Many Federation members across the country are committed to a broad social justice agenda, working in their communities to end all forms of oppression.

Over the past few years, Basic Rights Education Fund, the 501(c)(3) arm of Basic Rights Oregon, has become a national leader for their racial justice work within LGBT movements. Knowing that for decades, the LGBT movement left out the voices, experiences, and hopes of LGBT people of color -- Basic Rights Education Fund understood the need for real change and put racial justice at the top of their agenda.

After deciding that it was time to make changes in the way they work with and for LGBT people of color, Basic Rights Education Fund (BREF) began conversations with community leaders, specifically local queer and trans people of color (QTPOC). From these conversations, the BREF team developed a year-long leadership program for emerging LGBT and allied leaders called “Standing Together.”

A cohort of leaders of color from across the state came together in sessions that focused on growing new relationships, building a shared issue analysis, addressing sustainability in social justice work, gaining grassroots organizing skills, and developing a group project to do community education. BREF then funded and provided staff support for the participants’ campaign of their choice.

What came from the “Standing Together” program is the Our Families education project, which raises the visibility, experiences, and public support of LGBT families of color within predominantly straight communities of color. Our Families works on three strategies to strengthen communities:

• Working with influential leaders in communities of color to take public stands in support of LGBT families of color.
• Supporting community groups and organizations of color in recognizing and addressing the needs and experiences of LGBT families of color.
• Building relationships and leadership among LGBT people of color.

Through resources such as videos that highlight personal trials and triumphs of LGBT families of color, the Our Families campaign succeeds in strengthening Basic Rights Oregon’s fight for racial justice.

Basic Rights Oregon's racial justice program has since become a model and example for state groups across the country as the LGBT community wrestles with our role in the larger social justice movement. We congratulate the entire BRO team on their incredible work!