Experiencing Discrimination?

Know Your Rights

Do you have a question about updating your ID, reporting a hate crime, adoption, or another tricky legal issue? We’ve compiled a set of resources to help you understand your rights in the state of Oregon. Simply click the links below to learn more about each topic.

• Hate Crimes

• Changing Your Name and Gender Markers

• Second Parent Adoption

• “Experiencing Discrimination?” page

• Oregon Attorney General’s updated guidance on your rights under the Trump administration.

Immigration Resources:

With immigrants under threat nationally, it’s important to know your rights in the event you witness or experience an ICE raid. These resources from the National Immigration Law Centercan help:

• For Employers: What to do if ICE comes to the workplace (in 5 languages)

• For Individuals: Cards to print and carry (in 18 languages)

• For Individuals: Various scenarios to prepare for (info for home, public, job)

• For Families: What families should do now to prepare(in 8 languages)

• How to designate a power of attorney

Legal Resources:

• Advocates for Trans Equality (National): Advocates for Trans Equality fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people.

• Transgender Law Center’s fact sheet for parents of youth accessing gender-affirming careunder the Trump adminis

• ACLU of Oregon: The ACLU of Oregon builds political power in meaningful partnership with impacted individuals and communities to disrupt and defend against oppressive systems.

• CLEAR Clinic: The CLEAR Clinic is a legal clinic at PCC Cascade, providing the following free legal services to people in the Portland metro area: Criminal record and eviction expungement, DACA renewals, housing and immigration court navigation, legal name and gender-marker changes, and community-based resources.

• Community Alliance of Tenants: CAT is a statewide, member-controlled organization that educates and empowers tenants to demand safe, stable and affordable rental homes. While this organization is not LGBTQ-specific, it provides resources relevant to our community members.

• Fair Housing Council of Oregon:  The Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) is a statewide civil rights organization whose mission is to eliminate illegal housing discrimination.

• GLAD Law: LGBTQ+ legal organization that provides frequent updates on federal policies.

• Lambda Legal: Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on LGBTQ+ communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, societal education, and public policy work. 

• Legal Aid Services of Oregon: Offering low-cost legal services.

• Oregon Law Center: Offering low-cost legal services. 

• Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industry: If you find yourself experiencing workplace discrimination, you can file a complaint with the state of Oregon’s BOLI Civil Rights Division. BOLI handles workplace discrimination complaints and housing discrimination complaints.

• Oregon Department of Education: In 2023, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) published Supporting Gender Expansive Students: Guidance for Schools. This guide provides information for the state’s school districts on how to support gender-expansive students in Oregon.

• Outside In ID Clinic: Can provide assistance navigating a name change or document change process, also has funding support resources. 503-535-3828

• OGALLA: The LGBT Bar Association of Oregon maintains an attorney directory on its website.

• Pueblo Unido: Pueblo Unido creates hope for and amplifies the voices of communities with vulnerable immigration status by connecting them to legal, social, and Indigenous language interpretation services. 

• Victim Rights Law Center: Offers free legal assistance to sexual assault survivors who have legal needs as a result of the assault in the following areas: privacy, safety, education, employment, immigration, housing, and financial stability. Also offers transgender-specific free legal assistance and funding for name changes. Legal services are available to sexual assault survivors of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

• Western States Center (Regional): Through a prism of race, gender, justice and equity, Western States Center works with communities and organizations to build movements, develop leaders, shift culture, and defend democracy.

If your issue wasn’t addressed by the above organizations or resources, please reach out to us at info@basicrights.org.