Celebrating Pride with Lucas Spencer

Lucas Spencer is relatively new to Oregon after moving from Wisconsin. He initially took a job with the State of Oregon but joined Legacy in December as a certified community health worker with Legacy Medical Group’s Northeast office.

“I realized I didn’t like working with government and missed working in health care,” he said. “Legacy is similar to a previous healthcare company where I worked and thrived.”

He joined Legacy’s Pride Employee Resource Group a few months into his new role after being encouraged by colleagues in his clinic. As Legacy celebrates Pride, Lucas spoke to us about his new environment and how welcome he feels.

How do you feel about being LGBTQ at Legacy?

It feels very natural and comfortable. I’ve met so many folks who I feel represent me. It’s mirrored a little bit in how people express themselves. They easily and naturally talk about their relationships and family dynamics that may not be traditional. It’s not as widely accepted as where I come from in the Midwest. It’s refreshing to be able to be a lot more open and authentic in my day-to-day work and in the community in general.

Do you feel you can be your "true self" right now?

Yes, but with an asterisk. Geographically, being in Portland and with Legacy, I’m able to express myself the most authentically I have in my life. But I still have hesitations and fears in how I represent myself in social media and publicly. I’ve kept my personal life watered down for most of my life. I’m exploring what that means to be out and open while taking certain safety concerns.

This is the oldest ERG at Legacy. What direction would you like to see the ERG take in the future?

There are a lot of great opportunities to collectively make change and have a voice. From what I’ve heard, the ERG has been successful in doing that and making tangible changes. What I see and feel for myself right now is that a lot of people are very busy, overwhelmed and exhausted as they try to do their job and take care of patients, so it can feel daunting to initiate advocacy alone. The ERG gives people space to have conversations and relay our concerns or ideas to leadership so that it comes from the group rather than one person.

What does your Pride ERG membership represent/mean to you?

For me, it represents my desire to be more connected to my community and involved in what’s going on in my workplace to make it a safer and more equitable environment. The group enables me to be authentic and accepting of myself. I feel like they’ll help me develop both personally and professionally.

Legacy’s theme for Pride is “Pride is Now and Forever.” What does that mean to you?

The “now and forever” speaks to how we’ve always been here and existed and acknowledges that we’re not going anywhere despite those who are trying to dampen our voices. We’re doubling down, staying, and continuing to grow regardless of those efforts to prevent progress and evolution from happening.

What can your Legacy colleagues do to show their support for Pride?

At our clinic (Legacy Medical Group–Northeast), we keep it light and open. It seems like Pride is celebrated all year. I haven’t had so many coworkers who are queer and so casually speak about their same sex partners or non-conforming identities without having to explain what that means. It’s so natural and easy to talk about, I think this representation shows support, regardless if people are officially involved in Pride or not.

Where do you go in your community to draw strength or solace?

I’m still exploring things as a new Oregonian, but I do a lot of community engagement. I’m excited to explore different events and meet new people. A newsletter I recently signed up for has a huge calendar of events that are LGBTQ-focused. It helps connect me to the community.