[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 122 (Thursday, July 19, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       GERALD ``JERRY'' K. WELLER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 19, 2018

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, Oregon has been on the cutting edge of 
advancing LGBTQ rights, or ``gay rights'' as they were known over 40 
years ago. On Sunday, July 8, we lost one of the early pioneers in 
Oregon and nationally--Gerald K. Weller.
  Jerry encouraged others to follow his example as an articulate 
leader, open about his sexual orientation and the critical nature of 
the civil rights movement he helped found. As a gay man, he provided 
many with their first experience of knowing an out and proud gay 
person.
  Jerry was the executive director of Portland Town Council, a 
pioneering LGBTQ advocacy organization in Oregon, and went on to 
leadership on the national level in Washington, D.C. for what would 
become the Human Rights Campaign Fund. He led a major health clinic in 
Chicago in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. With his return to Oregon, 
he worked for several state agencies as a committed advocate for gay 
rights.
  Early in my career, I valued Jerry's leadership, advice, support, and 
advocacy. He truly made his mark as one of the unsung heroes of the 
LGBTQ civil rights movement as he improved the lives of countless 
Oregonians and advanced understanding for many more.
  I salute his impact on Oregon and the nation and mourn his loss.

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