“Because I Count” (BIC) is a statewide, community-led data justice project looking into the health and wellbeing of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trangender, Asexual, Intersex and 2 Spirit (LGBTQAI2S+) Oregonians, as defined and articulated by us. Currently, there is no comprehensive assessment of this nature. The Marie Equi Institute and Pride Northwest, Inc. jointly host this innovative initiative in collaboration with PSU School of Social Work and Wild Iris Consulting.

BIC project goals are community learning, community justice, and community action. We’ll explore the strengths, needs, and priorities of LGBTQIA2S+ people and communities in Oregon as well as what actions we need to take to advance equity and justice. Of the utmost importance, this project is informed by and represents the diversity and needs of the most marginalized of queer and trans communities including Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color, as well as unhoused people, disabled people, immigrants and refugees, people in rural areas, and people battling other intersecting axes of oppression.

For us, this project is not a means to an end; the process of implementation is a goal unto itself. We will use community based participatory research (CBPR) methods as a capacity building tool, building sustainability and resilience into our statewide network of queer and trans folks and organizations.

Over the last two years, we have built relationships with queer and trans Oregonians in 34/36 counties. We have also identified 500+ contacts at various types of organizations including LGBTQ CBOs, health equity CBOs, mutual aid projects, grassroots collectives, schools, clubs, and governmental entities both state and local. We have parsed this out, painstakingly, county by county, even going so far as to identify informal gathering spaces like coffee shops and Facebook groups where queer and trans Oregonians share space. The intent with this targeted outreach is to make this project accessible for any and all queer, trans, or allied individuals and collectives to participate in this project.

Our research is translational, transformative, and sustainable in nature. Looking toward the future, our statewide, cross-sector coalition will only strengthen with time. We are building community capacity to lead and conduct our own research. By replicating our methods, we will engage in longitudinal research to better understand and track improvements in community health and wellness as a result of our project.