Weekly Update: Protections for Portland’s Queer Communities, House Bill 4088, and Promising New Study about Transgender Athletes
Welcome to Basic Rights Oregon’s weekly newsletter, where we update you on the LGBTQ2SIA+ 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.
Hello friends of Basic Rights Oregon! Thanks for reading our weekly update.
We are excited to share what’s ahead in this week’s newsletter—including details about our upcoming Statewide Action Summit (and a nudge to register!), where LGBTQ2SIA+ leaders, organizers, and allies from across the state will gather to build power together. This summit is your opportunity to connect with the community, sharpen your organizing skills, and learn concrete strategies to advocate effectively in the face of harmful federal government policies impacting queer and trans lives. Whether you’re brand new to advocacy or a seasoned activist, there’s a place for you in this movement—join us to get informed, get equipped, and get involved.
Here are the LGBTQ2SIA+ headlines and activities you need to know this week:
Basic Rights Oregon’s executive director Kyndall Mason testified on behalf of queer and trans Oregonians Thursday at a Portland City Council hearing that considered the LGBTQ2SIA+ Protections Package. If adopted, the package would establish the right to gender affirming care without discrimination in Portland. It would also expand nondiscrimination protections surrounding public bathroom use, housing, employment, and more. The package is backed by councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Dan Ryan, Angelita Morilla, and Eric Zimmerman.
New studies show transgender women have no physical advantage over cisgender athletes. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, trans women’s physical performance generally tended to match that of cis women after a year or more of hormone therapy. Although trans women showed higher levels of absolute lean mass than cis women, the two groups were roughly equivalent in key metrics of physical fitness such as upper and lower body strength and maximal oxygen consumption. Basic Rights Oregon believes sports bans are not only discriminatory, but they also send a deeply harmful message that not all athletes are valued or wanted.
House Bill 4088 is making big moves! It was passed out of the House and is headed toward the Senate for a hearing on Monday, Feb 23rd. This bill will protect Oregonians by:
Strengthening protections against out-of-state actions threatening providers of reproductive and gender affirming healthcare
Expanding professional protections for providers and strengthening provider’s privacy protections
Protecting patient’s private health data in the state health agency
Increasing privacy for name and gender marker change court filings
You may have heard about the 2024 Cass Review, which England used to sow doubt about the life-saving practice of providing gender-affirming care for minors. The fact that a country similar to ours issued a supposedly thorough, scientific document with findings like these might cause even trans allies to have questions about how best to treat trans youth. The fact is this, though, that the Cass Review was never looking for the truth. Instead, it was designed from the beginning to end the treatment transgender kids need. Every major medical group overseeing this care, such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Endocrine Society still endorse gender-affirming care for trans minors. To learn more, you can read this debunking of the Cass Review from Scientific American.
And here are some ways to take action:
If you are one of the many Oregonians who believe that personal healthcare decisions should be made by individuals and their healthcare providers, this is your chance to speak up in support of House Bill 4088! We need help telling Oregon lawmakers why they should vote YES on this critical issue bill. House Bill 4088 bill will strengthen laws to protect providers of reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, as well as the data of the patients they serve. If you would like to submit testimony and haven’t done so already, you still have time! Follow this link for submission instructions.
Pride in Numbers is a statewide, community-led project by and for Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ individuals across Oregon. Centering BIPOC, trans, rural, and Indigenous leaders and experiences, the project is working with individuals and communities to gather stories and experiences in ways that honor and support Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people. The information and stories Pride in Numbers gathers will be shared back with the community, so advocates, community organizations, and organizers can build the programs, services, and policies Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people in Oregon deserve and dream of. You can participate between now and March 31st by: 1) Taking the online survey, which should take less than 20 minutes (available in English and Spanish; ages 18+) 2) Submitting original artwork about your experiences to the Community Art Project.
Thank you for reading our weekly newsletter, supporting our work, and speaking up on causes that matter to you and your loved ones. We are here to stay.
Love,
The BRO team 🌈