Know Your Rights

As I write this, we are one week into the new presidential administration. I probably don’t have to tell you that a lot has already happened in seven days. Most of the people I encounter have similar questions: what does all this change mean and what can we expect? Unfortunately, there are only partial answers available to anyone at this time. Uncertainty is still the name of the game, but today my hope is to impart to you some baseline information about the state of civil rights in Oregon, specifically for LGBTQIA+ folks and the people who love them. To know your rights is important at any time, but now it’s a critical step in understanding where you, or you and your kiddo, stand. Ultimately, my hope is that it actually provides some peace of mind to know your rights (at least, here in Oregon). Standing firm in the facts can provide so much more grounding than falling down the rabbit hole of “what if.” The “what if” rabbit hole is bottomless, so I lovingly invite you to recognize when it has you in its grip! And to help to better know your rights, please read on to find some helpful resources.

One of the finest sources I know is Basic Rights Oregon. This page, conveniently titled “Know Your Rights,” is a wealth of information. You can click on specific issues, such as “changing name and gender markers,” or you can learn more about all of the legislation currently in place to protect the LGBTQIA+ community. If you or a person you love are relying on gender affirming heath care, I especially invite you to pay special attention to House Bill 2002. This bill ensures that Oregon commercial insurance plans, Medicaid, and public employee health plans cover necessary gender-affirming care. This is an important bulwark against insurance denial (or Federal withholding) of gender-affirming care in Oregon. The argument is that insurance cannot deny a procedure to one person but not another. For example, if puberty blockers are prescribed for a cis child (which happens quite often with very little fuss, for various reasons of precocious puberty), it also must be available to a trans person. But it’s worth it to pay close attention to really know your rights: this law is only able to cover health insurance that is written in Oregon specifically. Knowing this detail hopefully empowers you to better understand the insurance policy you have and how it fits into this piece of legislation. 

Another helpful page for self-advocacy, medical support, legal support, and identity document is through the TransActive Gender Project at Lewis and Clark. This is an excellent site to bookmark and have for multiple purposes, especially when it comes to accessing support around knowing (and implementing!) your rights.

If you are also needing support about rights around immigration or interaction with ICE, please take a look at this page from the ACLU, entitled “Know Your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights.” 

Of course, I’m not covering everything when it comes to knowing your rights. Whatever intersectionality may affect your life, it is my hope that these pages at least offer a starting point. The law is big, wide, and complicated, so whatever knowledgeable support you can find is hopefully helpful.

And if you want to get involved to help shore up civil rights in Oregon, I highly recommend checking out the “Equal Rights for All” campaign through the ACLU. Here’s an explanation lifted from the ACLU website: “The Equal Rights for All campaign is a ballot initiative for the November 2026 election, asking voters to update Oregon’s constitution to clarify that everyone has equal rights to make private and personal decisions about health care and marriage, regardless of one’s ability to become pregnant, gender identity, or sexual orientation. By protecting Oregonians’ ability to make our own, private healthcare decisions and marry who we love, we can stop politicians who want to turn back the clock on our rights and freedoms.”

This is an important campaign, because by enshrining these rights in the state constitution it becomes significantly more difficult for the  federal government to  interfere in the running of the state. If getting involved would help you to be empowered, I invite you to look into it!

No matter what your situation, if you are in the LGBTQIA+ world yourself or you love someone who is, I hope it helps to dispel confusion if you know your rights. Uncertainty remains, without a doubt, but by planting your feet in facts, it is my hope that it reduces the questions you may have. Know your rights, my friends! We are more powerful when we stand firm in our knowledge!

And, of course, I’m here to help, support, and guide should any of this feel overwhelming. Please don’t hesitate to contact me, ideally by scheduling a complimentary, 20 minute consultation. This consult is simply a time to chat, free of charge, to see if I can be a helpful coaching resource for you. You can also find me at Nurture Life Coaching. Either way, I’m here to help you through this time of uncertainty, no matter what your situation. 

You don’t have to face this alone. Know your rights, and your resources!