A native of Eastern Oregon, Vickie Read grew up in a small logging camp and had been raised with "a value system that did not include diversity or equality." Therefore, when her son came out in his junior year of high school, Vickie’s immediate response was to ask him to change. With many gay friends and acquaintances, Lonnie Read "not only tried to comfort his son but he tried to help me understand that this was not something our son could change." But all it took was for their son to "look at me with his big serious brown eyes and say, 'Mom, why would I choose to be something people hate?', and I knew... I was the one who needed to change."

Vickie and Lonnie are "members of the PFLAG State Council (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and President and Treasurer of our own local PFLAG chapter." But their dedication to equality for all Oregonians does not stop there. As a local business owner, Lonnie is supportive of the Pendleton GLBT community, and as a school counselor, Vickie is working towards a safer school environment for GLBT students and "hope[s] this next year to start our first GSA [Gay-Straight Alliance]." They are also quite active politically, lobbying for pro-equality legislation and using their voices in their local paper, via letters to the editor and guest editorials, to refute those speaking out against the pro-equaity legislation or the legislators who voted for it.

The Reads believe that, "the discrimination in our community is a 'soft' discrimination. Soft discrimination is just as real and debilitating as harder forms. For example, soft discrimination might be a fear of being outed in the community, which keeps individuals from living a free and open life." Witnessing this discrimination everyday motives Vickie and Lonnie even more to work for equality for all. For in Lonnie's eyes, equality means, "treating all people with the respect that you would want to be treated with. It is not patronizing or tolerating, but full acceptance." And to Vickie, "Equality is caring. Caring for those that some may feel are different. Caring enough to find ways to educate others so the differences are no longer scary."

Vickie and Lonnie also hope for a day when all Oregonians, GLBT and not, enjoy the same relationship recognition. They reflect: "Our ultimate goal is that it will not be illegal for our son to have the same marriage rights as his sister. If that means everyone should be able to get married than that's the way it should be. If it means that his sister has a civil ceremony like her gay brother than that’s the way it should be. Any questions?"