By Jonathan Levinson | PORTLAND, Ore. – A bomb threat against Oregon Health & Science University is the latest in a string of attacks and harassment against health care facilities, spurred by far-right culture war issues and COVID conspiracies.

The threat, called in Thursday, shut down OHSU’s Richmond Family Health Center throughout the day Friday. According to an email sent to members of the AFSCME union representing OHSU employees, the threat was in response to a story posted on a far-right, anti-trans website alleging a cancer patient had been dropped by the clinic over remarks she made about the LGBTQ+ community.

In the email, union chapter president Michael Stewart said clinic staff and patients evacuated the clinic upon learning of the bomb threat. The Richmond facility is home to a primary care clinic and family medicine walk-in clinic. The clinic is also one of a handful that provide gender-affirming care.

“Richmond employees have endured countless threats of harm, racial slurs, anti-LGBTQIA+ hate speech and more, with little to no recourse,” Stewart’s email said. “As one person put it, ‘Richmond staff have been sharing that they’re worried something like this would happen for a long time now, and now their fears and suspicions have been confirmed.’”

Stewart said the threat came after patient Marlene Barbera became unhappy about a trans flag hanging in the reception area of the Richmond clinic, where she was receiving breast cancer treatment. Multiple far-right media websites shared Barbera’s statements, in which she alleged “gender to be a nonsense and sexed bodies to be a reality.” She said the “transgenderism banner” was hanging like a “Nazi flag behind the reception desk.”

Barbera also alleged she had conflicts with staff in the clinic office and suggested she had offended a trans employee.

According to a letter Barbera said OHSU sent her, the hospital dropped her as a patient “because of ongoing disrespectful and hurtful remarks about our LGBTQ community and staff.”

OHSU spokesperson Nicole Rideout said the hospital is legally prohibited from confirming whether or not someone is a patient. Regarding the alleged conflict that took place between Barbera and hospital staff, Rideout pointed to general hospital policies that say: “OHSU patients, families and visitors have a responsibility to refrain from using discriminatory, profane, derogatory or threatening language, imagery or behavior, and understand that these behaviors can result in limitation of visiting privileges and impact access to care at OHSU.”

She said those policies are based on regulatory requirements.

The social media account Libs of TikTok, which has millions of followers and is known for posting anti-LGBTQ+ content, posted about Barbera’s account the day before the bomb threat. As of Saturday morning, a tweet sent by the account had 4.3 million views and nearly 11,000 retweets. The account, run by a woman named Chaya Raichik, has a history of directing harassment and threats toward children’s hospitals that provide care to transgender youths and teenagers.

In a March 2022 tweet, Raichik posted criticism of OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital’s gender-affirming care. In August 2022, staff at Boston Children’s hospital received death threats, and the hospital received an anonymous bomb threat after Raichik tweeted over a dozen false claims the hospital was performing hysterectomies on children. Children’s National in Washington, D.C., received a barrage of threatening emails and phone calls after Raichik made similarly false accusations about the hospital.

Conservative figures who drive their followings through social media have increasingly targeted health care settings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

St. Luke’s Regional Health in Idaho successfully sued Ammon Bundy, the far-right figure who led the 2016 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover, for more than $50 million last month. The defamation lawsuit alleged Bundy and Diego Rodriguez, the grandfather of an infant removed from the family’s custody over concerns for the child’s health, used Bundy’s People’s Rights network to rally protesters to the hospital and the homes of child protection services employees.

In his email, union president Stewart told his members the attack on OHSU was a direct threat to their trans colleagues and said the union is urging hospital leadership to provide accurate updates about this situation, increase safety protocols and offer employees mental health support.

Rideout said additional security measures have been put in place at Richmond and that OHSU offers wellness resources to its staff.

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Jonathan Levinson is a multimedia reporter covering policing for Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Previously, he covered Mexico as a freelancer. His radio work has appeared on NPR, Marketplace and the CBC. His photography has been featured in ESPN, The Washington Post and Bloomberg News. He has been a guest on CNN, PBS Newshour and MSNBC.

Jonathan spent five years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army and has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

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The preceding article was previously published by Oregon Public Broadcasting and is republished with permission.

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By Erin Reed | SALEM – Yesterday, Oregon’s House of Representatives passed one of the most significant expansions of transgender and abortion rights of any state. The bill, House Bill 2002, would mandate that all transgender procedures that are part o the modern standards of care would be covered by any health insurance plans offered in the state.

It would also expand abortion access on college campuses and ensure that students have access to medication abortion. House Bill 2002 also establishes legal protections for the privacy of caregivers who provide these treatments, preventing them from being targeted by an increasingly dangerous far right. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 2002 is part of a small series of bills that been enacted over the past two years that serve to broaden the scope of covered procedures for transgender individuals.

The bill passed 36-23 along party lines. It will now go to the Senate, where it will skip over committee hearings due to it having already been heard in a joint committee with both House and Senate members. Transgender advocates in the state believe that with enough pressure, it could pass into law quickly. Should it do so, Oregon will cement itself as one of the most protective states for transgender residents.

The legislation includes treatments like hair removal, voice therapy, and facial feminization or masculinization surgery which are deemed medically essential and have huge life-improving effects for trans people. This expansion is particularly significant since most health insurance coverage, if it addresses transgender care at all, is typically limited to hormones and gender reassignment surgery.

Unfortunately, insurance plans in many states have fallen behind the times, covering only procedures recommended under outdated standards of care. In contrast, modern standards of care assert that health insurance should encompass a variety of treatment options proven to benefit transgender people. House Bill 2002 reflects a necessary step forward in bridging this gap.

See this statement from WPATH’s Standards Of Care 8:

Gender-affirming interventions may also include hair removal/transplant procedures, voice therapy/surgery, counseling, and other medical procedures required to effectively affirm an individual’s gender identity and reduce gender incongruence and dysphoria.

Here is a list of expanded procedures the bill itself mandates:

A handful of other states have passed similar expansions, though Oregon is the first this year to mandate private health insurance coverage should it pass. In 2021, Washington passed similar protections that mandate expanded coverage for gender affirming care treatments. Colorado likewise passed a similar law. In 2022, Hawaii passed legislation covering these procedures, though the negotiations were tense and there were fears that the bill could be spiked in the final days of debate. This year, Maryland passed the Trans Health Equity Act, which only applies to state-run insurance programs like Medicaid. Should Oregon’s bill pass, it will be a significant step forward in continuing to protect the rights of transgender people in a year where these rights are under heavy fire.

The bill does not stop at transgender care, however. It also expands abortion protections and patient and provider confidentiality. One section of the bill states that college campus student health centers must provide students with access to emergency contraception and abortion. It also expands the right to access abortions for minors and removes any parental consent requirements around obtaining an abortion. Abortion issues and trans issues are increasingly paired together in protective bills around the United States – the trans refuge/shield laws, for instance, tend to include abortion, reproductive healthcare, and gender affirming care protections all under the same protective bills.

Gender affirming care is lifesaving. Recent studies show a 73% reduction in suicide rates for people who can obtain medical transition. Another study shows a 40% reduction in 1-year suicide attempts. The Center for the Study of Inequality at Cornell University compiled 51 such studies showing the medical and psychological benefits of transitioning for trans people. Expanded standards of care give doctors a larger set of tools to treat gender dysphoria and increase the safety for transgender people who seek to “pass” as their gender. This last part is important for trans people visiting red states and encountering increasingly hostile political environments where they may be targeted.

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Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.

Follow her on Twitter (Link)

Website here: https://www.erininthemorning.com/

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The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.

EUGENE, Or. – A “Drag Queen Storytime” event where one of the performers, an 11-year-old girl who goes by the name of Venellope, at Old Nick’s Pub in the Market District in the downtown area was the scene Sunday of violent clashes between LGBTQ+ supporters and far right extremist group the Proud Boys and neo-Nazis.

A spokesperson for the Eugene Police Department said that around 9:45 a.m. people began congregating in front of the pub at 211 Washington St. The event, which had gotten considerable negative publicity on social media among far-right extremist groups, had the Eugene Police Department on alert including a detachment of officers in riot gear.

Firearms were reported present in both groups then shortly after 11:00 a.m., the roadway at Washington between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue was shut down.

“Because opposing groups were communicating plans to attend, possibly armed, Eugene Police created security plans to allow for a safe environment for everyone in the community to exercise their constitutional rights and freedoms, to protect the lives and property of all involved, and prevent safety disruption to uninvolved community members,” the EPD said in a statement.

In addition to Patrol officers, the EPD deployed its drone team and tactical units along with K-9 units.

According to the local Lane Community College newspaper, The Torch, the situation escalated when the anti-LGBTQ+ protesters attempted to enter the pub without tickets.

Later, one of the groups began leaving and projectiles were thrown, ultimately both groups were lobbing projectiles at each other. One woman appeared to have been exposed to pepper spray the local media reported while Fire-Rescue medics were called to respond to a man who was reported down with an unknown condition. He was then transported to hospital.

After the event was over the pub posted on its Facebook Page that despite the turmoil the event was successful.

According to organizers, this is not the first time the pub has held this type of event and Venellope has performed there before. She has been performing since she was 7 years old and does multiple similar events. The storytime event involves ”kid-friendly songs in costume,” where they perform and read books to kids and has been previously held in the past at the Eugene Public Library and Barnes and Noble.

NBC News affiliate KMTR 16 in Eugene reported:

“We have a lot of private security that we hired,” said Emily Chappell, one of the owners of Old Nick’s Pub. “We’ve also been working very closely with Eugene Police Department, who have been really amazing.”

Chappell says this isn’t the first time the pub has been targeted.

“Years ago we were targeted by white supremacists, Proud Boys. It happened again in 2020, and it’s all the same bit players. I’m seeing literally the same cars drive by that targeted me before,” Chappell said.

“We’ve all gotten some sort of message about, ‘Gee, I hope you die,’ or, ‘You guys are all, you know, child pedophiles,'” said Felix Raisner, a performer at Old Nick’s Pub. “And it’s like, where do you get this information? We’ve gotten hate from as far away as the U.K. and across the U.S. As far south as even Mexico, we’ve even gotten some.”

News2Share- Violence as Eugene Antifa face off right anti-trans right wingers outside drag event in Eugene, Oregon:

EUGENE, Or. – An Oregon man has been charged with a federal hate crime after using the internet to target and brutally assault a gay man because of his sexual orientation.

Daniel Andrew McGee, of Springfield, Oregon has been charged by criminal complaint with a hate crime. The complaint alleges that McGee attempted to kill the victim.

According to court documents, McGee and his victim met using Grindr, a social media and networking application designed for, and used primarily by, gay men. On July 5, after agreeing to meet, McGee entered his victim’s apartment and proceeded to assault the man with a wooden club over a period of several minutes. Despite the victim’s pleas for McGee to stop, McGee continued striking the man repeatedly in the head with the club. The victim sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

Further investigation revealed that, in the weeks leading up to the attack, McGee used the internet to search for and view graphically violent anti-gay material, including videos of anti-gay attacks. McGee also used the internet to plan the assault, purchasing the weapon and other materials online. In addition, McGee searched online for suggestions about how to get away with murder and how murderers avoid getting caught.

On Nov. 15, McGee was arrested by the FBI and made his initial appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. 

NEWBERG, Or. – The Board of the Newberg Public Schools in a 4-3 vote last week will take action to ban display of any variant of the LGBTQ Pride flag and additionally will ban display of any flag associated with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

The Board’s meeting conducted over Zoom due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the explosion of cases of the Delta variant, will enact the ban on those flags, and any broadly “political” signs, clothing and other items, with the board’s three-member policy committee set to outline what constitutes “political,” Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The Board with an all white conservative majority comprised of 5 men and 4 women, has already provoked controversy when last month they moved to strike down local and statewide policies around inclusion and racism. These actions brought swift condemnation from state lawmakers including members of the Oregon Legislature’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) caucus.

In a statement released by BIPOC, lawmakers expressed their displeasure with the school board’s actions; “As a Caucus, we remain committed to a more equitable education system that prioritizes student success and look forward to taking action during next year’s session to hold districts accountable. We also call on state and community leaders to denounce the school board’s actions. It is not ‘partisan’ to reject the type of hatred and bigotry Director Shannon and Chairman Brown [ NPS Board members] are promoting. The goal of providing a quality education for all students should be nonpartisan, including addressing systemic barriers.”

Local community members who are opposed to the ban came up with a creative protest this week according to KGW8 NBC TV news in Portland, Oregon which reported;

Following last week’s Newberg School Board vote to ban Pride and Black Lives Matter flags in schools, neighbors have constructed a large Progress Pride flag within view of the high school.

“We wanted maximum visibility,” Erin McCarthy said. “The result is pretty amazing, we love it.”

Erin and her husband Jaybill own a hillside farm in Newberg about a mile and half from Newberg High School. A clearing through the trees on their hill reveals the 17′ by 30′ painted plywood Pride Flag within view of the high school football field.

Staff members have also raised concerns over the Board’s actions. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, 16 of the school district’s counselors signed a letter asking that the Board not approve the initiative to remove the flags.

During last week’s NPS school board Zoom call meeting, one counselor, Joshua Reid, shared stories he heard from students, including students who had been rejected by their families and a Black student who was verbally and physically harassed and followed home.

“When these students enter our schools, and see the symbols that we mean to communicate love and support and affirmation, they don’t see propaganda or indoctrination or any ideology,” Reid said. “They see a glimmer of hope that there can still be safe places and safe people in their schools.”

OPB also noted that teacher Stacey Dalton, said the LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags help students see themselves in school when they may not otherwise.

“They are messages of love and support,” Dalton said. “White and or heteronormative students, the majority, see their own validation consistently in the curriculum Newberg School districts have adopted and therefore do not need extra messages of support.”