forums across the state, connecting the dots between Oregon’s anti-gay movement and parallel anti-labor, anti-immigrant, anti-choice, and anti-racial justice movements. We discussed the ballot measures faced by our progressive partners, and asked volunteers to lend a hand in those campaigns. Gay, transgender and allied volunteers’ work on these coalition campaigns worked both to build coalition partnerships, and to stand up for the rights of some of the most marginalized members of our community: gay and transgender people who are also youth, immigrants, union members, and members of low-income families. 7 DONOR SPOTLIGHT The Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock The Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock is one of our most stalwart institutional supporters. Since 2002, the Veatch Program has invested in the work of Basic Rights Education Fund, playing a critical role in strengthening and expanding our educational programs ad campaigns. This investment includes over $285,000 in generous grant awards. These funds helped shape Basic Rights Education Fund into the organization it is today: a proactive organization building a broad and powerful movement to shift public opinion and achieve policy victories. The Veatch Program was created in 1959 with funding provided by Mrs. Caroline Veatch to the North Shore Unitarian Society in Plandome, New York. The society has since changed its name to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York. Shelter Rock is known as a community deeply committed to social change. The Veatch Program believes that the grassroots organizations they support can change democracy and develop new policies that promote social progress. The Veatch Program and Basic Rights Education Fund share the common goal of building a broad and powerful movement for social change. Over the last seven years, the partnership between the Veatch Program and Basic Rights Education Fund has emerged as a critical element in the gay and transgender equality movement in Oregon. Many foundations support organizations for a brief time -- but the Veatch Program is committed to this work in the long term. The Veatch Program is a tremendous resource for the work for gay and transgender equality. Basic Rights Education Fund values the opportunity to work together now and in the years to come. ON THE PATH TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY When Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 36 in 2004, they wrote marriage discrimination into our state constitution. Someday soon we will repeal this measure and establish marriage equality in Oregon. But in the meantime, our strategy has focused on winning and defending domestic partnerships, which provide important rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples. Defending our victories In 2007, the legislature passed two historic laws. The Oregon Family Fairness Act created domestic partnerships, granting more than 500 relationship rights to same-sex couples. And the Oregon Equality Act banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When opposition groups failed to gather the necessary signatures to force public referenda votes on these bills, falling just 96 signatures short for the domestic partnership referendum, they went to court to push their agenda. In Lemons v. Bradbury, the Alliance Defense Fund challenged the procedures for signature verification in federal court. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, delaying implementation of Oregon’s domestic partnership law. That’s when Basic Rights Oregon retained the services of Oregon’s top elections attorney and won legal standing, allowing our legal team to argue the case alongside the state. We organized vigils around the state and a 8 tremendous rally with thousands of supporters outside the court building. One month and many legal motions later, the court tossed the case out and cleared the path for gay couples to gain basic protections for their families. But the attacks continued. The Alliance Defense Fund brought the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Concerned Oregonians began a new signature gathering effort. Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the case and our legal challenges prevented opposition groups from circulating their ballot measure petitions. Despite widespread public acceptance of this law, anti-gay groups have already announced a new effort to repeal the laws on the 2010 ballot. Implementation and Education Legislation is only effective if it is implemented and enforced effectively. Basic Rights Oregon has provided Know Your Basic Rights trainings for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Oregonians in communities across the state. Our legal advisory group developed and presented CLE-accredited seminars for employment lawyers to understand their responsibilities under the new laws. We worked with the state Labor Commissioner to convene an Interagency Workgroup to address issues in the implementation of our domestic partnership law. By December 2008, more than 2,600 same-sex couples had registered as Oregon domestic partners. 9 BASIC RIGHTS OREGON LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Basic Rights Oregon is pleased to acknowledge our donors who made single or multiple gifts totaling $1000 or more from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Through their vision and leadership, these supporters provide financial stability for our work to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. These generous contributions allow us to be on the frontlines, ensuring fairness and equality for the gay and transgender community. We thank you for your continued investment. Liberty Circle: $10,000+ Arcus Foundation Bill Dickey & David Wagner Brian Houle & Peter Rossing Charles M. Holmes Supporting Foundation Colin Higgins Foundation Curtis Thompson Diane Benjamin Gill Action Fund Jeff Heatherington Johnson Renshaw & Lechman-Su Lane Hickey LeAnn Locher & Adela Rios Liberty Hill Foundation Northwest Custom Electric Proteus Fund Inc Spirit Mountain Community Fund Stoel Rives LLP Terry Bean Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program Witham & Dickey 10 Equality Circle: $5,000 - $9,999 Comcast Cable Communications Debbie Burke & Richard Durant Dennis Johnson & Steven Smith Equity Foundation Fred Meyer John Harrell & Al Machemehl Lane Powell Attorney’s and Counselors Melissa Beal & Cindy Alexander Oregon Education Association Portland General Electric Pride Foundation Royce’s Prop Shop, Inc. Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, P.C. SEIU Local 503 The Astraea Foundation The New World Foundation The Standard Tonkon Torp LLP Troy St. John & Ayham Samkough Washington Mutual Bank Zephyr Fund Justice Circle: $2,500 – 4,999 Brian Wilson Family Care, Inc. Gretchen Miller & Jim Clark Gus Van Sant Jerry & Julie Murphy Jim Colligan & Ron Tinnell Kaiser Permanente Mainstage Theatre Co Markowitz Herbold Glade & Mehlhaf, PC Mary McCarty McDonald Jacobs, P.C. Michael Kennedy & Tom Swafford New Seasons Market Nordstrom, Inc. Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette Portland Center Stage Providence Health & Services Robin Castro & John Halseth Sho & Loen Dozono Steven & Linda McGeady The Diverse and Empowered Employees of Portland (DEEP) The Tresidder Company Travel Portland US Bank Wells Fargo William Gilliland Wonder Ballroom Freedom Circle: $1,000-2,499 AFT - Oregon Alan Tresidder Andrea Halliday & Anice Thigpen Azumano Travel Bank of America Beckie Lee & Tim Kniser Bill Fish & Ed Reeves C & E Systems Caroline DeOlden & Betty Hale Cascade AIDS Project Cathy Abbruzzese CH2M Hill City Center Parking Dave Barrows & Associates David Dishman David Dotlich & Neal Elwood Davis Wright Tremaine Deborah Luppold & Carole Smith Diane & Michael McKeel Donald Powell & Zhou Yintian Douglas Jenkins Elizabeth Cahill & Diane Groff EMI Enterprise Rent-A-Car Equality Federation Eric & Rebecca Friedenwald-Fishman Frank Dixon & Daniel Volkmer Friends of Tina Kotek Gregg Macy & Eric Steinhauser Gwenn Baldwin & Judith Gray Harold & Merry Demarest Harvey & Beth Oringher Hewlett-Packard Hip Chicks Do Wine HOOPS PAC James Greene & Wade Walter Jason Phillips Jeff Miller & William Carter JEZ Foundation Julia Felsman & Cynthia Ondrick Just Out Karen Jones & Annette Kolodzie Kate Millgard & Virginia Thompson Key Bank Kregg Arntson & Ted Fettig Lake James Perriguey Larry Laughead & Steven Lien Laura Anne Hoot & Laura Stepp Laura & Dirk Dellinger Les Lewis & Richard Watkins Lisa Horowitz & Maura Roche Livingston Foundation, Inc. Lynn Clark Lynn Nakamoto & Jocelyn White Marilyn Stewart-Frank Mark Clift & Jeff Knapp Mary Anne Gard & Kathryn Keller Mary Usui Matt & Jeanette Swafford Metropolitan Group Mingo Mother’s Bistro & Bar Multnomah Democratic Party Nancy Babka & Michael Morgan National Center for Lesbian Rights Neil Kimmelfield NW Natural Gas OGALLA Oregon Health Science University Pacific Power/Pacificorp Pastini Pastaria Paul King & Walter Jaffe PCC Structurals Pollin Hotels Portland Association of Teachers Portland Business Alliance Portland Hilton Portland Public Schools District #1 Q6 Model and Artist Management R Patrick Reiten Rebecca & Sharon Flynn Rejuvenation Inc Ring of Fire Restaurant and Catering Ron Burley Ronda Peterson & Christina Renck Rudy’s Barbershop Scott Aardappel & Cody Halsey Sheryl Anderson & Susan Anderson SkinnerLopata Harris LLC The View Point Inn Thomas Barreto & Brian Sinclair Thomas Lauderdale Tim Thunder Umpqua Bank Under U 4 Men United Way Columbia-Willamette Vanessa Usui & Kimberlee Stafford Vault, LLC Willamette Week William Apt & Grant Molsberry Basic Rights Oregon is proud of our relationships with supporters at every giving level. We regret that, due to space limitations, we cannot acknowledge all donors in this publication. If we have unintentionally omitted or misspelled your name, please accept our sincere apologies and let us know how we may acknowledge you accurately in future Basic Rights Oregon materials. FINANCIALS For the year ended December 31, 2008 (With comparative totals for 2007) CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ASSETS 2008 Cash and cash equivalents Other assets Property and equipment, net TOTAL ASSETS 2007 $381,110 2,327 44,213 $427,650 $591,179 2,027 37,504 $630,710 18,758 44,097 340,879 44,213 385,092 23,800 408,892 362,599 37,504 400,103 186,510 586,613 $427,650 $630,710 Basic Rights Oregon Board of Directors LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities: Total liabilities Net assets: Unrestricted: Available for operations Property and equipment, net Total unrestricted Temporarily restricted Total net assets TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Interns and New Roots Fellows CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES 2008 Unrestricted Support: Contributions Special events, net of expenses of $204,669 for 2008 and $167,344 for 2007 Donated Goods and services Other Income Net assets released from restrictions: Satisfaction of purpose restrictions Total Support Expenses: Program services Litigation Public Education Communication Electoral candidate work Advocacy and lobbying Total programs Management and general Fundraising Total Expenses Change in net assets Net assets: Beginning of year End of year 12 $453,587 265,994 73,459 5,314 394,710 1,193,064 88,897 455,881 58,305 140,860 241,395 985,338 88,244 134,493 1,208,075 (15,011) 400,103 $385,092 Temporarily Restricted $232,000 - - (394,710) (162,710) (162,710) 186,510 $23,800 2007 Total Total $685,587 $984,220 265,994 73,459 5,314 - 1,030,354 348,159 116,040 3,100 - 1,451,519 88,897 455,881 58,305 140,860 241,395 985,338 88,244 134,493 1,208,075 (177,721) 120,823 353,855 98,256 16,128 233,956 823,018 96,144 162,217 1,081,379 370,140 586,613 $408,892 216,473 $586,613 2008 STAFF AND BOARD Basic Rights Oregon Staff Jeana Frazzini, Executive Director Cathy Abbruzzese, Donor Outreach Coordinator Karynn Fish, Communications Director Rebecca Flynn, Regional Director Aubrey Harrison, Metro Field Organizer Andrew Hogan, Development Associate Alejandro Juarez, Communications Coordinator Jessica Lee, Youth Organizer Juan Martinez, Development Coordinator Maceo Persson, Mid-Valley Field Organizer Thomas Wheatley, Organizing Director Dan Yonker, Director of Finance & Administration Oscar Arana Debbie Burke Laura Dellinger Frank Dixon Margi Hoffmann Scott Hossner Steven Johnston Cris Land Ginny Laferriere Beckie Lee Al Machemehl Nichole Maher Vanessa Usui Lauren Ackerman Melanie Altaras Angela Baxter Jonathan Budzinski Ragina Gray Cyd Quetzal La Luz Tash Shatz Project Staff & Consultants Corinne Ball EricA Boehnlein Nisco Junkins Ronan Kelley Kyndall Mason Maura C. Roche Samantha Swaim Tammy Tewalt Photo Credits Karol Collymore Sam Leinen Jennifer Meyer / Tribute Web Design & Photograph Rosemary Ragusa / monAmour photography and anonymous supporters around the state. 13 Special thank you to Witham and Dickey for dona�ng the prin�ng of this report. P.O. BOX 40625 PORTLAND, OR 97204 PHONE: 503.222.6151 FAX: 503.236.6686 www.basicrights.org