Weekly Update: Oregon’s LGBTQ+ Sex Ed Targeted, Know Your Rights at School, and More
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.
Thanks to the Portland Spirit for hosting some of our staff for a lovely afternoon river cruise!
Welcome to the weekend, BRO friends! We’re not exactly sure where August went, but we were definitely feeling the summer vibes during our Staff Summer Fun Day last week!
Here’s the LGBTQ2SIA+ news you should know this week:
Just in time for the new school year, the Trump administration is targeting LGBTQ2SIA+ sex ed in school. Letters sent to 46 states, including Oregon, are demanding that all mentions of “gender ideology" be removed from sex-ed lessons. If states don’t comply, the administration is threatening to cut funding for sex-ed. By cutting out any mention of LGBTQ2SIA+ issues, this policy would put queer and trans young people at higher risk for STIs and sexual assault. Additionally, it would add to the harmful narrative that being LGBTQ2SIA+ is something to be ashamed of or kept secret.
Several high-level CDC staffers quit this week in protest over RFK JR’s anti-science actions, which include erasing any mention of transgender health from the CDC website and gutting the budget for vaccine research and HIV/AIDS prevention. One of those ethical quitters was Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, an out gay man. “I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health,” Daskalakis wrote in his public resignation letter.
In better news for LGBTQ+ health: OHSU won an 8.4 million, five-year grant to develop a cure for HIV. The funding comes from the National Institutes of Health—a small miracle, given how much funding for HIV research has been slashed by the Trump administration. Only eight people have been cured of HIV before, and three of them will be contributing their cells to OHSU’s research.
And here’s what you can do!
It’s officially Back to School Season! It’s a challenging time for LGBTQ2SIA+ and BIPOC students, families, and educators. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we keep showing up—because we belong in schools and school board meetings just as much as our neighbors do. We’re sharing this new BRO School Board Toolkit to help guide you through the basics of engaging with your local school board. Please help us share this widely!
Here’s another helpful resource for students and families: The ACLU of Oregon’s “Know Your Rights” guide for school.
The Federal Trade Commission is launching an inquiry into gender-affirming care, and we need to make sure our communities are heard! Advocates for Trans Equality have set up an easy form to submit your comments about why gender-affirming care is crucial and needs to be preserved. Got privacy concerns? Read the form for ATE’s tips to help protect your identity from being revealed.
50501, the organization behind the No Kings rallies, is planning a Workers Over Billionaires protest for Labor Day on September 1.
We know a lot of businesses are divesting from LGBTQ+ causes right now. That’s why we want to give a special shout-out and sincere THANK YOU to our high-level Ignite sponsors. These companies, organizations, and individuals are all choosing to support Basic Rights Oregon’s work protecting LGBTQ+ rights in Oregon:
AirBNB
Coin Base
CareOregon
Meyer Memorial Trust
Paulson Colletti
Hema Thaker & Daniel Dugi
Perkins Coie
The Standard
OnPoint
Northwest Natural
Oregon Food Bank
University of Oregon Foundation
Legacy Health
AFSCME
Ballard Spahr
SEIU Local 503
Oregon Legislature Queer Caucus
Thanks for reading and staying plugged in to BRO’s work! If you or any loved ones are heading back to school soon, we wish you a fruitful and fruity school year.
Love,
The BRO team 🌈