March 29 celebration at Maxwell Community Hub features storytelling, art workshops and participation in a statewide LGBTQIA+ research project ahead of Trans Day of Visibility.

Pride in Numbers, TransPonder and Creative Queer Collective will host a free, all-ages Trans Day of Visibility celebration centered on storytelling, art and community research documenting transgender and LGBTQIA+ lives across Oregon.

Our Stories, Our Way: Celebrating Trans Lives will take place from 1 to 5 pm Sunday, March 29, at Maxwell Community Hub, 440 Maxwell Road. The free event is hosted by Pride in Numbers in partnership with TransPonder and Creative Queer Collective and is expected to bring together community members, artists and advocates from across the mid-Willamette Valley.

“Community is health care,” says Nimisha Jain, community outreach lead for Pride in Numbers and volunteer director with Creative Queer Collective. “This event creates space for people to come together and make sure our stories are seen and documented.”

The afternoon will feature author talks, creative workshops, a community songwriting session and collaborative art activities designed to highlight the power of storytelling. Organizers say the event centers creative expression as a way to preserve experiences and ensure transgender and LGBTQIA+ voices are documented and shared. Vendors and community partners will also be present, offering resources and opportunities to connect with local organizations.

In addition to creative programming, Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ adults will have opportunities to participate in a confidential statewide survey exploring belonging, safety, health care access, housing and community needs. The survey is part of Pride in Numbers, a community-led research effort designed to better understand the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people across Oregon, particularly those in rural areas and communities historically underrepresented in statewide data.

“The point of all of this research is to paint a powerful portrait of what Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ life in Oregon really looks like,” Jain says.

Organizers emphasize that privacy protections are built into the survey process. Participants are not asked to provide names, email addresses or other identifying information, and most questions are optional. Only a small number of general demographic questions are required to help researchers understand broad community trends, and respondents can skip questions or exit the survey at any time.

Jain says those safeguards are intended to ensure people can participate safely while maintaining control over their personal information. Detailed information about data protection policies, storage practices and participant rights is available through the project’s website, allowing participants to review how their responses will be used before choosing whether to take part.

The survey helps address gaps in data that often shape funding, housing, health care and social services. 

When communities are missing from data, organizers say, their needs can be overlooked in programs meant to support them. Pride in Numbers aims to return findings directly to community organizations so the information can be used to strengthen services, guide advocacy efforts and inform local decision-making.

Trans Day of Visibility, observed annually on March 31, celebrates transgender and nonbinary people and affirms their presence in community life. In addition to celebration, organizers say the day offers an opportunity for connection and mutual support during a time when many communities are seeking ways to document their experiences and build stronger networks of care.

More information about the Pride in Numbers survey, available in English and Spanish through May 31, is available at PrideInNumbers.org.

Our Stories, Our Way: Celebrating Trans Lives,1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Maxwell Community Hub, 440 Maxwell Road in Eugene. Free. More info available at PrideInNumbers.org.