Basic Rights Oregon is one of the state’s leading progressive organizations. We work to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Oregonians experience equality by building a broad and inclusive politically powerful movement, shifting public opinion and achieving policy victories. From our mission come our four areas of focus: LGBTQ people of color, including immigrants and refugees; trans, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming people; LGBTQ youth; and LGBTQ people outside the Portland Metro area. These groups face a unique set of challenges that can’t be solved by one single organization, but which, rather, require a coalition effort to tackle.
Our support for the Fair Shot coalition’s priorities in the last session is a reflection of the needs of our communities. Thanks to the passage of important bills like the Youth Mental Health Protection Act, End Profiling, and Paid Sick Days, LGBTQ workers, immigrants, and people of color can live and move in a state that privileges their lives over their labor. For this same reason, we’ve endorsed the Raise the Wage campaign. LGBTQ laborers, particularly those in communities of color and transgender communities, have staggeringly high rates of poverty and homelessness. These communities deserve a wage reasonable enough for them to meet their basic needs and still care for themselves and their families. Basic Rights Oregon is committed to working with our coalition partners within Fair Shot to realize these and other policy priorities.
Jeanna Frazzini, Co-Director of Basic Rights Oregon, testifying in support of HB 2002 to end profiling.