PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2025 / At 76 years old, Terry Bean is a veteran of the front lines of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. A pioneer, strategist, and co-founder of both the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Bean has spent over five decades building the political and civic infrastructure that many now take for granted. But today, as the United States grapples with political polarization, escalating culture wars, and a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Bean warns that the future of equality hangs in the balance.
"We've made progress-no doubt," says Bean. "But it's fragile. And if we assume the arc of history will keep bending forward without our effort, we're making a dangerous mistake."
A Divided Climate, A Renewed Threat
Bean speaks at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are once again under direct assault. In 2023 and 2024 alone, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures across the country. Many targeted transgender youth, restricting access to healthcare, bathrooms, or participation in sports. Others sought to ban books, limit discussions of sexuality in schools, or roll back workplace protections.
"What we're seeing isn't random," Bean warns. "It's a well-organized backlash against the gains we've made. And it's being fueled by misinformation, political opportunism, and fear."
He draws a clear parallel to earlier eras of pushback-particularly the early 1990s, when he helped lead the campaign to defeat Oregon's Measure 9, a ballot initiative that would have classified homosexuality as "abnormal" in the state constitution. Then, as now, Bean believes the antidote is strategic resistance backed by public education, grassroots mobilization, and political power.
More Than Visibility-We Need Vigilance
For Bean, one of the greatest risks facing the LGBTQ+ movement today is complacency. He acknowledges that mainstream visibility-from queer characters in Hollywood to openly LGBTQ+ public officials-has created the illusion that full equality has been achieved.
"Visibility matters. It's powerful," he says. "But don't confuse being seen with being safe. Representation doesn't always translate to protection."
Bean emphasizes that true equality means access to housing, healthcare, education, and employment-free from fear or discrimination. And in today's America, those rights are still unevenly distributed.
"The truth is, where you live still determines your rights as an LGBTQ+ person," he adds. "That's unacceptable in a country that claims to value freedom."
The Role of Political Power
Throughout his career, Bean has championed the belief that political influence is essential for LGBTQ+ liberation. In 1980, he co-founded the Human Rights Campaign to bring LGBTQ+ voices into policy conversations at the national level. Eleven years later, he co-founded the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund to ensure LGBTQ+ people didn't just advocate for change-they helped govern it.
And that, he says, must remain a top priority.
"Policy doesn't write itself," Bean reminds. "We need our own at the table-crafting laws, defending rights, pushing back against discrimination."
He points to the success of openly LGBTQ+ leaders like Senator Tammy Baldwin, Representative Becca Balint, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as evidence of what representation can achieve. But he also stresses that numbers alone aren't enough. Accountability, Bean insists, must be part of the equation.
"It's not just about electing LGBTQ+ people-it's about ensuring they fight for all of us once they're in office," he says.
Coalition Building in a Fractured Landscape
In today's polarized political environment, Terry Bean believes the LGBTQ+ movement must invest in broader coalition-building. That means working alongside racial justice groups, reproductive rights advocates, labor organizers, and immigrant communities to build a more inclusive vision for America.
"The forces trying to roll back our rights aren't just coming after LGBTQ+ people-they're targeting women, people of color, immigrants, and working-class communities," Bean says. "We have to see our struggles as connected and respond with unity."
He also calls on white LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations to prioritize intersectionality and invest in leadership development for marginalized voices within the community.
"Too often, the same people hold the mic," he says. "We need to pass it more often-to trans people, to people of color, to youth. That's how we evolve."
Fighting Back with Facts-and Funds
One of Bean's enduring contributions to the LGBTQ+ rights movement is his mastery of political fundraising. He was instrumental in helping to defeat Oregon Measure 9 by raising over $1 million-a record at the time for an LGBTQ+ ballot campaign. Later, he would become a major fundraiser for national candidates, including President Barack Obama.
In today's battles, Bean believes financial support is just as important. Grassroots movements need resources to mount legal challenges, organize protests, and mobilize voters.
"Money isn't the only thing-but let's not pretend it doesn't matter," he says. "We need to fund the fight as seriously as our opponents do."
He encourages donors-especially those in the LGBTQ+ community-to be intentional about where their dollars go and to demand impact from the organizations they support.
"Don't give for the photo op," he says. "Give for the policy change."
The Next Generation Must Lead
At 76, Bean is deeply reflective. But he's not nostalgic. Instead, he's focused on preparing the next generation to lead-offering mentorship, insight, and historical perspective while making room for new voices.
"I'm not here to be a monument," he laughs. "I'm here to be useful. And the most useful thing I can do is help young people organize smarter, faster, and bolder than we did."
He urges young activists to study movement history-not to replicate it, but to learn what worked, what didn't, and how to adapt for the challenges ahead.
"You're not starting from zero," he says. "You're inheriting a legacy. But it's up to you to decide what to do with it."
Pride with Purpose
As Pride celebrations grow in size and spectacle each year, Bean calls for a renewed sense of political purpose. He supports celebration, but not at the expense of activism.
"Pride started as a protest," he says. "It should still be a protest-against injustice, against silence, against the systems that try to erase us."
He advocates for integrating voter registration, issue education, and fundraising into Pride events to ensure they remain vehicles for change, not just corporate branding.
"If we're not using our platforms to organize, then we're wasting them," he says.
An Unfinished March
For Terry Bean, the story of LGBTQ+ rights in America is still being written. And in this moment of division and backlash, he believes the country is at a crossroads.
"This is a stress test for democracy," Bean says. "How we respond-how we protect the rights of the most vulnerable-will define who we really are."
With five decades of activism behind him, Bean continues to do what he's always done: mentor, mobilize, and march. He is not looking to retire from advocacy. If anything, the stakes have renewed his energy.
"There's no finish line in civil rights," he says. "Only the question: what will you do next?"
About Terry Bean
Terry Bean is a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ rights advocate, strategist, and philanthropist. He co-founded the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, organizations that have transformed political representation for LGBTQ+ Americans. Known for his leadership in defeating Oregon's Measure 9 and supporting hundreds of LGBTQ+ candidates, Bean continues to be a leading voice in civil rights organizing and political accountability. He resides in Portland, Oregon, and remains active in mentoring the next generation of leaders.
To contact Terry Bean:
Email: info@beanrealestate.com
Phone: (415) 494-4103
SOURCE: Terry Bean
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