Weekly Newsletter 2/7/25: Get caught up on what you need to know, what you can do, a little queer and trans joy.
Hi BRO friends,
What a month!
Let’s be real: Simply existing as a queer or trans person has been exhausting over the last few weeks. It’s hard to know whether to keep refreshing the news every five minutes for updates, or to become a luddite and exist in blissful ignorance.
But BRO is here with an alternative: We’re launching a weekly newsletter to keep LGBTQ+ and allied Oregonians updated on all the LGBTQ+ news without drowning in it—and we’ll always include some hopeful news, as well as opportunities to convert your anxiety into positive actions.
Here’s what’s been going on this week:
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield just announced that he’s suing the federal government, along with AGs from Minnesota and Washington, over a recent executive order that targets gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth. The lawsuit calls this order “cruel and baseless” and “an official statement of bigotry”.
If successful, this lawsuit could pause or even overturn the order. And in the meantime, it sends a clear message to trans youth, their families, and doctors providing care: Oregon sees you, and we’re standing up for you. It’s a good day to be an Oregonian.
Here’s an update and some advice from Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ+ legal organization, on social security cards:
“As of January 31, 2025, the Trump administration has directed the Social Security Administration to stop processing gender marker updates associated with social security records.
In addition to getting legal advice about your specific situation before starting gender marker or name change processes for federal documents, we recommend that trans and gender diverse people NOT submit a gender marker update request to the Social Security Administration at this time.”
This week, we saw a new executive order seeking to ban trans women and girls from playing sports with other women and girls. We know this is straight-up discrimination: Transgender girls just want to play on teams with their friends, build teamwork and get some exercise. Kicking them out is intentionally isolating and a clear example of “separate but not equal.” The bright side: We’ve already seen some EOs get halted, so there’s no guarantee this order will even go into effect or be enforceable.
Here in Oregon, a minority of lawmakers are trying to pass their own statewide legislation banning trans girls from playing sports. A reminder: We’ve got a very strong pro-equality majority in Salem, meaning this bill probably won’t go anywhere! Learn more in the KPTV story where BRO was interviewed.Late last week, we saw the CDC purge any mentions of LGBTQ+ health issues or research from its website. This is a blatant attempt to erase an entire community, but we know it won’t succeed: Trans and queer people have always existed, and we will always exist. No government action defines us, and our communities have a long history of pushing back.
ACT UP NY, an AIDS activism organization that’s been around since the early HIV/AIDS crisis, shared some old protest signage on Instagram this week from when the federal government failed to fund AIDS research that could’ve saved thousands of lives. Let this be a reminder that we’ve been through this before, and we will get through this as well.
Source: ACT UP NY
Here’s what you can do:
Confused about all the things? Our website is full of helpful info—especially our constantly updated Resources Page, and our new webpage on executive orders and your rights in Oregon.
Are you trying to move away from harmful social media platforms that allow hate speech? You can now find BRO on Blueskey! (Don’t worry, we don’t have any plans to leave Instagram, Facebook or Threads—this is just an additional place to engage with us!)
BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER! This 90s gay cult classic is all about being yourself despite the odds, and BRO is bringing it to the big screen on March 30. We’ve got a suggested donation of $15-$25 for tickets, so grab some of your best queer friends, enjoy the movie and support our mission of LGBTQ+ rights in Oregon! (Can’t make it but want to support us? You can also just donate directly to BRO!)
POV: You bring your queer cutie crush to our screening of But I’m a Cheerleader as a perfect first date.
We’ve got a 2026 ballot measure campaign going to affirm LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights in the Oregon Constitution! Sign up for updates from Equal Rights for All here.