Did You Know?

• From March 3-April 20, 2004, Portland's Multnomah County Courthouse became the third government entity in the nation (after Massachusetts and San Francisco) to issue same-sex marriage licencses. During the first month 3,212 couples were issued licenses.

• The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) held its 26th annual Gay Softball World Series in Portland in the summer of 2002. More than 2,500 men and women from 120 teams across the country met in two Portland area parks for a week of fun, yet competitive play.

• According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Portland has the 13th highest number of same-sex couples in the nation.

• Portland hosted the 2002 Creating Change Conference, the nation’s largest national conference for activists from the political movement for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) justice, freedom and equality. The conference attracted approximately 2,500 activists, organizers, elected officials and other community leaders attending more than 200 workshops, caucuses and plenary sessions.

• The October 2002 issue of Girlfriends magazine named Portland the fourth-best place in the United States for lesbians to live. Criteria included the number of lesbian hangouts, anti-discrimination laws, housing costs and public transportation.