Weekly Update: Oregon Opposes Trans Passport Orders, Your Action Needed on State Budget, and More
Welcome to Basic Rights Oregon’s weekly newsletter, where we update you on the LGBTQ+ news you should know, things you can do, and ways you can help. If you have questions, reach out here. To receive this newsletter as a weekly email, signup for email updates at the bottom of our Contact Us page. BRO’s work—including this newsletter—is funded entirely by our supporters. Donate here.
Happy Friday, friends of Basic Rights Oregon! In the spirit of lesbian popstar Chappell Roan’s new single “The Giver,” BRO is here to give you the LGBTQ+ news you need to know from this week, plus some ways you can take action.
Here’s the news you need to know:
Washington, D.C. District Court Judge Ana Reyes has issued an order barring the transgender military ban executive order. Reyes had a lot to say about that EO—80 pages, to be exact—including this gem: “The Court cannot read minds. But it can read.” That’s the kind of sass only a queer judge can provide—and yes, Reyes is a lesbian.
As you’ve probably heard by now, this week saw a new executive order attempting to dismantle the Department of Education. This is an attempt to further privatize our school system—something that anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-racial justice organizations are very excited about. But as we’ve seen many times now with EOs, this isn’t going to happen overnight, and there are valid reasons to think it might not ever actually happen.
In other education news, the White House says it is withholding $175 million in funds for the University of Pennsylvania in retaliation for the college supporting former NCAA transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. This follows a recent NCAA rule change barring all trans athletes from women’s sports. University spokespeople say they hadn’t heard anything about the funding freeze before the announcement, so it’s not clear when, how, or if that freeze will go through.
It’s becoming clear that education is a key vehicle for this administration to chill free speech—and the detainment of immigrant students who protested against the injustices in Gaza is one more sign of that. We know that without free speech, the LGBTQ+ community suffers; and if students can be detained for this protest, they can be detained for other ones as well. This open letter from detained Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil offers a powerful, clear-eyed wake up call about this worrying trend.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is one of eight state AGs who are actively opposing the passport gender marker executive order. In a letter to the federal administration sent this week, the group argued that the order is not only harmful to trans folks, but also will cause significant confusion when state-issued IDs don’t match passports.
Speaking of Oregon’s response to the national chaos: Check out Think Out Loud’s thorough hour-long interview with Governor Tina Kotek about how she views Oregon’s role right now, and what the state is doing to push back.
Gov. Kotek surrounded by queer joy at BRO’s annual Ignite gala last year.
A recently released state investigation shows that the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA)—the agency that detains underage youth who have been convicted of crimes—failed to follow up on many recent complaints regarding child sexual abuse, assault, and other serious breaches of safety in their facilities. OYA’s former director resigned earlier this year. LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented in the criminal court system, and of course all youth deserve to have basic safety, so this is an issue to watch.
Transgender Day of Visibility is coming up on March 31! In DC, trans folks and allies from all over the country will gather on the National Mall to protest the federal government’s extreme actions against our community.
Here’s what you can do:
The Oregon Legislature is tasked with figuring out a complex budget this year, and there are a lot of competing priorities. Lawmakers are traveling across the state as part of the Ways & Means Roadshow, an opportunity for all Oregonians to give their input on what needs funding. As the federal government strips away funding for basic services, we need to make sure the budget reflects Oregon’s values and doesn’t cater to the rich and powerful. These sessions are the single best way to have your voice heard about the state budget. Sign up to attend one in your area today—Gresham’s is happening tomorrow! You can select Basic Rights Oregon as your organization in the form.
The Trevor Project is conducting its annual survey on LGBTQ+ mental health, and is looking for queer and trans youth ages 13-24 to complete it. Feel free to share this with the LGBTQ+ young people in your life!
A big THANK YOU to Untapped Trivia for raising $4,200 for Basic Rights Oregon last month! If you’re looking for something fun to do in Portland, check out Untapped’s upcoming events.
Looking for more ways to take action? Read this new blog from the ACLU of Oregon outlining different ways to push back against oppression from the federal government.
That’s it for this week’s update! Thanks for being in community with us. Remember, queer connection is resistance.
Have a nice weekend,
The BRO team 🌈