|
|
  Following a decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that California’s Prop 8 is unconstitutional, Basic Rights Oregon Executive Director Jeana Frazzini released the following statement today:
“Today’s ruling is a victory for all loving and committed same-sex couples in California and across the nation,” “We applaud the 9th Circuit for standing on the right side of history. Today’s ruling, if upheld will restore the freedom to marry in California and add our nation’s largest state as another engine of progress for the country.”
“Here in Oregon this issue will be decided not in a courtroom by judges, but in the court of public opinion by the voters of our great state. The Court’s decision adds momentum to our effort to win the freedom to marry at the ballot box in Oregon.”
Continue reading »
 When you mix queer drama and local politics what do you get? Some pretty interesting news for a city that keeps it weird. […]
 Basic Rights Oregon announced early yesterday morning that they will not be putting the legalization of gay marriage on the ballot for the 2012 general election. During the month of October, television ads were ran in support for the initiative. However, the Oregon equality advocates stated that there is just not enough of a majority to risk such a costly campaign. BRO has been advised since the beginning of the Marriage Equality effort to not move forward in 2012 without a solid chance of victory. After an online poll, which resulted in more than a 1,000 respondents, BRO stated that the increasing support for the freedom to marry will only get better in the next two years.
Continue reading »
"Love, Commitment, Marriage"
Basic Rights Oregon, the state’s largest nonprofit gay and transgender advocacy group, is finishing up a two year campaign educating the public on why marriage matters for all couples. In the next few weeks, there will be television ads featuring both gay and straight couples addressing the importance of the issue. The ads share the idea that committed couples marry for similar reasons, no […]
  Tina Kotek offers up a challenge on the mic Oregon State Representative, and out lesbian, Tina Kotek is a good sport. She wants to help raise money for Basic Rights Oregon as part of their summer organizing campaign. So here’s to hoping that our Mayor Sam Adams is also a good sport (and from what I’ve seen I think he is), because Kotek has thrown down the gauntlet, saying,
…I’ve decided to up the ante. I’m laying down a challenge – if you help raise $7,500 by next week, I will challenge Mayor Sam Adams to a Karaoke contest at a Basic Rights Oregon summer garden party!
It’s a lofty goal for 7 days or less to be sure, but even meager contributions help get us on the path to 7500.
Continue reading »
  Celebrate our nationalism in any way you choose. For instance, use an American flag postage stamp as a sexy loincloth to barely cover your naughty bits! Thursday
Rice, Beans, & Collard Greens – Pride’s not over according to Basic Rights Oregon, API Pride, Black Pride and Latino Gay Pride as they round out the month with a dance party for queer and trans people of color. And a great way to usher in our fireworks-crazed American Pride celebration weekend. (I’m already hearing the firecrackers going off in my neighborhood as I write).
RnRCFG benefit with Portlandia stars Brownstein and Armisen – So many great things in one: comedy, philanthropy, helping girls rock out, movies, music, TV and a VIP room with two talented comedians/musicians who’ve made our city the Pride of liberal-loving America and the butt of its jokes at the same time. What’s not to love?
Continue reading »
  This is a re-posting of a Facebook message from trans advocate Tash Shatz.
When I was sixteen I woke up one night in a cold sweat in the worst pain I had ever experienced. I felt like I was being repeatedly stabbed in my abdomen. My only guess was that I was experiencing super heinous period cramps. I was nauseous and the pain washed over me in violent waves. My mom and I were soon on our way to the emergency room, and we found out I was passing the first of what would be many kidney stones.
That night at the ER my experience was typical of what would happen as I visited the hospital several times over the next few years. Staff members stumbled over pronouns, sporadically use my preferred name, and asked me what medications I was on. When I answered “testosterone,” the hospital staff launched into a line of questioning about my gender identity – what surgeries had I had? What did I plan to have? What did transgender mean? On more than one of my visits I heard nurses whispering behind the patterned curtain across the space which held my bed. They were talking about my gender.
Continue reading »
  Basic Rights Oregon recently produced a great ad campaign called “Marriage matters to me” featuring several Oregon couples both gay and straight. Four of these couples will get coverage on CNN this Valentines Day as part of Freedom to Marry‘s newest national campaign.
Via press release, BRO executive director Jeana Frazzini lauded the decision to show the ads on Valentine’s Day of all days.
“Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love and commitment, and that’s true for all couples, gay or straight,” said Frazzini. “We’re reaching out to Oregonians to talk about the reasons we all want to get married: we want to publicly affirm the commitment we’ve made to the person we love.”
You can see the video below and more at a statewide themed website Marriage Matters Oregon.
Continue reading »
  Cazwell (and some jocks?) plays Sunday Thought you couldn’t fit any more in with the Portland Lesbian and Gay Film Festival along with Butch Voices? Well…you can try…
Tonight
Cafeteria‘s Jocks and Nerds edition – Fantasies about the high school quaterback are back but I’ll take some Daria nerd glasses too. Either way let’s fetishize all those hot jocks and nerds we still dream about at this hot (literally, it’s a small venue) new queer night in the hood.
Homo Deluxe – The ladies that bring you the wildly successful Gaycation and Bent (Mr Charming and Roy G Biv) are here to rock your Thursday. You know, even Gaycay used to be on Wednesdays. It’s going to be tough to choose between these two really great parties.
  Basic Rights Oregon just released a free handbook, Know Your Rights: Gender Identity, Gender Expression & Trans Oregonians’ Rights that can help gender non-conforming folks know what we are entitled to. Authored by Oregon attorneys, this guide provides in-depth information on laws and policies that deeply impact transgender Oregonians. Topics include identification, housing, family law, employment, health care and more.
Continue reading »
|
|
