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I think this is the worst news ever posted on this blog.
Long-time Portland activist, marriage equality leader and civil rights crusader, Bonnie Tinker was killed today in a bike accident in Virginia.
Tinker was the founder and director of Portland’s Love Makes A Family.
A few details can be found here, at OregonLive.com.
Memories and tributes to Tinker’s work are flowing in on Facebook. A few examples are:
Our hearts go out to Bonnie’s family, friends and all whom she touched through her incredible community efforts. I was honored to know her and work with her over the years. – Jeff and Ed
Just Out has gone to press for tomorrow’s issue; additional details on services, as they become available, will be posted on this site.
23 responses so far ↓
1 Anne Bocci // Jul 2, 2009 at 10:20 pm
So tragic for family and friends.
My condolences.
Something like this makes me realize every day is a lucky day.
2 Cris Land // Jul 3, 2009 at 12:47 am
This news about Bonnie’s death is horrible. She was a wonderful advocate for social justice, especially GLBT justice. I’ll miss her, especially the spirited debates and her strong hugs afterward. My deepest condolences for her family, and also for all of us whom she touched.
3 Ric and Devon Berrong // Jul 3, 2009 at 5:45 am
I worked at ‘LOVE MAKES A FAMILY’ for a brief time and I was just amazed at Bonnie’s energy and passion. I just hope our community will honor this amazing woman for all she has given and shared, by getting involved and making a difference … just as Bonnie has done.
4 Dave // Jul 3, 2009 at 6:20 am
Hi everyone – Such sad news. My condolences to her family and friends.
Dave Dishman
MCC Portland
5 Debra // Jul 3, 2009 at 9:17 am
Marty I think you are right about this being the worst news that could be posted here. I don’t even have words at the moment.
6 David // Jul 3, 2009 at 9:52 am
She made a fierce ally. I remember her sharp intelligence and the integrity of her character. My condolences to her family, friends, and all of us whose lives she touched and made a difference.
7 Rebecca W // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:25 am
Oh Bonnie, you are missed already. Will the circle be unbroken?
8 Sad Community Member // Jul 3, 2009 at 11:39 am
My heart broke when I heard this news…When I first moved to the Portland area – I was an intern at Love Makes A Family – Bonnie was an amazing person and I learned so much about the Gay Community in Portland from her and her partner Sarah- my thoughts and prayers are with Bonnie’s family as they deal with this terrible loss. Portland truely has lost an amazing person, a dedicated advocate and very special lady.
9 Q_cyclist // Jul 3, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Wow! I was reading the BikePortland blog and saw about this! What horrible news to read about such a dedicated activist that fought for the rights of so many Oregonians.
Be safe everyone!
10 Beki // Jul 3, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Bonnie legacy is here for our community to pick up and carry on. She gave so much of herself to help others and was a true mench never expecting anything in return. I know I will miss her presence in our community.
11 Cleara // Jul 3, 2009 at 10:26 pm
My condolences to Bonnie’s family and friends.
The lgbt community and all of Portland has lost a guiding light and leader.
Luv
Cleara
12 JEN // Jul 4, 2009 at 7:16 pm
jen
We love her and we miss her so much
Let’s up a fire under our grief and do a community
action for marriage equality in her name.
13 Pat // Jul 4, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I am so sorry about this tragic accident that took Bonnie’s life. The last time I saw Bonnie was on the #8 bus during the snowstorm last winter. Bonnie was with her granddaughter. We were all scrunched together and Bonnie began to melt the ice with warm and friendly conversation among us. What a comfortable and caring person! I agree with Ric and Devon: Let’s get involved and make a difference as Bonnie did.
14 Susie Shepherd // Jul 5, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I echo the sentiments of those above: Let us do our due honor to Bonnie by carrying on her work, her legacy: I last saw her two weeks ago, drumming up support for the new Black/ African American PFLAG chapter–she needed people to staff the Love Makes a Family table at the Oregon State Fair: Now is everyone’s chance to help by signing up for a block of time there!
15 Donna and Arthur Saffir // Jul 5, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Arthur and I are devastated at this awful news and our hearts are broken. Bonnie was an inspiration to us and a joy as a friend. We first met Bonnie in the early 90s when we were all working to defeat the infamous measure 9. Her quiet strength and dedication to gay civil rights will stay with us as we continue her work.
Without Bonnie our world will always have a hollow place right in the middle of its heart.
16 Bretton Palm // Jul 6, 2009 at 8:41 am
I first met Bonnie thirty years ago when I belonged to Multnomah County Friends Meeting. She served as a model of living one’s principles. I have never met anyone of such integrity and passion.
17 Fruit For Peace // Jul 6, 2009 at 10:46 am
Oh Bonnie, my heart is breaking and weeping with this terrible news. You, Sara, Cecil and the rest of the Love Makes A Family group were the first dear friends I made when I moved to Portland six years ago. We laughed, cried, celebrated and conversed together. I was so honored to attend your and Sara’s wedding, and to consider you friends. You were and always will be my mentor and example of how to be a kind, caring and active member of the human race. Now I weep at your tragic loss, but when mourning has passed, I will cherish and celebrate your life and love. Sincere hugs and condolences to everyone that was a part of Bonnie’s loving, caring, WONDERFUL life.
18 Frank Stovall // Jul 6, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Our city, our state, our nation, our world has lost a dear friend and advocate for peace and love. I met Bonnie when I was her son Alex’s fourth grade teacher in the early nineties. When I decided to come out to my teaching colleagues at Ainsworth Elementary School, Bonnie organized a group of caring parents to protect me from any misguided backlash. Soon, we began speaking for school staffs, parent groups, and professional organizations about the difficulties of being a gay educator or a gay student. Somehow, we lost track of one another, in the tumult of the AIDS epidemic and friends and partners died and lives and relationships were shattered. How I wish I had joined her in her life’s work. I will never forget her, her love, her grace, her dignity, her principles… We have truely lost a treasure!
19 Donna Luckett // Jul 6, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Many times Bonnie called me to ask for information or help for someone she was concerned about. She was a tireless advocate and would ask anyone anything she felt was needed. I don’t know where all her energy came from…I last saw her moving with confidence and happy energy down the street surrounded by the community she served and loved at Pride parade. I had to smile when seeing Bonnie wave and clip down that street as though she owned it, for all the work she has done in this community, I think she actually did own a significant part of PRIDE. Bonnie was fierce in her commitment and love for others…look out Heaven, she’ll have you working double time as angels watching over this world.
20 Lannie Kali // Jul 8, 2009 at 12:20 pm
What a tragic loss for this city and the world. I worked at Love Makes A Family for more than 2 years and Bonnie really lived the truth that it wasn’t just her job to be active in pursuit of equality, it was her life. May we all find a path in our own pursuit of justice and may that work serve as an ongoing, living, memorial in her honor.
PS. I find it just a bit weird that we are all going to Just Out for information about her death when this very magazine put her on the cover a couple of years ago and tore apart her work for no less than 5 pages.
21 Diana E. Ruth // Jul 9, 2009 at 9:00 am
I volunteer to be your contact person for Friends Baltimore Yearly Meeting in Maryland.
Diana E. Ruth
3366 Chiswick Court
Silver Spring, MD 20906-1633
301-598-2728
22 Laura Tattoo // Jul 13, 2009 at 10:27 pm
i just learned about bonnie’s death this morning while watching “gay usa” on free speech tv. i am just devastated and in shock. my heart is broken for sara, josh, connie and alex.
i met bonnie in 1977, shortly after i arrived in portland with my ex-batterer-husband and wound up at bradley-angle house for battered women; i was five months pregnant. i fast became friends with both bonnie and sara, in fact, i developed a crush on sara and took her to lunch to tell her. she said, “i’m flattered, laura, but i think i’m in love with bonnie. we haven’t told anybody yet.” they were together for next 32 years.
i soon fell in love with a friend at ba house, and together we raised our three children. bonnie and sara were mentors and close friends for all of those years; in fact, a community of women both gay and straight sprung out of ba house over those years in the flood of all the work we did on racism and feminism and nonviolence ; we were all training to be cultural advocates! this great group of women see each other from time to time, and the same big love that bonnie and sara always exhibited is still felt among all of us.
i saw bonnie around 10 yrs ago before we moved to astoria. we talked about doing a video project together before i became disabled and quit the video production business. we also had a great ba house reunion that was so wonderful! distance made us fall out of touch but not out of love.
i send my deepest love to sara, and just hold her tightly in my arms. i will you on the 25th. xoxoxoxoxooxox ~laura tattoo
23 peggy // Jul 21, 2009 at 10:30 pm
I feel so sad. Though I didn’t know Bonnie personally, I know of her through her work. Such an amazing person taken so soon.
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