At 76 years old, Terry Bean has seen the LGBTQ+ movement in Oregon transform from an underground struggle for recognition to a globally recognized fight for justice and inclusion.
PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / July 7, 2025 / At 76 years old, Terry Bean has seen the LGBTQ+ movement in Oregon transform from an underground struggle for recognition to a globally recognized fight for justice and inclusion. Yet despite historic wins and growing representation, Bean believes the movement is at risk of mistaking visibility for victory. In a call to action that challenges allies, corporations, politicians, and even the LGBTQ+ community itself, he is urging a shift away from surface-level support toward sustained, structural change.
"We're beyond needing symbols," Bean says. "We need systems that protect, uplift, and empower. Flags and hashtags don't change lives-policies, protections, and access do."
Bean's message comes at a critical moment. As Pride celebrations become more commercialized and LGBTQ+ representation appears in everything from advertisements to political campaigns, many are asking: how much of this visibility translates into real-world outcomes?
A Veteran of the Movement
Terry Bean is no stranger to movement building. A fifth-generation Oregonian and graduate of the University of Oregon, he first entered activism during the Vietnam War protests of the 1970s. In the decades that followed, he played a pivotal role in some of the most important institutional developments in LGBTQ+ advocacy. He co-founded the Human Rights Campaign in 1980 to bring LGBTQ+ voices to the national political table and later co-founded the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in 1991 to help LGBTQ+ individuals win elected office.
His leadership helped defeat Oregon Measure 9 in 1992, a ballot measure that would have enshrined anti-LGBTQ+ language in the state constitution. With over $1 million raised to defeat the measure, Bean helped mount one of the most successful grassroots campaigns of its time.
Even now, as he continues to advise organizations and mentor younger activists, Bean's focus remains clear: real equality is measured not in marketing but in material change.
Pride Without Purpose?
As Pride events grow in scale and spectacle, Bean is not shy about his discomfort with how far some celebrations have drifted from their origins.
"Pride began as resistance," he says. "It was a rebellion against police brutality, state neglect, and cultural erasure. It wasn't sponsored by soda companies and it didn't end with a parade."
He believes that while corporate support for LGBTQ+ causes is not inherently negative, it often becomes problematic when it exists only in the realm of branding.
"If your support disappears on July 1st, or if you donate to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians behind the scenes, you're not an ally-you're an opportunist," Bean says.
He encourages Pride organizers and LGBTQ+ organizations to demand more from corporate partners, asking them to commit to year-round action: from supporting inclusive workplace policies to funding legal services, housing initiatives, and mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth.
From Symbolism to Systems
For Bean, the problem isn't visibility itself-it's that visibility alone can't do the heavy lifting of justice. He emphasizes the need for legislative and economic reforms that ensure LGBTQ+ people have access to housing, healthcare, education, and protection from discrimination.
"What good is seeing yourself on TV if you can't afford rent, access care, or feel safe at school?" he asks. "Representation matters, but it can't be the ceiling of our ambition."
He calls for a renewed focus on policy change at every level-local, state, and federal-including:
Enforcing anti-discrimination laws in housing and employment
Protecting transgender healthcare rights
Ensuring LGBTQ+ inclusion in public education
Funding mental health and suicide prevention services
Creating economic development programs for marginalized LGBTQ+ communities
Accountability in Allyship
Bean believes that the era of passive allyship is over. He's calling on public officials, corporate executives, and community leaders to align their actions with their public messaging.
"Don't just tell us you care," he says. "Show us. Pass the bill. Write the check. Defend the kid getting bullied. Hire the trans candidate. Fight for the people you claim to support."
He also encourages LGBTQ+ voters and consumers to take a harder look at who they endorse and where they spend their money.
"We have power-economic, political, cultural," Bean says. "We need to use it to support people and institutions that back their words with work."
Intersectionality at the Core
While the LGBTQ+ community has made strides in visibility, Bean emphasizes that not all members of the community have benefited equally. LGBTQ+ people of color, transgender individuals, immigrants, and people with disabilities continue to face higher rates of violence, poverty, and discrimination.
"If our progress doesn't reach everyone, then it's not progress-it's privilege," Bean says.
He argues that organizations must commit to intersectional leadership, ensuring that those most affected by inequality have the power to shape solutions. He also highlights the importance of collaborating with other justice movements.
"Our liberation is tied to the liberation of others," he says. "We won't win by siloing ourselves. We'll win by standing together."
The Danger of Complacency
Bean expresses concern that many in the community have become complacent, mistaking symbolic inclusion for structural progress. He points to the recent resurgence of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in states across the country as proof that rights, once gained, can still be taken away.
"Just because we're more visible doesn't mean we're safe," he says. "And if we stop fighting, we'll watch decades of work unravel right in front of us."
He encourages younger activists to study history-not for nostalgia, but for strategy. Understanding what has worked in the past, he says, can help guide the path forward.
"History repeats itself when we're not paying attention," he says. "And we have too much at stake to let that happen."
Advice to the Next Generation
Despite the challenges, Bean remains hopeful. He continues to mentor younger activists and often speaks with students, nonprofit leaders, and community organizers. His advice is consistent: Stay grounded, stay focused, and never settle for appearance over action.
"Activism isn't always glamorous," he says. "It's meetings, calls, small victories, and long battles. But it matters more than ever."
He also encourages activists to build power-through voting, fundraising, running for office, and forming durable coalitions.
"Being loud is good," he says. "But being organized is better."
Still in the Fight at 76
Even as he approaches his eighth decade, Terry Bean has no plans to step away from the fight. He remains active in advising campaigns, supporting local and national advocacy groups, and calling for higher standards within and outside the LGBTQ+ movement.
"This isn't about my legacy," he says. "It's about our future. We can't confuse optics for outcomes. We need real change-lasting, inclusive, unapologetic."
For Bean, the path forward lies in returning to the core principles that built the movement: courage, community, accountability, and action. The rainbow, he says, is just the beginning.
About Terry Bean
Terry Bean is a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ civil rights activist, political strategist, and philanthropist. He co-founded the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, and played a pivotal role in defeating Oregon's Measure 9 in 1992. Over five decades, Bean has organized for equality, raised millions for advocacy campaigns, and helped elect LGBTQ+ leaders across the country. He resides in Portland, Oregon, where he remains active in local and national justice efforts.
For more information about Terry Bean or Basic Rights Oregon and its ongoing efforts to promote equality, please visit www.basicrights.org.
To learn more about Terry Bean's advocacy work, public statements, or current initiatives, please visit his official site at terry-bean.info.
CONTACT:
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Bean Investment Real Estate
Portland, OR
Email: info@beanrealestate.com
Phone: (415) 494-4103
SOURCE: Terry Bean
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