HDC hosted our 7th Dignity Award Celebration honoring Accessible Bend, The Grove, Strictly Organic Coffee and Cat Finney for their outstanding efforts to bring dignity to others in our community.
HDC participated in phase 1 and 2 of the Bend 2030 Vision Project, ensuring the voices of the LGBTQ and accessibility community were included in the vision statement.
This year we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Central Oregon Coalition for Access (COCA)- of which HDC is a founding member. This coalition affects change at the institutional level by uniting people with disabilities, advocates, city/county officials and staff to work together towards an accessible community for all citizens.
We once again our fourth annual Pizza and Possibilities and also partnered with the Women’s Resource Center and Planned Parenthood for the third annual celebration of Women’s History Month.
HDC staff and volunteers have supported the start up of Latinos Sin Fronteras, a group whose mission is to organize and support immigrants in Central Oregon. We have partnered with Central Oregon Jobs with Justice, La Bronca Radio Show, CAUSA and the Latino Community Association and events have included Fiesta De Independencia as well as several organizing meetings.
This year HDC hosted Bend’s second annual public Pride Celebration. Hundreds of people from around the state enjoyed live music and performances by local and visiting artists, community and food booths, and a float down the Deschutes River.
We continued our work with the Central Oregon Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, which boasts clubs in high schools in the tri-county area, as well as a community wide group and local community college GSA. In the last year, this program involved close to 200 students, with 20 students attending 3 statewide conferences, and students participating in both Day of Silence/Night of Noise Rally and National Coming Out Day as well as organizing a booth at Bend Pride ’06.
We hosted our annual Drag Pageant with Portland performers Poisonwaters and Friends. A safe place of self expression, this event is the only one of its kind East of the Cascades and has quickly become a tradition among the LGBTQ and allied community.
This year, we at HDC had multiple opportunities to share our message with community members through an participation on the Bend Chamber of Commerce Non Profit Commission, hosting an Earth Day booth, and appearances at Pine Mountain Sport’s annual Powderhound event, the Bend Soroptimist Club meeting, and participation in the Northwest Grantmakers Conference.
HDC was a co-founder of the Central Oregon Coalition for Access, a group whose mission is to work with the public and private sectors to insure accessibility for all people in all aspects of community life.
We hosted the third annual Pizza and Possibilities in February
Working with Central Oregon Women’s Resource Center and Planned Parenthood, we participated in a month of events for Women’s History Month in March.
Throughout 2005, we helped nurture the start up of the Central Oregon Peace Network
GLBT rights
We worked closely with Basic Rights Oregon
during the past legislative session providing the voice of
Central Oregon’s citizens in the struggle for relationship
equality and anti discrimination laws.
Gay Straight
Alliance Network
With the support of Oregon Safe Schools and Communities
Coalition (OSSCC), HDC has begun to develop a GSA network
in our tri-county area.
First ever
Public Pride Event
Pride 05, HDC hosted Bend’s first ever Pride
Picnic and River Float in June and our annual “Family”
Celebration Drag Pageant in October.
Celebration of the one year anniversary of the Bend Equal Rights Ordinance. The Bend City Council officially named June 16 as the Not in Our Town Day for Bend. We celebrated with a multi-media performance fundraiser- Media Mania.
In July, HDC sponsored a booth during Bend First Friday Art Walk to honor the 15th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Monthly
meetings
We completed a year of monthly meetings bringing topics on
Peace and anti-war, Transgender trainings, and Disability
Rights.
Co-sponsor of the 11th Annual Oregon Diversity Institute Conference held at Central Oregon Community College.
Peace Work
Held a one year anniversary peace vigil
Civic Development
Hosted our second annual Pizza and Possibilities Meeting.
Organized a Not in Our Town Forum featuring a panel of diverse Central Oregonians and the Not In Our Town Film Maker, Patrice O'Neil.
Organized dozens of supporters to speak out at the Bend City Council public hearing to bring forward the Bend Equal Rights Ordinance. Hundreds more attended the hearing in support. This ordinance expands state anti discrimination laws to include protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Bend was the eighth city/county to pass such an ordinance in the state of Oregon.
Held our bi-annual Dignity Awards honoring an individual: city councilor John Hummel, business: Ponderfusion, and organization: The Deschutes Public Library.
HDC donated office space to the local No on Constitutional Amendment 36 campaign.
Facilitated a community dialogue called "How do you feel about the election"
Arts and Culture
Celebrated Women's History Month, putting on a diverse women's
talent show called "Making Her'story"
Sponsored the successful all day women's' workshop and evening performance of the Soromundi Choir of Eugene.
Hosted the band AlaZingara at The Grove.
Political Education
Hosted a Free Pizza and Voter Education party before the November election
Hosted the Basic Rights Oregon "Speak Now Tour" to debrief the No on 36 campaign and set future goals.
Outreach and
Advocacy
Helped create Support Diversity, an awareness campaign
by and for local businesses
Held our fourth annual Family Celebration Pride picnic and held a series of activities throughout the month in honor of National Coming Out Day. The mission of this collaborative effort was: Educate, Integrate, Celebrate
Walked with PFLAG in the Bend Xmas Parade
Produced a winter and spring Newsletter
Advocated for people with disabilities in an attempt to get Bend and Deschutes County to comply with ADA standards.
Other
Welcomed Amy Davidson as a second staff person in the
HDC office.
Our Executive Director
gave birth to Morgaine Ember Stalker.
Peace Work
In January, we sponsored a social justice meeting. The day after
that meeting, 20 people met for the first weekly peace vigil,
which lasted for four months and at their peak attracted over
100 people.
A Peace and Democracy in Action Committee was formed.
After war began we held a silent march and noisy rally for peace
with over 150 people attending and held a four week War and
Peace Movie series followed by discussions.
Civic Development
Conversation Cafés, monthly public discussions where
people make meaningful connections using topics such as “What
does it mean to be an American?”
Kitchen Table Activism meetings: A monthly project of
Rural Organizing Project (ROP) where volunteers work on public
policy issues, joining other small social justice groups throughout
the state in creating collective results.
Arts & Culture
Our annual Pride Celebration brought over 50 people together
for a family picnic during the day and over100 people to a nighttime
Drag Queen Show!
We supported Equity Foundation’s presentation of The Laramie
Project followed by a post-play discussion as well as The
Vagina Monologues and follow up workshops for women.
Singing About a Revolution: Monthly “Open mic” jams with
a political groove, held in a LGBT friendly restaurant/bar.
Music for a change.
HDC co-sponsored the second annual Latino Film Festival
with the Diversity Committee of our local college.
In our economic justice series we helped produce the play, “Nickel
and Dimed”
Working with the Deschutes Public Library, we brought “The
Other Faces of Iraq” a photo exhibit traveling through rural
communities in Central Oregon.
Political Education
With the Mackenzie River Gathering grant we hosted a
socially responsible investing workshop.
We sponsored along with Bend Community Action Team an educational
meeting on Oregon Center for Public Policy’s report, “Boom,
Bust and Beyond: The State of Working Oregon 2002.”
HDC organized 16 Central Oregonians to join 300 other rural
Oregonians in Salem for the ROP’s Barnyard Ruckus and Caucus.
Amnesty International and HDC brought Father Roy Bourgeois
to speak in Bend about the School of the Americas Watch.
A group of concerned volunteers worked to educate the community
about the USA PATRIOT ACT.
We held a “From Sweatshop to Fair trade” educational
forum.
Outreach & Advocacy
In response to a recent hate crime against a member of the GLBT
community, HDC is part of a local effort to pass an anti-discrimination
ordinance, create a hate free business community, and hold
a Not in Our Town Forum.
HDC joined PFLAG to create a float for the Bend Holiday
Parade.
Working with local citizens and the Bend City Council, we are
working to make sure Bend is in compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
An HDC board member was a panel member for the Forest Service
diversity training.
We published our seasonal newsletters with educational
articles written by local activists and sent out to our 2000+
household mailing list.
A Fond Farewell - Stacey Dycus moves on
Welcome Jenni Peskin
Second annual Fiesta Latina in partnership with Programa De Ayuda
HDC works with COCAAN and COP to bring Barbara Ehrenreich speaking on poverty
Rural Organizing Project (ROP) and HDC sponsor an Economic Justice Workshop in Bend
Second annual "Family" celebration at the Funny Farm
Clumsy Lovers benefit concert at the Domino Room
Local Businesses Asked to Donate 20% to Fight Hunger: Second
Annual Giving Table to Raise Funds during National Hunger
and Homelessness Awareness Week
Fiesta Latina celebrates Central Oregon diversity, Latino
culture September 15 at Marshall High School
Morris Dees in Bend a huge Success! Read the article
on bend.com
Local Youth, Inn, and Ski Program Win Dignity Awards
HDC Sponsors Free Workshop on responding to prejudice and intolerance
Human Dignity Coalition Receives Equity Grant To Build "Bridges
to Understanding"
The Human Dignity Coalition was started in 1992 by a small group of concerned Central Oregonians to address the Oregon Citizens' Alliance (OCA) anti-gay Ballot Measure 9. That November, although BM 9 was defeated by a slim margin statewide, it passed in Central Oregon. The election results indicated the need for a coalition of people to address human rights issues in our region including social, political, cultural,economic and civil rights.
Since then, HDC has sponsored and participated in many activities and events:
Workshop on hate crime laws in Oregon
Religion and Homosexuality: A panel discussion with local clergy
The Effects of Prejudice on Native Americans, a community workshop
Dreamweaving: Discussion on building a "Diversity Center" in Bend
On Activism: by NAACP
How to Campaign: a workshop by NARAL
Anti-Oppression workshop by trainers from the Anti-Defamation League
Community Leaders Forum: Human Rights Think Tank
The People's March in Springfield for Human Rights
Counter-measures to stop a book banning effort in Bend (successful)
Anne Frank: Three Exhibits of the Holocaust
Abdill/Ellis Memorial Service (two lesbian activists murdered in Medford, Oregon)
The Dignity Awards: a biannual event honoring local activists(95,97,99,01,02)
Gay and Lesbian Youth Conference
Central Oregon Women's Conference
World AIDS Day Events
Gays and Lesbians in the Faith Community Conference
Zapatistas and NAFTA: Revolutionary Economics
March and Rally: 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Workshops in Human Rights
Peruvian poet and essayist Ephraim Diaz-Horna
Bridges to Understanding: Diversity in the 21st Century Conference (600+ attendees)
Voting Party 2000, 2002
Campaign Finance Reform Initiative
Campaign against the Student Protection Act
Darrell Millner on the African-American Experience in Oregon
Heather McNeil-Nix "She Says: Telling Women's Stories"
Yours, Mine and Ours: A Workshop on Intolerance and Prejudice
Youth Diversity Essay Contest
Co-sponsor Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center
For information on more recent events please link to action alerts and calendar
For over ten years, HDC has built momentum in Central Oregon as an organization dedicated to a multi-issue agenda and to achieving social, cultural, political, civil and economic justice.