Meet Your Regional Equality Champions!
Jo Casselberry:
Twenty years ago the queer community had a rude awakening when Oregonians passed the anti-gay Ballot Measure 8. In response, Jo Casselberry and many others formed AFTER 8 to promote queer rights. In the next decade Jo worked on 7 ballot measure campaigns as treasurer, fundraiser and steering committee member. She later became active with the Lesbian Avengers at Oregon State University. Currently, she works with the Corvallis Basic Rights Action Team (BRAT) which recently succeeded in putting protection from discrimination into the Corvallis City Charter for all the usual suspects plus the new kids on the block, gender queers. Jo has helped with BRO's activist training at OSU, lobbying to pass the statewide anti-discrimination and domestic partnership laws, and general fundraising for BRO, including the 2007 and 2008 garden parties that both raised over $6000.
In her spare time Jo is an avid aunt and makes quilts. She lives with her black cat Sky.
Leslie Stone:
aBorn and educated in liberal Massachusetts, Leslie met the love of her life, Karen in 1979. Leslie worked as an international banker in Miami, Florida, where she lived with her son and Karen until moving to Ashland, Oregon in 2003. There, she became a social activist for the LGBT community. She volunteered with Abdill-Ellis Lambda Community Center as the Volunteer Coordinator and board member, participated with BRO on lobby days, marched from Salem to Portland with ROP, and served as Board Chair of Abdill-Ellis Center. She is current member of board of Directors for the BRO Equality PAC and is active as a BRO volunteer organizer for southern Oregon. In January 2008, Leslie was appointed to the Jackson County Democrats Executive Committee as an LGBT representative. In February 2008, she founded the Southern Oregon Stonewall Democratic Caucus, a chapter of the Democratic Party of Oregon’s LGBT Caucus. Leslie displays in her everyday work her belief we should all be treated equally and with respect for what we contribute.
Jeanne St. John:
Jeanne St. John, Ph.D., retired from a 40-year career as a cutting-edge teacher, administrator and professor of education. This past spring, following the suicide of a gay teenager in Lincoln County, several central coast LGBT professionals organized to promote better services and community support. Jeanne agreed to organize a PFLAG chapter and now serves as chair of this enthusiastic new group of 30 individuals, whose ages range from 17 to 75. She and partner Kae Bates, in their role as "Gay Church Ladies", lead discussions in their church following screenings of "For the Bible Tells Me So", and encourage more churches to be listed as welcoming to LGBT members in their community.
Tobi Hill-Meyer:
Tobi Hill-Meyer first worked closely with BRO during the Measure 36 fight where she challenged the campaign to use language inclusive of bisexual and transgender Oregonians. She pulled together a phone bank of bisexual activists who may have otherwise been hesitant to participate because of the campaign's exclusively worded messaging. As a founding member of the Lane Gender Task Force and as treasurer of Equality Network, ze worked with BRO to help drive local activism and energy to pass the statewide non-discrimination policy and domestic partnership bills. Tobi is always the first to help BRO phone bank, canvass, and fundraise. Currently she is involved in sex worker advocacy, fighting for trans inclusive health care, and addressing the issue of abuse in activist communities.
Teri Noble:
Teri Noble joined PFLAG as an ally in early 2004 after volunteering at events in support of same-sex couples who were issued marriage licenses in Multnomah County that spring. She worked diligently for No On 36 campaign with volunteers who later became the Washington County Basic Rights Action Team. The team did grassroots organizing and public education on the successful Hillsboro Non-Discrimination Ordinance. Teri is currently serving as State Coordinator for PFLAG's Oregon State Council and participated in a 12 member PFLAG Oregon contingent to Capitol Hill last fall to lobby for 'trans inclusive' ENDA legislation. This year, her work includes aiding in the development of a Lincoln County/Newport PFLAG presence and a groundbreaking collaboration with Unity Project Oregon and BRO to support the establishment of a new PFLAG Chapter by and for Portland's African American community.
Erin Walsh:
Erin Walsh was born in Portland and got her degrees from University of Oregon and Lewis and Clark College. Her husband, Ron, family and friends support her in her chosen career in education. She’s been teaching in Canby for 10 years. What she cherishes most about her career is the opportunity to teach students multiple perspectives on current issues whether it is in Civics class, Model UN class or in a Gay Straight Alliance meeting. In fact, Erin organized the first Gay Straight Alliance group at Canby High School, and helped to organize and promote a LGBT prom in partnership with Oregon City High School. Erin advocates for LGBT students and young adults in a conservative community and school, and her efforts have increased awareness and understanding. Erin believes it is the responsibility of the community to ensure human rights, social justice and guaranteeing that all students have the right to feel safe, prosper and achieve their fullest potential.
Frank Roa:
Frank Roa decided to return to his rural roots and family in the small Eastern Oregon town of Irrigon, where faced racism at a young age. He went home as an HIV positive Latino, gay man in poor rural America. Frank knew if he wanted services, he was going to need to develop the resources himself. This became the foundation of the Umatilla Morrow Alternatives, a vision turned organization benefiting the LGBT community of Morrow County. Frank is a dedicated advocate and volunteer for people living with HIV and AIDS and the LGBT community. He is committed to social change through education and understanding.
Fighting Spirit Award
Charlie F. Hinkle
Basic Rights Oregon is proud to present our annual "Fighting Spirit" Award to Portland attorney Charlie F. Hinkle. The award will be presented at the 26th Annual Basic Rights Oregon Dinner and Auction on October 11, 2008.
In a legal career spanning 36 years, Charlie has defended the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Oregonians in landmark legal cases, offered critical strategic support to ballot measure campaigns, served as a cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Oregon, and lent his expertise to Basic Rights Oregon's legal advisory group.
In 1972, Charlie filed the first LGBT nondiscrimination lawsuit in Oregon, successfully representing a local school teacher who had been fired from her job for being a lesbian. In 1975, he helped found the Portland Town Council legal panel, drafting wills and powers of attorney to protect the rights of gay and lesbian couples.
When the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) launched its first anti-gay ballot measure in 1988, Charlie filed the first ballot title challenge to ensure that Oregon voters knew the truth behind the OCA's campaign of hate. He has been front and center in every ballot fight since, leading the legal charge against the OCA all the way through 2004, where he represented plaintiffs in the successful challenge to the “Student Protection Act III”.
Charlie's leadership continues to make a difference in the lives of Oregonians. He remains dedicated to protecting the rights of our families, friends, and neighbors to ensure that all Oregonians are treated fairly, with dignity and with respect.
Basic Rights Oregon’s “Fighting Spirit” Award is presented at our Annual Dinner and Auction in recognition of individuals or organizations and their outstanding contributions to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Honorees are chosen based on their years of service to the LGBT community, leadership, visibility, and impact.
