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Mayor Wilson proclaims March 31 to be Transgender Day of Visibility

News article
A vibrant transgender pride flag gracefully waving against a blurred backdrop. The flag features horizontal stripes in pastel blue, pastel pink, and white, symbolizing inclusivity and pride in transgender identity. View full size image
Today, we celebrate the remarkable resilience, contributions, and visibility of Portland's transgender and gender non-conforming communities, recognizing their vital role in fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in our city.
Published

In accordance with this acknowledgment, we recognize:

Whereas, Transgender, Transmasculine, Transfeminine, Non-binary, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Two spirit, Agender, and gender non-conforming people have always existed and made important contributions to their communities; and

Whereas, Transphobic cultures, including that of the United States, continue to suppress the existence and contributions of transgender and gender non-conforming people; and

Whereas, Transphobia negatively affects transgender and gender non-conforming people and creates disparities in health, housing, employment, and all major aspects of life; and

Whereas, white supremacy, ableism, anti-Blackness, misogyny, and Transphobia are interconnected and depend on continued violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are transgender or gender non-conforming, particularly Black transgender women; and

Whereas, transgender and gender non-conforming people, particularly transgender women, are disproportionately likely to face violence; and

Whereas, transgender and gender non-conforming people, especially youth, are increasingly targeted by anti-LGBTQIA2S+ legislation and policies; and

Whereas, since January 20, 2025, LGBTQIA2S+ people, and specifically the transgender community, have been targeted by federal executive orders that undermine the rights of LGBTQIA2S+ people, promote their erasure, and are in direct conflict with the City of Portland's core value of equity; and

Whereas, transgender and gender non-conforming youth deserve to participate in sports, to thrive in schools, to see themselves represented on the shelves in libraries, and to be recognized, respected, and affirmed; and

Whereas, transgender and gender non-conforming people, including youth, deserve access to culturally competent and gender-affirming health care that is timely, accessible, and affordable; and

Whereas, houselessness and housing-services providers consistently fail to provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable support for Transgender and gender non-conforming people experiencing homelessness; and

Whereas, among cities in the United States, Portland is home to the second-largest percentage of LGBTQIA2S+ people per capita, including transgender and gender non-conforming people, and is seeing increasing "gender refugee migration" from unsafe states; and

Whereas, the City of Portland has a long history of supporting the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and specifically the transgender community, in ways that include but are not limited to, celebrating of Pride and Transgender Day of Visibility in Portland City Council Chambers, providing robust gender affirming care employee benefits, supporting pro-LGBTQIA2S+ legislation, supporting the development of an LGBTQIA2S+ Program within the Office of Equity, providing training opportunities for staff to learn how to be strong allies to the LGBTQIA2S+ community, developing strong Human Resources Administrative Rules that affirm that no City employee can be discriminated against based on gender identity or gender expression in any aspect of employment, supporting the LGBTQ+ Historic Sites Project, and providing support for community spaces that honor the contributions of LGBTQIA2S+ Portlanders; and 

Whereas, the City of Portland strives to make our city safe and empowering for its Transgender and gender non-conforming residents; and

Whereas, the City has not yet succeeded in this endeavor; and

Whereas, visibility for Transgender people is complex and nuanced and should not be a precondition for justice; and

Whereas, Transgender Day of Visibility is an opportunity for the Portland City Council and the city as a whole to recommit to building partnerships with Transgender and gender non-conforming communities to address challenges and invest in City infrastructure that furthers the work of uplifting the voices and needs of these communities.

Now, therefore, I, Keith Wilson, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim March 31, 2025, to be Transgender Day of Visibility in Portland and encourage all residents to observe this day.

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