Victory Party

Over the past few months, our community has been paying close attention to a city ordinance meant to protect families from discrimination.

At first, the language was promising. Then it was changed. The updated draft removed clear protections for people in non-monogamous relationships. Our families were no longer named, when we are not named, we are easier to ignore.

So we showed up!

In February, more than 40 community members came to testify before the Portland City Council. We shared our stories. We talked about our partners, our co-parents, our children, our chosen family. We asked the City to see us — and to say our names.

And they listened.

Because OPEN and so many Portlanders raised our voices, the ordinance language has now been updated to include:

“Family or relationship structure means the actual or perceived involvement, or lack thereof, of consenting individuals in intimate personal relationships. This includes multi-partner/multi-parent families and relationships, step families, multi-generational households, diverse family structures, consensually nonmonogamous relationships, and consensual sexual and/or intimate relationships, including asexual and aromantic relationships.”

That means we are clearly and directly included.

On Wednesday, March 4, City Council will vote to pass this updated language and move us forward into stronger legal protections for our community and our families.

We want to give heartfelt thanks to Councilwomen Tiffany Koyama-Lane, Angelita Morello, and Candace Avalos for their leadership and for standing with non-monogamous people in this ordinance.

Now it’s time to celebrate.

Join OPEN for a Victory Party!

Friday, March 6

Lucky Labrador Brewing Company

Short program at 7:00 PM

We’ll have a private room, a private bartender, and pizza to share. Kids are welcome. Bring your partners, your co-parents, your metamours, your chosen family — all the people who make your life full.

This win means more freedom to be honest about who we love and how we build our families. It means more safety. More visibility. More dignity.

We showed up.

We spoke out.

We changed the outcome.

Come celebrate this win with us.