A longtime activist, Marion Malcom is involved in the fight for equality for all Oregonians "because I'm personally offended when I see someone else's human rights being limited or abused. That comes from being raised to understand myself as a member of the human family." She does not tolerate anyone disrespecting anyone else's "human dignity."

Although she "also happen[s] to have a daughter who is queer," Marion was fighting for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) equality long before her daughter was born. Marion served on staff at the Community Alliance of Lane County for 25 years, and she "currently coordinate[s] the Safe Schools Working Group in Springfield and participate[s] in the Queer Youth Support Coalition." Throughout her many years of steadfast activism, Marion has had many GLBT friends and recalls that "I've found my queer friends at the forefront of all the critical struggles for social justice."

Marion can recount many times her GLBT friends and family have encountered discrimination, ranging from a school administrator asking gay parents to tell their son not to talk about his two dads with other students to queer youth facing a lack of support from their schools and parents. "None of this is okay with me," Marion chimes, "and in fact it makes me really angry and pretty determined to work for change." A lack of relationship recognition for GLBT couples is also one form of discrimination Marion can recall rather easily, since her daughter and her partner "do not enjoy the same rights as a committed heterosexual couple, and that affects many aspects of their lives."

Wholly supportive of full marriage equality for GLBT persons, Marion believes "equality means that the intrinsic human dignity and basic human rights of all individuals should be recognized by society and our institutions." As dedicated in her beliefs as her practices, Marion simply wants "others [to] enjoy the same rights I want for myself."