Basic Rights Oregon

Programs: Civic engagement work: building political power for lgbtq oregonians has long been a core objective for basic rights. To that end, nonpartisan civic engagement continues to be a key strategy as we work to secure legal equality by passing legislation, mobilize lgbtq oregonians and their allies to influence decision makers and build coalitions that contribute to lasting, vibrant movements for lgbtq justice and progressive organizing. Fundamental to basic rights' work is a principled commitment to partnershipsamong those, our decades-long values-based collaborations with racial and economic justice organizations. We are active leaders within several coalitions: fair shot oregon, facing raceoregon legislative racial equity report and the racial equity ballot measure group, among many others. As a member of fair shot oregon, we helped to pass a statewide minimum wage increase in the 2016 legislative session.

racial justice work: since 2007, basic rights has worked to counteract opposition strategies pitting communities of color against lgbtq communities. We work to center the leadership of people of color, largely through our ongoing our families program for lgbtq and allied people of color. We continue to be key public allies, investing staff time and resources in campaigns to address xenophobia and police accountability. In 2016 we deepened our long-term alliance with key community partners causa, asian pacific american network of oregon (apano), center for intercultural organizing (cio) and oregon voice to form one oregon, a statewide coalition that defends against anti-immigrant and anti-muslim policies and ballot measures and works to ensure that all oregonians, regardless of country of birth, are treated with dignity and respect.

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 contribute to these adverse outcomes. Our transgender justice program seeks to address and counter these conditions through three primary advocacy areas: health care, identity documents and prisons and jails. In 2016, basic rights worked with the oregon department of transportation to prepare for implementation of the nation's first nonbinary gender marker on a state issued drivers license. Basic rights' continued participation on policy advisory boards and engagement with government stakeholders meant we were key players in the oregon department of education's announcement of new rules to protect transgender students and decisions from the state's health evidence review commission to expand healthcare coverage in the oregon health plans. Basic rights also continues to have a robust legislative agenda and effective lobbying presence in salem and we maintain strong partnerships with local issue based coalitions. 2016 was a short legislative session so our efforts focused on planning and strategizing for the 2017 full session and leading two proactive pieces of legislation to remove barriers and injustice faced by transgender oregonians. Additionally, basic rights continues to act as a rapid responder for transgender oregonians facing institutional and political discrimination across oregon.

electoral candidate work: the basic rights oregon equality pac seeks to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in oregon by electing pro-equality candidates to all levels of office and elevating out lgbtq candidates whenever possible. We are a non-partisan political action committee focused on statewide and legislative offices. Our volunteer pac board members interview candidates and issue endorsements to elected leaders and hopefuls who are dedicated champions for equality. Our endorsement criteria spans basic rights oregon's program priorities, including racial justice and justice for transgender oregonians.