Central Oregonians who identify as LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit have a unique opportunity to have their voices heard and let their artistry resonate as part of a statewide art project and online survey that’s nearing completion on May 31.
Pride in Numbers takes a two-pronged approach to gather data and recognize participants with its community art project, which is open to artists of all ages who identify as Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+. The project has received numerous submissions, including paintings, drawings, photography, fiber art, jewelry, mixed media and beadwork. Additionally, there’s an online survey, for Oregonians ages 18 and older who similarly identify, that’s been live since January. The collected data will be compiled, analyzed and disseminated with the aim of providing comprehensive information “for everyone and anyone to be able to use to apply for grants, use for policy, etcetera,” said Nimisha Jain, project team outreach lead for Pride in Numbers.
“Throughout history, Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ folks have been misrepresented, uncounted or erased in institutional data. And I think, especially in times of misinformation, data that’s grounded in our lived experiences provides a counterweight to harmful or inaccurate representations of what our lives are like,” Jain said. “We’re hoping with this data, we can paint an honest picture of what life is really like for Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ folks in Oregon, especially folks who face added barriers because of their race, gender, income, disability, location or other parts of who they are. We can use this data to advocate for ourselves and build the resources that we really need in our community.”
Shauntay Toombs, the assistant director of LGBTQ2SIA+ Services for Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living in Ontario and a jewelry artisan, completed the survey and submitted a wrapped rainbow quartz heart Tree of Life pendant.
“The symbolism behind each part of the piece reflects many of the values and hopes I carry for our communities,” Toombs said. “The rainbow represents visibility, diversity and pride, as well as the many different identities, experiences and backgrounds that make up the communities who call Oregon home. It is a reminder that our differences are something to celebrate and that inclusion helps create stronger, more connected communities.
“Quartz is often considered a healing stone, which feels especially meaningful during times when many people are carrying stress, grief, uncertainty or isolation. To me, it represents healing, resilience, clarity, and the importance of continuing to care for ourselves and one another,” said the 41-year-old artist who identifies as queer and has been married to wife Trisha Chockley for 10 years. The couple’s family includes their three children, three dogs and a cat.
“The heart symbolizes love and compassion,” Toombs continued. “I truly believe that the only thing more powerful than hate is love…especially when communities choose connection, understanding and support over fear and division. The Tree of Life represents growth, resilience and how deeply connected we all are to each other, our communities, and the natural world around us. Like roots and branches, we are all interconnected, and even through hardship, we continue to grow stronger together. That symbolism feels especially important in Oregon, where so many diverse communities continue working toward belonging, healing and resilience despite the many challenges.”
Wrapping Toombstones is Toombs’ jewelry enterprise which includes wire-wrapped pendants such as the one she submitted to Pride in Numbers, as well as earrings, necklaces and other items. She said the Pride in Numbers project is vital to help support Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ Oregonians.
“I feel the Pride in Numbers community art project and survey are especially important because they combine personal storytelling with meaningful information that can help guide advocacy, programs and future community support efforts,” Toombs said. “The project not only celebrates identity and resilience, but also creates opportunities for education, visibility and deeper understanding across communities, including rural areas that are often overlooked in statewide or national conversations. This aligns closely with the work we continue to do through EOCIL to build affirming, accessible, and inclusive spaces throughout Eastern Oregon.
“My hope for the outcomes of this project is that it leads to stronger support systems, more inclusive policies and programs, and increased visibility for LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals across Oregon and beyond,” Toombs added. “I also hope it encourages ongoing conversations around wellness, equity and belonging while helping community members feel seen, valued and connected to something larger than themselves.”
Jain said the Pride in Numbers project has also facilitated interviews and storytelling sessions to gather data. She said the survey, which includes three required screening questions, features several optional multiple-choice and short-answer questions with “different domains being covered, including health, well-being, belonging, peoples’ access to resources and their experiences with housing.”
The Pride in Numbers project kicked off in 2024, and a community leadership team formed that’s comprised of a “majority” of Oregonians who are “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; trans and nonbinary; and from rural and non-urban communities.” Smaller subcommittees were created, including those focused on research and data, community engagement, advocacy and financial justice. Jain said the teams “helped guide input on the kinds of things we would like to see and gather data on.”
There had been smaller efforts across Oregon to gather similar information, but Pride in Numbers is the first statewide effort and was definitely needed, she said, explaining that Oregon has a high per capita of LGBTQIA+ residents, but a comprehensive statewide survey open to all Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people hadn’t been done before.
“There’s been efforts in the past to collect data with listening sessions, and there was also one done on older adults who identify as LGBTQIA+, so this kind of came out of filling that need for that data,” Jain said, adding that, “We have some plans for advocacy in terms of how we plan on sharing the data back out. One of the biggest pieces of this project is that all of the information data that we gather will be shared back. We want it to be accessible to whoever wants to use this data to advocate for the programs that they need and to build mutual-aid networks that they dream of and things like that. It’s about shifting that power and building communities that are reflective of our needs.”
Jain, 25, understands the value of such data after moving from Texas to Oregon two years ago. She identifies as pansexual and is an Indian immigrant. “So when I was moving to Oregon, I was really excited about getting to be in contact and in a community with more people who are LGBTQIA+, while also hopefully getting to connect with other people who look like me and have similar cultural backgrounds and upbringings. That’s something that we’re also trying to see, like people who’ve moved to Oregon and what were their reasons, and do they have access to the resources that they need, things like that.”
The survey and art project are open for submissions until May 31, and Jain is hopeful there’ll be more submissions before then: “We always need more people to take the survey. The more voices we have, the more we’re also going to be able to share back with the community. But we know it’s a pretty scary time for folks to be sharing.”
There are numerous safeguards built into the project’s survey, she said, to help ensure data privacy and security and the organization’s website includes a document detailing its data-protection practices.
“That’s something we try to make really clear, because I know right now, with different laws and legislation and things in the world happening, it feels like a scary time for folks who are Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ to share data,” Jain said. “Our data is securely stored and never sold and only accessed by a handful of trusted researchers. We know (people) have concerns around data security.”
Once the survey closes, Jain said data analysis begins and then that data should be reported to the community by December through a variety of methods, including on the Pride in Numbers website its social-media accounts (@prideinnumbersoregon), fact sheets, standalone data visualizations, a slide deck, a newsletter and community ambassadors. Additionally, Jain said there’ll be at least one virtual session to share the data.
This article appears in the Source May 28, 2026.
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