Arts & Culture
Billie McBride-O'Neel started skating as a teenager. “I was one of the millions of inspired children who saw Dorothy Hamill win the Olympics. I cut my hair, bought the shampoo, got the skates, and the rest is history," she said. She still skates today, pictured at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink in Portland on May 16, 2025.
Billie McBride-O’Neel is skating out of the shadows for trans youth
The Astoria, Oregon, resident transitioned in 1985 after a career as a professional figure skater. She stayed in the closet for four decades, until trans youth became increasingly threatened.
Latest Stories
A baklava crawl in the Turkish city that’s obsessed with the pastry
Here's how the Turkish city of Gaziantep became synonymous with baklava, the sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and soaked in syrup or honey.
4 takeaways from Erin Patterson’s testimony at her toxic mushroom triple murder trial
Patterson is accused of putting death cap mushrooms in a meal she served her estranged husband's relatives in July 2023, killing three. She took the stand in Week 6 of the trial gripping Australia.
How photographer Ivan McClellan’s vision brought a Black rodeo boom to Portland
The founder of the Eight Seconds Rodeo and renowned photographer of Black cowboy and cowgirl culture reflects on Portland's first Juneteenth Rodeo three years ago ahead of its 2025 show.
Portland’s cross-generational marching band returns for a ‘full-circle moment’ at Rose Festival parades
For more than 40 years, the "One More Time Around Again Marching Band" has been a staple during the Portland Rose Festival’s parades and events. The idea behind the group is simple: once a band nerd, always a band nerd.
WorldPride is in D.C. this year — which may be why attendance and sponsorship are down
The ripple effects of the Trump administration's anti-trans and DEI policies and rhetoric can be felt throughout this year's WorldPride festival.
Trump asks Congress to wipe out funding for public broadcasting
President Trump is asking lawmakers to claw back the $1.1 billion in federal subsidies for public broadcasting that Congress approved earlier this year. His request also includes cuts to foreign aid.
A Manson Family member was recommended for parole again. But she’s not free just yet
Patricia Krenwinkel was 21 when she participated in the August 1969 murders. Her parole recommendation would need to be approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who rejected the last one in 2022.
Skulls once subject to racist study in Germany are laid to rest in New Orleans
A memorial and jazz funeral honored 19 Black Americans, whose remains were recently repatriated from Germany where they were used for racial research in the late 1800s.
120 years ago, Portland hosted a ‘World’s Fair’ that changed everything (then disappeared)
In 1905, the Lewis and Clark Exposition was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but, really, it was a way for city boasters to introduce Portland to the nation.
‘At Work With’: Oregon tattoo artist helps people heal from trauma with tattoos
For the latest installment of OPB’s "At Work With" series, we get to know Oregon tattoo artist Ruby Gore. She specializes in helping people cover up scars with tattoos, and taking a trauma-aware approach to tattooing.
