Seth Johnstone | Transgender Justice Program Manager

seth@basicrights.org

He/Him

Seth Johnstone joined the team at Basic Rights Oregon in 2021 as the Transgender Justice Lead Trainer and Organizer. Seth moved to Oregon in 2004, and after facing many challenges with the lack of resources, access, and rights as a transgender young person, he committed to striving to make the future different for the community in Oregon.

Seth is a compassionate strategist and community educator. For the last decade, Seth has been working in LGBTQ2SIA+ youth advocacy with a focus on equity training facilitation, homeless youth services, direct advocacy work within community, and policy. Seth loves to use interactive group storytelling as a tool to ground folks in the moment, in order to support groups generating new ways forward. He believes deeply that all people and groups have the ability to grow and change. Seth is particularly passionate about helping individuals navigate the range of resources and services in their community to find what best meets their specific needs.

After seeing the progress that has occurred in Oregon to support LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals, Seth knows that change is possible, and that there is a lot more to be done. He will continue to advocate for basic rights for marginalized communities in Oregon. Seth is deeply committed to both leveraging and subverting his power and access to dismantle oppression and recenter justice and build a stronger community.

Outside of work, Seth loves caring for his ever-multiplying houseplants, designing various art projects in his workshop, and exploring the paradise of the Pacific Northwest outdoors. Seth believes deeply in the role that community education can play in motivating people into action, awakening empathy, building alliances, and developing robust and accessible resources.