The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is seeking to amend federal civil rights law to narrowly define gender as strictly biological, based on the genitalia assigned at birth. That sex would be unchangeable except by genetic testing.
And Health and Human Services wants other federal agencies including the Departments of Education, Justice, and Labor, to adopt the same interpretation, according to the New York Times, which first reported the proposal.
Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury on Thursday called the proposal “at odds with existing civil rights law, medical science, the knowledge of indigenous people, and our basic humanity.”
“If we’ve learned anything from history it is that policies that seek to make marginalized communities invisible and unprotected under the law threaten our collective humanity,” she wrote Thursday in a statement. “To all those who would be affected, I want to say: We see you, we respect you, and we will serve you.”
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In a statement during the Board meeting later emailed to all county employees, Kafoury and the Board of Commissioners said they would push back on the proposed change, to protect and respect the gender identity of residents in Multnomah County.
“We don’t know yet what the final federal language will be. But I want to assure you that Multnomah County will not change its values of inclusion,” she said.
Oregonians are protected by the 2007 Oregon Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. Mat dos Santos, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, said this week that advocates, legal nonprofits and community groups will continue to advocate for the rights of transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex people.
“Oregon will continue to reject the cruelty of the Trump administration by coming together in new and creative ways,” he said during a media even this week.
Scotty Scott, senior equity and inclusion specialist with Multnomah County said that while people who are transgender, non-binary, and intersex have legal protections in Oregon, federal protections are already being striped away, such as an ability to receive a passport after having changed one’s name. And people fear for their physical safety from those who would commit violence against a group of people that already experiences the highest murder rate of any group in the nation.
“We have state protections and the county has committed to creating a workplace where gender identity is affirmed. And that will not change,” they said. “Prism is a good place for county employees to reach out. And it’s important for managers and supervisors of trans and gender non-binary people to understand the fear people are feeling. Just take care of each other.”
Proposals like these can make individuals feel can make people feel unsafe, scared or sad. IV S, supervisor for the The national Trans Lifeline crisis hotline said calls to the hotline quadruples immediately following the New York Times story.
“There's a lot of fear,” they said.
People who have yet to transition worry if they’ll have the legal protections and access to medical care to transition. Those who have transitioned fear for their safety. Crisis line staff emphasis the important of community and social support.
“Even though this is very scary, it's been a huge opportunity for trans people to connect. there have been a lot of people building community, connecting with other trans people. so one thing we want to stress is how important community is at a time like this.”
Emotional trauma can cause physical distress, including an upset stomach, a racing heart and sweating. Some feel severe headaches. Others begin smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs, or eating to excess. Emotional troubles can persist, with people feeling helpless, easily irritated and a desire to avoid people and places altogether.
Anyone who needs help working through these feeling can turn to the Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center, available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, at 503-988-4888.
“It doesn’t have to be a crisis for people to reach out and get support. I would rather have someone reach out and say, ‘I got support and I feel better,’ instead of thinking it’s not serious enough,” said Leticia Sainz, who coordinates the call center. “I encourage people to call no matter what. Just reach out. No matter what assistance you need, we will help.”
Multnomah County Chair's statement on gender policy changes (31.53 KB)
Find Support
Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center 503-988-4888 — This team of mental health professionals responds to the needs of every caller, at any time, in any language. Call center staff refer individuals to low-cost or sliding-scale mental health and addiction treatment providers and can connect callers to other non-crisis community resources. Some of those resources include those listed below.
The Trevor Project 866-488-7386 — The Trevor Project is a national network providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to queer youth.
Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860 —Trans Lifeline is a national hotline offering emotional support to trans people in crisis, staffed by people in the trans community.
Brave Space 503-486-8936 — Brave Space builds community and facilitates access to knowledgeable providers for transgender and non-binary children, youth, adults, and their families.
TransActive 503-252-3000 —TransActive is a nonprofit support and community group for trans youth and teens, and their families.
OHSU Transgender Health Center 503-494-7970 — OHSU provides health services and community resources for transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Legacy Transgender Health 503-413-5600 — Legacy offers complete services for transition-related, primary, and specialty care for transgender and gender non-conforming people. The hospital system also operates a comprehensive clinic for transgender youth.
Q Center 503- 234-7837 — The Q Center hosts support groups and events, and maintains a list of trans-specific resources.
Northwest Gender Alliance 503-997-8499 — The Northwest Gender Alliance nonprofit offers community and group support for trans individuals and their families.
