PORTLAND TOWN COUNCIL

Portland Town Council 306 Oregon Pioneer Bldg. 320 SW Stark Portland

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History/Story:

Cited in the November 1970 Oregon Gay Rights Report newsletter PORTLAND TOWN COUNCIL FOUNDATION RECEIVES TAX-EXAMPT STATUS  The Board of Directors of the PTC Foundation proudly announces that the organization has received 501c 3 status from the Internal Revenue Service. This status, which means all contributions are tax deductible, was denied to all gay organizations by the IRS until a suit against them was settled in late 1977. The Foundation was formed two years ago to provide social, legal and educational services to Oregon’s lesbian and gay community. The Foundation will share office space with PTC. Oregon’s major gay civil rights organization PTC will continue political work on behalf of Oregon’s lesbians and gay men while the Foundation will assume the non-political functions and activities of PTC

 Jerry Weller has been hired as director beginning November 5, 1979. Mr. Weller is past president of the Foundation, and will resign his current position as co-chair of PTC when he assumes directorship of the Foundation. Resign his current position as co-chair of PTC 

Portland Town Council AKA PHOENIX RISING 306 Oregon Pioneer Bldg. 320 SW Stark Portland

Per Tom Terrific’s “I Love Portland” A guide to the Portland Court System and its Organization in his 1975 little green booklet States, “The Portland Town Council – Progress in Action”.

The Portland Town Council is a political organization working in Oregon to change the laws which affect gay people. It has exited informally for several years originating as a coordinating council for Portland’s gay community, with a representative attending from local gay businesses and organizations.

In January of 1975, a group of gay people got together through PTC to request that because of its representative nature, PTC be chosen to spearhead the lobbying effort for a gay rights bill to be introduced into the Oregon Legislature by State Rep. Vera Katz, during the 1975 Legislature. A full-time lobbyist (Ken Allison) was employed for five months to work with legislators in Salem and to speak with groups around the state. A weekly newsletter was published at the state capital in Salem. All this was made possible by the generous and voluntary support of the gay community.

PTC is preparing well in advance for their next major lobbying drive: the 1977 session of the Oregon Legislature, which convenes in January, 1977. They will have at least one gay rights bill introduced at that time and there may be others important to gay people. Ost important will be a comprehensive gay rights (non-discriminatory) legislation for gay women and men in three basic areas: employment, housing and public accommodations.

They are in the process of building support for their lobbying campaign by elicit support from other groups, by doing public speaking, undertaking voter registration drives, and working on the campaigns of pro-gay candidates. They are currently in the process of polling al candidates about their position on gay rights issues and will be publishing the result of that survey for the gay community.

Their two biggest victories this year have been the initiation of two projects: Project Aware and a State of Oregon Human Resources Ad Hoc Task Force on sexual preference. Project Aware is a media-oriented public education campaign which is designed to educate the public about the true nature of homosexuality and gay people. Project Aware’s first phased went up in January of 1976, and is a billboard which says “W00 Years of Freedom? Not for 20, 000,000 Gay Americans.” Project Aware is now planning radio and television spots dealing with gay lifestyles. The Ad Hoc Task Force has been in the planning stages since summer of 1975. It is being created by the Director of the Department of Human Resources and is charged with conducting research, discussing issues and recommending legislation that would provide equal civil rights to gay Oregonians and in turn educate the general public as to its determination. The State is proving meeting space, secretarial staff and office space, in addition to a part-time staff assistant. The first meeting is scheduled for mid-February, 1976.

PTC currently maintains an office in the Oregon Pioneer Building at 320 SW Stark and has meetings the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.  The organization is governed by a board of directors which currently is the following four person: Leo Gaul, Nedra Bagley, Jeri White, and Larry Copeland. In addition, PTC has a mailing list of over 600 people and a voting membership of approximately 25 people. Anyone can become a voting member by attending three consecutive meetings and working at a PTC project.

1977 September Pat Young’s Sept 11, 2000 draft for GLAPNtimeline The Portland Town Council newsletter expands its coverage to include statewide T activities. Contacts in Bend, Corvallis, Eugene, Klamath Falls, and Salem contribute to the newsletter.

1979 PER Per Pat Young’s Sept 11, 2000 draft for GLAPNtimeline October The Town Council Foundation gains tax exempt status. For years, the Internal Revenue Service denied such status to gay groups stating that all gay groups were political. The foundation offers counseling and assumes the non-political activities of ne Portland Town Council. Later, the foundation’s name changed to Phoenix Rising.

Per Pat Young’s Sept 11, 2000 draft for GLAPNtimeline  After being rejected two years in a row, Phoenix Rising became the first gay and Lesbian organization in Oregon to join United Way. The agency allocates $16,000 to Phoenix Rising for the following year.

Ad Below LEFT from Northwest Gay Review, October 1975. Below the article, RIGHT believed to be 1975 date and source TBA.

Portland Town Council Statement published in the Northwest Gay Review - date TBA.

Both Below are from Northwest Gay Review, LEFT from December 1976/January 1977; RIGHT from April 1977.

Below LEFT article from Cascade Voice Newspaper, September 1982. Below RIGHT from Cascade Forum Newspaper March 1983.

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