Oregon Historical Society event to highlight health and LGBTQ+ pioneer Dr. Marie Equi

The Oregon Historical Society is hosting an event on Thursday evening highlighting one of the state’s earliest and most prominent health and equity advocates.

The event, “It Started Here in The Dalles: The Passionate, Notorious Story of Dr. Marie Equi,” will feature historian and human rights activist Michael Helquist telling the story of Dr. Marie Equi, an early 20th century Oregon physician who advocated for women’s suffrage, reproductive rights, labor rights and free speech. 

The event is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Granada Theatre in The Dalles. It is free and open to the public.

Equi, the daughter of Italian and Irish immigrants, came to Oregon from Massachusetts in the fall of 1893. She lived openly as a lesbian, settling on a homestead with her partner along the Columbia River near The Dalles. In 1903, she became one of the small number of female physicians in the state after obtaining a degree from the University of Oregon, according to the Oregon Historical Society. 

Equi established a general practice in Portland where for 20 years she focused on providing  primary care to working-class women and children. She also provided abortions and birth control for women at a time when both were illegal, according to the Portland-based Marie Equi Center.  

Helquist, a Portland native, will present his biography of Equi and discuss how the issues she faced more than a century ago mirror today’s challenges, according to the historical society. 

“Marie Equi had a big personality full of passion, humor and love of a good time,” Helquist said in an email. “For her friends, time with her might best be spent in measured doses.”

To learn more about the event, visit the Oregon Historical Society website.