Since drafting this KTA, immigration agencies have furthered their violent attacks on our communities. For our team’s statement on CBP’s shooting of two people in Portland, click here.
| This ROPnet is from Marika Straw, a ROP human dignity leader who is the Outreach Coordinator for Pride in Numbers and Board President for People Like Us in Wallowa County. |
January 12, 2026
Dear ROPnet,
In the winter of 2021, I invited several LGBTQIA+ elders to share their stories with the youths of our Queer Youth Program in Wallowa County. I didn’t know what to expect. I gave each pair of elders a set of ten general questions and told them that the stories they shared would stay within the confidentiality of the group. Magic ensued. I never would have been able to imagine the quirky, unexpected, relatable, brave, unpredictable stories that our elders shared. And the LGBTQIA+ youths and I never would have gotten to hear those stories and learn from our elders’ wisdom if we hadn’t asked.
As rural community members, we know how often rural stories are ignored or overlooked. If you are Two-Spirit and/or LGBTQIA+, or have people close to you in these communities, you likely know that is particularly true for the stories of Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people living in rural Oregon. This project is about illuminating the stories that are often left untold for our collective benefit.
Pride in Numbers is a statewide data justice project gathering stories and experiences from Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people across Oregon. As a community-led project centering BIPOC, trans, rural, and Indigenous leadership, this project aims to honor the stories that are shared so they can be used to advocate for all of our communities. Myself, ROP Board member Eliot Feenstra, and former ROP Board member Allison Cleveland have been a part of this project for the past year and beyond, helping shape it to meaningfully include rural folks. Pride in Numbers wants to make sure rural Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ voices are an integral part of this project – but we need your help!
Pride in Numbers just launched our statewide survey on January 2nd and people can take it through the links on our website. Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people across Oregon can also participate in the project through storytelling sessions, 1:1 interviews, and submitting to the Community Art Project. The more people who participate, the stronger this project’s impact will be. Can you help spread the word about this project in your rural community?
Some ways you and your group can help:
- Involve your group as a Community Partner of the project by getting in touch with ROP network member Marika Straw at marika@prideinnumbersoregon.org
- Spread the word! Support outreach by sharing our Public Outreach Toolkit in places where Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people gather in your community, and/or share it at events or meetings. The first part of the Toolkit is image-based media (posters, social media, etc.) and the second part is text-based media (e-newsletter template, website copy, etc.).
- Share the survey link on the Pride in Numbers website directly with Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people in your life (offered in English, Spanish, and multiple other languages)
- Sign up for the newsletter on the Pride in Numbers website to be notified of virtual storytelling events
- Share materials from the Pride in Numbers Facebook and Instagram
Thank you for your solidarity and support of rural Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities in Oregon. We help make our state better for all of us.
For questions or more information, please reach out to Marika Straw, ROP human dignity leader from Wallowa County, at marika@prideinnumbersoregon.
In solidarity,
Marika
