This content was published: October 7, 2015. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Oregon House Speaker to headline Cascade QRC grand opening
Photos and story by Abe Proctor
The Cascade Campus of Portland Community College will enter a new era on Oct. 12 when it opens the first Queer Resource Center in its history. The grand opening celebration for the new “QRC,” as it’s called, is set for 3 to 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 12, in the lounge area on the second floor of the Student Union Building.
“I’m thrilled that the Cascade LGBTQ community will now have a space on campus dedicated to their needs,” said Cascade Campus President Karin Edwards. “We support the success of all of our students, and we strive to cultivate a climate of openness and respect on campus. The QRC upholds both of these ideals.”
Helping the Cascade community to inaugurate the new QRC will be special guest Rep. Tina Kotek, speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and the first “out” LGBTQ-identified state house speaker in the United States.
In addition to offering academic and personal support to Cascade’s LGBTQ students, the QRC will also conduct educational outreach on issues of import to the LGBTQ community and its allies, said Red Hamilton, a student leader with ASPCC and an advocate for the QRC.
“Support for a Cascade QRC has been tremendous,” Hamilton said. “Having this kind of space for LGBTQ students is a huge step forward in serving their needs and the needs of the Cascade campus community.”
TIGHT. This is hecka exciting and we need some people getting real up in this world to make it a real one. Thanks for making my fantasies/self more real/manifested in a way we can share and be cool about.
This is phenomenal! Thanks for all the work to make this happen!