Know Your Rights

Understanding Your Rights in Oregon: A Timeline

After decades of battling anti-LGBTQ+ ballot measures and advocating for more discrimination protections, Oregon is now considered one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly states in the country. Together, we’ve made Oregon one of the best places to live and work by passing landmark legislation and changing policies. Here are the rights we’ve won so far:

2007 – Oregon Equality Act: A comprehensive non-discrimination and protection law for LGBTQ+ people in our state. Includes protections against discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, foster parenting and public schools.

2008 – Oregon Family Fairness Act: A law allowing couples to register for domestic partnerships, regardless of gender.

2009 – Safe Schools Act: A law prohibiting bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Oregon public schools.

2014 – Same-Sex Marriage Federal Court Case; Geiger vs. Kitzhaber: The landmark federal court case that legalized same-sex marriage in Oregon.

2015 – House Bill 2307: A statewide ban against conversion therapy on minors by licensed professionals, prohibiting therapists from attempting to change the sexual identity or gender orientation of a child.

2015 – Reduced barriers for transgender people to update their Oregon identification cards. The Oregon DMV issued a new simplified policy making it easier for people to change the gender designation on their licenses.

2015 – Historic changes to Oregon Health Plan to include transgender-inclusive and affirming healthcare coverage that had previously been excluded. Oregon became one of the first states in the country to cover gender-affirming care under Medicaid. Several commercial healthcare plans also began updating their plans to add coverage.

2017 – Oregon becomes the first state in the nation to offer a third gender option on state identification cards, including driver’s licenses and learner permits, allowing “X” as an option for non-specified gender.

2017- House Bill 2673: A law allowing transgender Oregonians to safely, efficiently, and affordably obtain personal documentation that accurately reflects their gender identity. Created a simplified administrative process that allows those seeking a name and gender change to submit a form to the state, bypassing the need to go before a court or have a birth certificate name change posted publicly, which provides more privacy and safety for community members when changing their birth record.

2019 – Adi's Act, or Senate Bill 52: A law requiring all K-12 public schools in Oregon to adopt regulations for suicide prevention—with a focus specifically on addressing LGBTQ+ students, who are particularly at risk due to stigma and discrimination.

2019 – Several court cases in Oregon help defend the rights of transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities.   

2019 – Senate Bill 77: Updated 17 different Oregon laws and created new hate and bias laws in Oregon. Created a victim-centered Bias Response Hotline for confidential and supportive reporting of hate and bias crimes or incidents.

2021 – House Bill 3041: A law that clarified existing anti-discrimination protections by adding “gender identity” to Oregon laws that previously stated, “sexual orientation.” Established gender identity as a protected class in Oregon’s housing, employment, public accommodations, education, health care and law enforcement profiling laws.

 2021 – LGBTQ Panic Defense Ban: A law that prevents the use of panic defense in court cases where people are charged with harming a queer or transgender person and blame the victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation for their violent actions.

2023 – House Bill 2002: A law mandating Oregon commercial insurance plans, Medicaid, and public employee health plans to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care services. Prohibited denial of claims for medically necessary gender-affirming treatment prescribed in alignment with accepted standards of care. Also established a broad right of individuals to make decisions about their reproductive health, including use of contraception and abortion.