Basic Rights Education Fund

EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO END DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.

TRANSGENDER JUSTICE WORK: WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS FACE DISPROPORTIONATE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY, HARASSMENT, ASSAULT AND HOMELESSNESS. INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE AND IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS DISCRIMINATION AND MISTREATMENT BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONTRIBUTE TO THESE ADVERSE OUTCOMES. OUR TRANSGENDER JUSTICE PROGRAM SEEKS TO ADDRESS AND COUNTER THESE CONDITIONS THROUGH OUR WORK WITH POLICY MAKERS AND STATE AGENCY STAFF ON THREE KEY ISSUES: TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR STATE'S EXISTING NONDISCRIMINATION LAW AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF TRANSGENDER OREGONIANS IN JAILS AND PRISONS.ACCORDING TO THE 2015 U.S. TRANS SURVEY, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE UNEMPLOYED AND TWICE AS LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY THAN THEIR NON-TRANSGENDER PEERS. TO HELP ADDRESS THIS CRISIS, WE ADMINISTER OUR FAIR WORKPLACE TRAINING, WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OREGON EMPLOYERS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING AN INCLUSIVE AND AFFIRMING WORKPLACE FOR TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEES. DEMAND FOR THE PROGRAM HAS PROVEN HIGH, AND SINCE LAUNCHING IT IN OCTOBER 2016, WE'VE DELIVERED OVER 200 TRAININGS. RECIPIENTS HAVE INCLUDED BUSINESSES, LIKE AMAZON AND PACIFIC BELL, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, LIKE THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY AND THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION, AND HEALTH CENTERS, LIKE OHSU. IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A WIDER VARIETY OF TRAINING REQUESTS, WE ARE DIVERSIFYING OUR CONTENT. WE NOW OFFER A SPECIFIC MODULE FOR MEDICAL CENTERS AND RETAIL SETTINGS.WE SIMILARLY PRESENT TRANSGENDER 101 TRAININGS ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE PAST WE'VE OFFERED SESSIONS IN COOS BAY, PENDLETON AND ALBANY, TO NAME A FEW. THESE TRAININGS, WHICH ARE HELD AT WELCOMING CHURCHES, ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND CREATE ALLIES. WE'VE FOUND A HIGH DEMAND FOR THESE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL, WITH THE EVENTS ACROSS THE STATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BASIC RIGHTS IS ALSO COMMITTED TO PRIORITIZING THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONCONFORMING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE DO THIS THROUGH OUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COHORT: CATALYST. THIS YEARLONG COHORT AFFORDS PARTICIPANTS REAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE SKILLS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AS WELL AS THE CHANCE TO FIND MENTORS IN THEIR CHOSEN FIELDS. IT FEATURES RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND RETREATS AND DAY-LONG TRAININGS, AS WELL AS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AT LOBBYING, ORGANIZING AND FUNDRAISING. WE PRIORITIZE DIVERSITY IN THE RECRUITMENT OF THIS 20-PERSON COHORT, WITH A GOAL OF AT LEAST 30% OF THE PARTICIPANTS LIVING OUTSIDE THE PORTLAND METRO AREA.

RACIAL JUSTICE WORK: SINCE 2007, BASIC RIGHTS OREGON HAS WORKED TO COUNTERACT STRATEGIES PITTING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AGAINST LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. BASIC RIGHTS IS COMMITTED TO CREATING LGBTQ LEADERSHIP THAT TRULY REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY. THIS MEANS PRIORITIZING GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, SUCH AS QUEER AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR. WE DO THIS THROUGH OUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COHORT: AFFINITY. THIS COHORT AFFORDS PARTICIPANTS REAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE SKILLS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. IT FEATURES RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND RETREATS AND DAY-LONG TRAININGS, AS WELL AS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AT LOBBYING, ORGANIZING AND FUNDRAISING. WE PRIORITIZE DIVERSITY IN THE RECRUITMENT OF THIS 20-PERSON COHORT, WITH A GOAL OF AT LEAST 25% OF THE PARTICIPANTS LIVING OUTSIDE THE PORTLAND METRO AREA AND 50% IDENTIFYING AS A PERSON OF COLOR.

CIVIC & STATEWIDE ENGAGEMENT: BASIC RIGHTS OREGON SEEKS TO SERVE OREGON'S LGBTQ POPULATION IN EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERY COUNTY AND EVERY CORNER OF THE STATE. A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS APPROACH IS LOCATING AND SUPPORTING THE VIBRANT, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM THAT'S ALREADY CREATING CHANGE AROUND US. TO HELP FACILITATE THIS EFFORT, WE ORGANIZED A STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT IN EUGENE, WHICH CONTINUED IN 2021. THE SUMMIT WAS ATTENDED BY 90 COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND LEADERS FROM THROUGHOUT OREGON. THE EVENT HELPED TO FOSTER A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MOVEMENT'S VALUES AND STRATEGIES AND HAD ESPECIALLY STRONG PARTICIPATION FROM YOUTH AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES.