This article was originally published in June 2022 and has been updated for 2024.

Watching the rainbow-colored Pride flag wave over the Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza makes Hillsboro City Councilor Beach Pace proud.   

“It’s a statement that Hillsboro doesn’t just ‘tolerate’ or ‘accept’ the LGBTQIA+ community,” says Pace, the City’s first openly gay Councilor. “Flying the Pride flag in June declares that Hillsboro welcomes, supports, and values the Queer community this month and all year long.”

Pace (any pronoun) knows what it’s like to not feel welcomed — let alone valued or supported — because of her orientation.

“There are times I’ve absolutely had to suppress who I am because it didn’t feel safe for me or my family. The dangers of being openly gay in the wrong place are very real.”

This experience is unfortunately common for the approximately 10.7 million adults in the U.S. that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

So, when Pace and her wife scouted the country for a place to settle down and raise their family, they looked for a welcoming community. They chose Hillsboro because of the City’s commitment to supporting diversity.

“My wife and I visited the City three times before committing,” she says. “Ultimately, it was the consistently welcoming and positive interactions with community members that sealed the deal. In conversations, my wife and I would mention ‘lesbian’ or introduce ourselves as married, and no one batted an eye.”

• Watch Councilor Pace get ready to raise the Pride Flag to kick off Pride Month 2024 in Hillsboro

That’s not to say it’s been perfectly easy since then. Pace still faces her share of homophobia, both veiled and overt. Still, she feels safe and embraced by her community.

“It takes guts for Hillsboro to fly the Pride flag,” Pace says. “I do want to acknowledge that it may be difficult for some people to understand. However, ignoring Pride is a rejection. We can’t be silent because that silence gives consent to discrimination and hatred, both external and internal.”

Creating a Culture of Inclusion

It wasn’t until 2006 that Hillsboro residents amended the City’s Municipal code to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment, housing, public accommodation, real estate transactions, public contracting, and procurement.

A decade passed before Project Pride launched in 2016 as an annual Hillsboro community service project. Then, in 2019, the City sponsored Hillsboro’s first community Pride Party. In 2021, the City first proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Hillsboro. And on June 1, 2022, the City flew the Pride flag on the plaza for the first time.

Ryan Stee (he/him), a Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department project manager, was drawn to the City because of its culture of supporting workplace diversity and equity.

“I’ve been openly gay throughout my career, and it has caused some adversity,” Stee admits. “Because Hillsboro creates a space for inclusivity, I can be honest and direct with managers and City leaders. It’s not always comfortable to be the queer person speaking up, but knowing you will be heard is powerful.”

Stee’s words and actions reached and inspired many people employed by the City, including Melissa Thompson.

“I’ve always known I was different in some way, but as a people pleaser I didn’t want to make anyone uneasy,” Thompson reveals. “Eventually, I grew tired of making others comfortable at the cost of my well-being.”

After much introspection — and encouragement from Stee — Thompson, who also works in Hillsboro’s Parks & Recreation Department as the adaptive community senior center manager, acknowledged that they may be non-binary and changed their pronouns from (she/her) to (she/they) to reflect that status.  

“I appreciate that my workplace gives me the space to explore this without the fear of being disciplined or fired,” she says. “It is great to feel supported as I continue to discover things about myself. Not everyone gets that privilege.” 

Reducing Fear, Increasing Equity

The fear of damaging a career by coming out is warranted. A 2020 report from consulting powerhouse McKinsey & Company reveals that many LGBTQIA+ employees continue to face discrimination, discomfort, and danger in the workplace, even if that workplace has diversity and inclusion efforts in place.

More chilling, an alarming number of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been filed in statehouses around the country. Even Oregon, a state known for its progressive LGBTQIA+ policies, has seen some elected officials strike down the very policies designed to create inclusive environments.

Hillsboro is taking the counter approach by integrating equity into the fabric of the City’s organization. This goes beyond ticking items off a checklist and instead commits to the deep work of exemplifying and instilling diversity, equity, and inclusion into every part of policy-making.  

This approach has helped 17-year-old Ceph Tronco (he/they) feel comfortable at school.

“I know I’m safe here,” Tronco says. “This community has my back.”

As a transgendered man, the Glencoe High School senior appreciates that his city is not just holding the line on LGBTQIA+ rights, but is actively uplifting the community.

Tronco eagerly anticipates the joy and connection of celebrating Pride Month with “everyone in the community including straight allies and moms in ‘Free Hugs’ t-shirts.” But his real hope is that one day he can stop advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Educating people is hard work and that responsibility shouldn’t rest exclusively on queer peoples’ shoulders,” he says. “I hope that one day acceptance will be so universal that the LGBTQIA+ community is seen as just one part of everyday life.”

Watch highlights from Hillsboro's 2024 Pride Party!

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Learn more about Pride in Hillsboro

• Gather with friends for the 2024 Hillsboro Pride 5k on Monday, June 24, 6 to 7 pm, at Hidden Creek Community Center.

• Visit our Pride Month webpage to find the full event calendar and explore our virtual resources. Happy Pride! 

• Read more: Pride Flag Flying, City Logo Updates for Pride Month