The following is a guest blog post written by Maresa Kelly from Outside In, the organization we have selected for our 2024 Prideraiser campaign. Please read this post and learn about both their history and the work they do, and then consider joining the campaign.

Outside In was founded in 1968 on the Summer Solstice, making us 56 years old this year. We were one of the first free community health clinics in the United States. We’re a federally qualified health center, meaning we’re a healthcare home for everyone, regardless of their gender identity, insurance or immigration status, or their ability to pay.

Our mission is to help homeless youth and other marginalized people move towards improved health and self-sufficiency. Our spaces are welcoming for everyone, we’re affirming of all identities, and we’re committed to serving our clients without judgment. We offer wrap around, low-barrier services, through a harm reduction lens. From warm meals, to housing services, to education and employment support, to medical and behavioral health services, Outside In is committed to serving the whole person and meeting them where they are.

At Outside In, we believe that everyone deserves great healthcare that understands and supports who they are, especially when it comes to gender identity. We are dedicated to supporting our LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse community with specialized services tailored to their unique needs. Our inclusive and affirming approach ensures that every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. From healthcare and counseling to community outreach and advocacy, we provide comprehensive support to help our clients thrive. We believe in providing holistic support for our LGBTQIA+ clients through:

Primary Medical Care
• Access to gender affirming hormones
• Surgical and other medical referrals to support gender identity
• Letters of support for gender affirming surgery

Community Resources
• Information, referrals to legal aid, and financial assistance for gender expansive clients navigating legal name/gender marker changes
• Information and referrals for food, clothing, housing, and other resources

QueerZone
• Identity-affirming activities to build community among queer youth experiencing houselessness

Housing Resources
• Available for young people, ages 16 through 24, who are eligible for the Multnomah County Homeless Youth Continuum

About 36% of the approximately 10,000 clients and patients served through Outside In’s Clinic and Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Youth Services programs self-identify as transgender or gender-diverse. Our commitment to gender-expansiveness is evident among our staff as well, with 23% of staff also self-identifying as transgender or gender-diverse.

No matter where someone is on their unique gender journey, our goal is to support them with respect and dignity. Right now, thanks to our friends at the Ed Cauduro Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, when you show your support for our LGBTQIA+ programs, all donations (up to $25,000) will be doubled! That's twice the impact - and a lot to be proud of!

This Pride month, will you help us send a strong message of hope to queer youth experiencing homelessness? Visit our website to learn more and give a gift today.

Note from the Riveters: Prideraiser is a fun way to join supporters across the country in supporting LGBTQ+ communities. Please visit our Prideraiser page and make a pledge per goal scored in June. At the end of the month, you'll get a reminder to complete your donation to Outside In.

A while ago, we distributed a survey to folks who identify as a member of the Rose City Riveters. Our primary goal with this survey was to understand the perspective and goals of our membership.

The survey looked three main aspects of membership:

1. What the Riveters mean to our members
   
2. Inclusion and belonging
   
3. Future goals and organizational growth
   

Survey Results Summary

We had 134 individuals respond to provide their voice. There were several themes that emerged after reviewing the data including

• Gameday atmosphere, player support, and creating a truly inclusive community were the top three aspects of Riveters culture that members said most important to them
  
• Members have attempted to get more involved with the Riveters, but have felt their efforts were rebuffed or not welcomed
  
• Members identified several ways to be more inclusive and welcoming to new members including:
  
• • Improving outreach efforts to increase awareness of the opportunity and how to get involved
  • Improving how folks are engaged once they do attempt to get involved
  • Riveters leaders actively welcoming and engaging folks who attempt to get more involved
• Members have a wide variety of preferences regarding how they want to be involved with the Riveters spanning activities including: attending games to painting tifo to attending Riveters steering committee meetings to generating new ideas for member events
  

We plan to use what we learned to inform how we work going forward to create engaging events, welcome new members to get engaged, and encourage more folks to help build and improve our group. We’ve already got some events in the works to try to be more open and engaging. Going forward, we will also likely have more surveys to both gauge progress and explore new areas of concern. It’s a new era for our club, and we’re excited for all the possibilities that entails with regards both to FO changes and supporter engagement.

Survey Question Deep Dive

Here are the highlights of what we heard based on the following questions

Survey Question
What aspects of Riveters culture and activities are important to you?

Survey Question
What are five words you want to be able to use to describe the Rose City Riveters in 3 years?

Survey Question
What do you think needs to be done to build a larger, more involved group of individuals who work to fulfill our mission?

Survey Question
In what ways would you like to be involved/included in this work and how can we make that happen?

This is a statement posted on behalf of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee:

On Monday, February 5th, members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee met with the Bhathal family after their formal introductory press conference. As the Thorns enter a new era, so too does our relationship with a new Front Office. 

The Bhathals were attentive to the history of the club, engaged with a wide vision for what the club can be, and incredibly appreciative of the culture of the North End. The discussion was positive and productive. There was a free exchange of ideas and feedback between the Riveters Steering Committee and the Bhathals.

They spoke about their listening tour this year while also building out their staff for the business side to be less dependent on the Timbers staff, which has been brought up in previous interviews. They are also wanting to learn more about the culture we have in the North End and throughout the Park so they can connect more with our community. 

We maintain a stance of cautious optimism, and are excited to see what kind of a relationship will be fostered moving forward. 

Members of the Riveters Steering Committee will be meeting with new Thorns ownership prior to the meet & greet at the Soop on Monday. We have not yet been in direct communication with the new owners, but have sent a welcome letter, which we wanted to share with our members here.

Hello from the North End,

We are members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee. We are writing to introduce ourselves, to say “Welcome to Portland!” and to begin what we hope will be a productive and positive ongoing conversation during this new era for the Portland Thorns FC.

First, welcome to the Rose City! We are full of anticipation for this new era. We’ve read and listened to what you have said since finalizing the purchase and we agree– this club and this city are special. Under your stewardship, we believe that the players of the Portland Thorns will get the facilities, staff, and marketing they deserve, and we are happy to support that goal in any way we can. We often say how fortunate we are that we get to watch the best players in the world right here in Portland, and we can’t wait for even more people to come join in the celebration.

A little about us. We are the Rose City Riveters, the independent supporters group for the Portland Thorns. The Rose City Riveters have existed since the club’s inception, and are here to support the club. This has meant many things over the years. Most visibly, it means we show up on game day. The North End of Providence Park (the General Admissions seating in sections 101-108, and 202 through 208) is a beloved home to many of us, though Riveters are scattered throughout the stadium and the world. At games, you’ve seen our capos on the stage leading chants and popping smoke to celebrate goals, several sections of standing supporters singing their hearts out, flags, drums, trumpets, and a passion that is deeply rooted in community. Our actions also extend outside the stadium. Riveters are under the umbrella of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a registered not-for-profit organization that supports soccer in the Rose City from the grassroots to the highest professional level. The 107IST supports and partners with many local community organizations: both soccer- and service-focused. We are loud, we are passionate, and we are all volunteers who give our time and heart to this club and city. The past few years have admittedly been very difficult for our community, and we look forward with cautious optimism toward what comes next.

In early 2023, we shared a blog post, in which we spoke directly to the players, supporters and future owners of the club. These words continue to feel as true as ever, so we share them with you today:

To the new owners in 2024, you undoubtedly realize that you have inherited an unruly horde of supporters along with your purchase of the club. We hope that you have also come to realize that our passion is only matched by our caring and our dreams. We dream of true equality, emotional and physical safety, and playing environments that match the excellence we see before us each season. While we might make you uncomfortable at times, we share your hopes and dreams for this team. We welcome you, the new owners of the Thorns, and are hopeful for a future where we can play our independent roles in harmony– for the greater good of Portland soccer. 

As the club transitions to your stewardship, we know there must be a million and one items on your to-do list. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you, introduce you to this community, and begin getting to know one another.

As the long-time supporters of this club, we want to extend to you our warmest welcome and gratitude for your investment in its future. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

Sincerely,

The Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

Wendy Broussard
Sarah Williams Brown
Tina Ettlin
Rachel Greenough
Hannah Mueller
Sheridan Nichols
Sam Prince
Gabby Rosas
Chris Spalding
Jennifer Sato

The following is a statement from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee.

The Rose City Riveters are relieved that the sale has been completed and thrilled we can start a new chapter with the Portland Thorns, especially before the NWSL Draft. After years of transition and upheaval, we are hopeful that this move to new ownership offers stability for both the players on the field and the supporters in the stands. 

We are aware what the Bhathal ownership group have been able to accomplish in the NBA and are cautiously optimistic about what they can do for the Portland Thorns. We are open to and look forward to forging this new relationship, to conveying our passion about supporting the players, the club, and Portland. We look forward to learning more about the Bhathal plan for continuing the path of keeping the Thorns a place players and fans want to be. 

Bon bon bon bon... sing wherever we go...

This year’s player gift is a treat box that includes candies/chocolates, candles that resemble smoke bombs but smell like a favorite cereal, maple leaf wax melts, and a custom embroidered THORNIES NEVER SAY DIE towel.

Each season, the Rose City Riveters honor a singularly exceptional Thorns player who exhibits brilliant talent and stellar character – a player who elevates their teammates, our club, and the City of Portland with the consistency and inspiring awe of a constellation.

This year’s recipient has scored goals, tallied assists, garnered fouls, and earned the admiration of vast numbers with her caliber on the pitch.

All this, coupled with her qualities as a rising leader, her fondness for extroverted antics, the confidence she carries, and the empathy she models, made the choice evident.

Morgan Weaver is The Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year 2023.

From her youth league days, through her successful collegiate career in Pullman, Washington, to her professional journey in Portland, Oregon, Morgan’s abilities shine bright.

Today, Morgan Weaver's brilliance is our focus – deserving and remarkable among a group of stars, such as those among the Thorns and all who shine across football's vast spaces.

It is our honor to present to her this trophy, our recognition, and our gratitude. Thank you, Morgan Weaver!

- By Any Other Name #BAONPDX

The following is a post from the RivetGear team.

We are excited to announce that we have two t-shirts designed by Meghan Klingenberg in collaboration with RivetGear and PTFC Stand Together available starting today, July 21. The designs are a multi-colored ode to queer joy, celebrating the intersection of identity and fandom. 100% of the sales of these shirts are a fundraiser for New Avenues for Youth.

The shirts are $25 each, and will be sold pre-match exclusively by RivetGear at 1919 Morrison Street. The space opens at 5PM on July 21st, and opens once again in close proximity to the match ending. A small portion of remaining stock will be online the next day and we will announce when it is available via social media. The shirts will be available in size XS through 4XL, with limited quantities available.

The RivetGear team is excited to collaborate with Meghan and Dr. Robin Beavers on this effort  and excited to continue to support our amazing community partners like New Avenues for Youth!

With five Thorns headed to this world cup (along with so many other fantastic athletes) there's bound to be some good watch parties happening around town (and beyond). So, we're starting a list: 2023 World Cup Watch Parties 

If you know of any watch parties that you think should be added to the list, please drop us a line! Include date/time, location, and any other pertinent details that might be helpful (all ages/21+, food, drinks, etc.) 

The following is a guest blog post written by Lauren Eads from New Avenues for Youth. This year's Prideraiser 2023 campaign benefits New Avenues / SMYRC, and when you read the post you will understand what makes this organization so special. Please consider pledging to the campaign and/or donating directly.

New Avenues for Youth is a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness. Our services for young people (ages 9-25) focus on the individual—their experiences, identities, needs, and goals—and helping them make positive change in their lives. From meals and counseling to job training and housing, their equity-based services address the many barriers to stability and well-being that young people face. Each and every day, we show up in compassionate, creative ways, ensuring that they always have a place to turn.

Through our 25 years of operating in the Portland area, we have seen that LGBTQIA2S+ youth are disproportionately represented in the young people we serve. In fact, 57% of young people accessing New Avenues programs identify as queer or trans, with only 9.5% the general population self-identifying with LGBTQIA2S+. Family conflict is the primary cause of homelessness for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, which is disproportionately due to a lack of acceptance by family members of a youth’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Many youth also identify aging out of the foster care system, poverty, and shortages of shelters and housing programs as the reason for their homelessness. Queer and Trans youth are also more likely to experience assault, trauma, depression, and suicide when compared to non-LGBTQ+ populations while also being homeless.

Because of this, we offer both culturally specific programs for this group, as well as staff integrated into each of our programs to support specific needs along their journey. The Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) provides culturally specific case management, counseling, education, engagement activities, and more for LGBTQIA2S+ youth in Portland, and The Living Room provides programs and services in Clackamas County. We also offer Bridge 13 community education, which provides workshops for schools, businesses, and organizations on how to better support and affirm LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

New Avenues and our LGBTQIA2S+ programs depend on community support to provide a safe space, resources, referrals, and fun activities for the youth we serve. We love partnering with folks to host donation drives to collect safety supplies, body affirming undergarments, cosmetics, and hygiene supplies for young people throughout our programming. And of course, your financial support makes all of our work possible. Donate today at newavenues.org.

To learn more about how you can get involved email Lauren Eads, Director of Development & Communications, at leads@newavenues.org or visit the website at www.newavenues.org.