100 signatures reached
To: President Joseph Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, Governor Tina Kotek, OR Office of Inclusion & Intercultural Relations, Mayor Ted Wheeler, PDX Planning Commission, PDX Community Involvement Committee, Darcelle XV Showplace
Darcelle XV Memorial Campaign - Honorary Renaming 200 Block NW 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Recently, a public citizen, Ryan Hashagen, installed a new sign at the intersection of Northwest Davis Street and Third Avenue in Portland's Chinatown district. The sign reads "Happiness Reigns Forever - NW DARCELLE XV STREET” and the LGBT Qmunity wants to make this a permanent addition as a way to honor and acknowledge Walter "Darcelle XV" Cole's legacy as the Guinness World Record as the oldest drag queen performer, and an important LGBT Qmunity Activist and Advocate. (U.S.A. b. 16 November 1930 ; d. 23 March 2023). Working tirelessly on behalf of the community, Darcelle passed recently at the age of 92 and the local and international LGBT Qmunity is in mourning of the tremendous cultural loss. We are blessed with many inspirational and courageous memories of Darcelle, and we want to preserve Darcelle's legacy forever. Unfortunately, local planning requires 5 years-time in order to change, honorarily, a street block name; but we feel our community needs the block name dedication as soon as possible as the LGBT Qmunity is suffering from record levels of hateful, ignorant legislative attacks against our basic human rights at an ongoing national level. Please consider signing this petition, urging Government Officials to bypass the 5-year process, as our community urgently needs hope and reassurance that love conquers all and there is no place for hate.
Why is this important?
The LGBT Qmunity is under legislative attack, nationwide, and at an all-time high. The proposed and passed laws are forcing LGBTQ+ folk back into the closet and turning us into criminals simply for existing and choosing who we care to love and associate with. Please help us preserve Darcelle's legacy of love and self-acceptance by helping us rename, in honorarium, the 200 Block on Third Avenue in Portland, Oregon's Chinatown district. This block is home to Darcelle's Showplace which is currently listed as a National Registered Landmark as a "Significant part of LGBT history in the United States". We want to further cement Darcelle's cultural legacy with the renaming of the block, as soon as possible, where the entertainment showplace remains and operates. Please sign our grassroots, LGBT Qmunity led petition! This is for future generations to remember Darcelle and their important work and creative life. Thank you!