Students in Oregon are organizing in support of Measure 89, which would add the Equal Rights Amendment to their state constitution, and we’re coordinating with them to give Oregonian women the constitutional equality they deserve – equality that’s long overdue. These are their faces!
Devin Ruiz
I’m a Los Angeles native living and working in Portland, Oregon. I began her work with the Feminist Majority Foundation as a Choices Campus intern during the Feminist Majority’s independent expenditure campaign to reelect Senator Barbara Boxer, and since moving to Oregon I have interned with Oregon United for Marriage, Senator Jeff Merkley and most recently Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. I’m an organizer because as a Woman of Color I want to be fully represented and empower all that are underrepresented. I’m double majoring in women’s studies and political science, and in my free time I obsess over Beyoncé and operate an Instagram for my newly rescued kitten, Mew.
Raquel Rosario Sanchez
I am a campus organizer at Oregon State University. Right now I am working toward a master’s degree in women, gender and sexuality studies at OSU and working as a graduate teaching assistant for a class called violence against women. I am from the Dominican Republic, born and raised, and I got my Bachelor’s Degree from Utah State University in International Studies with a minor in Latin American Studies and Women and Gender Studies.
After graduating, I worked at the Ministry of Women in Santo Domingo in the department of Violence Prevention for a year. This summer 2014, I spent most of the summer as a Shelter Advocate in a domestic violence and rape prevention organization in Juneau, Alaska. I became involved with this effort to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in Oregon because I believe that all women are interconnected and that nobody, as a local resident or as an immigrant should have her or his rights violated or be discriminated against as a result of sex.
Tami Fawcett
I am a first year women, gender, and sexuality studies masters student at Oregon State. I have been a self-proclaimed feminist activist since high school, where I founded the first gay-straight alliance on campus despite overwhelming opposition. I received my bachelors degree in global studies from California State University Monterey Bay, where I conducted undergraduate research on international women’s issues surrounding sexual exploitation, abuse, and violence by UN peacekeepers. In the future, I hope to continue my education in Women and Gender Studies and become a university researcher and professor.
Madeline Davis
I’m a senior at Portland State University. I volunteer at the Women’s Resource Center and I am excited about promoting equality. I am a member of the LGBTQ community, so fighting for civil rights is a passion of mine. I’m so thrilled to be working as an organizer to work for equal rights!
Anna Suarez
I’m a sophomore majoring in philosophy at Portland State University. I write for Portland State’s Rearguard, the alternative news source and The Vanguard, the main news source on campus, with a focus on gender and sexuality, and in order to empower women on campus. I also read poetry at The Hour that Stretches and at The Jade Lounge in Portland. The ERA is an important campaign, and I hope to make a dent in this patriarchal world as well as help spread feminine energy and strength.
Mckenzie Ross
I am a sophomore at Oregon State University. Currently, I am working towards an honors double major degree in English and women, gender, and sexuality studies. I am the President of Oregon State’s Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, I volunteer with the Sexual Health Advisory Group (SHAG), and serve as an ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts. I am thrilled to have the opportunity be working with this wonderful and passionate team to ensure that Oregon women have constitutional equality!
Katie Wicks
I recently graduated from Oregon State University with an honors degree in women, gender, and sexuality studies. While there, I was involved in several student organizations, including the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the Rainbow Continuum. I’m passionate about social justice and feminist issues and I’m very excited to be a part of this campaign! I’m also eager to make a positive impact on the lives of women in Oregon by working to pass Measure 89.
Robert Uehlin
I’m a local activist and recent graduate of the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism. I’m an organizer because I’m passionate about participatory democracy and the role of media in society. Finding people where they are — on the sidewalk or online — and connecting them with issues they care about is my specialty. Speaking of which, have you heard about Measure 89? Sign our petition!
