Dear Coalition members, partners, and supporters:
The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, alongside numerous local and national partners, is saddened by the US Department of Health and Human Services’s (HHS) efforts to characterize sex and gender as unchanging, inherently biological, and wholly binary. This proposal disregards the lived experiences and civil rights of transgender and gender non-binary individuals and would have far-reaching negative consequences.
Trans people, particularly trans women of color, experience harassment, assault, discrimination, and homicide at profoundly higher rates than the overall population. We are dedicated to enacting social change to prevent domestic and sexual violence and support survivors from ALL communities. As such, cissexism and transphobia are directly opposed to our mission and values.
The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence recognizes and celebrates transgender and gender-nonbinary people, and we invite our Coalition members, community partners, and supporters to continue doing the same. We also invite the US Department of Health and Human Services to immediately discard this prejudicial, outmoded proposal and join us in upholding the rights of and recognition for transgender and gender non-binary communities.
Advocating for the dignity and safety of ALL people is inextricably linked with the work of ending domestic and sexual violence. By challenging hate with compassion, we can make our communities more humane, equitable, and just.
In solidarity,
The OCADSV staff