PORTLAND, OR – As Oregonians celebrate at this weekend’s Portland Pride events, Governor Tina Kotek reaffirms her commitment to defending LGBTQ+ rights in Oregon, even as the Trump administration continues to target LGBTQ+ communities across the country.
“Pride is a reminder that this fight isn’t over,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “While President Trump and his allies try to legislate LGBTQ+ people out of public life, Oregon is protecting healthcare, defending all families, and making sure every Oregonian can live openly and be exactly who they are.”
Oregon has long been a leader in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, from passing some of the nation’s first nondiscrimination protections to becoming one of the first of two states led by an openly lesbian governor. That history of progress continues under Governor Kotek, who has spent her career fighting to ensure every Oregonian can live openly, safely, and with dignity.
Since taking office, Governor Kotek has:
- Signed legislation prohibiting insurers from denying claims for medically necessary gender-affirming care.
- Signed legislation to strengthen shield laws, creating more protections for every Oregonian who seeks care and every practitioner who provides it.
- Refused to bend to Trump administration threats to withhold funding over Oregon’s policy requiring foster and adoptive parents to affirm a child’s LGBTQ+ identity.
- Signed legislation to support gender-affirming care and keep Planned Parenthood clinics open across Oregon as the Trump administration works to defund reproductive and gender-affirming health services.
- Signed a law banning book bans that target materials based on an author or subject’s protected class, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Built a career-long record supporting protections against hate crimes, a ban on conversion therapy, and the nation’s first LGBTQ+ veterans coordinator.
As Republicans in D.C. escalate attacks on transgender Oregonians, marriage equality, and basic nondiscrimination protections, Governor Kotek reiterates that Oregon will not back down.
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ABOUT GOVERNOR KOTEK
Governor Tina Kotek has spent her career making history and fighting for others. Over the last three years, Governor Kotek has expanded access to affordable childcare, created thousands of new shelter beds, protected abortion access and vote-by-mail, and funded early literacy and summer learning programs. She has also been a national leader in pushing back against Donald Trump’s attacks on our communities, our healthcare, and our rights by blocking his illegal attempts to deploy the Oregon National Guard in our communities and working through the night to reverse his decision to strip food assistance from Oregonians by taking away SNAP benefits.
Governor Kotek is running for reelection to continue defending Oregon values and tackling the state’s biggest challenges – lowering costs, reducing homelessness, strengthening schools, expanding mental health and addiction care, and bringing affordable childcare to every corner of the state.
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