PORTLAND, Ore. — June 17, 2020 — The equitable, prosperous, and climate-smart future we want demands the right to economic opportunity, regardless of whom we love and how we identify.

We celebrate this week’s ruling by the Supreme Court to uphold the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, while recognizing that this is neither the beginning nor the end of creating social equity in our communities. This decision comes in the midst of a pandemic and social uprising that highlight the disparities of people whose lives are lived at the intersection of multiple identities–most critically Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). This Pride Month, we honor the many people, especially Black trans women, who have led and continue to lead these intersectional movements for justice. In the words of Chase Strangio, trans activist and Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at ACLU, “[The law] does not create justice, but it can create cracks that lead to justice.” 

Ecotrust is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for employees, tenants, and visitors. These commitments are upheld by the guiding principles outlined in our Equity Statement, and created through the leadership of our Equity Working Group, BIPOC affinity group, and LGBTQ+ staff who have been at the forefront of this transformative work, both at Ecotrust and throughout the region.

###

About Ecotrust

Ecotrust creates and accelerates triple-bottom-line innovations to benefit our region and inspire the world. Our work is rooted the region from California to Alaska that holds productive lands and determined people. On the farm, at the coast, in the forest, and across our cities, we work in partnership towards an equitable, prosperous, climate-smart future. We recognize the legacy of colonialism and the deep inequities of this place, and we believe that radical, practical change is possible and necessary. Since 1991, we have created durable change and sparked ideas across the globe. Join us at ecotrust.org