Cascadia Wildlands finds our work increasingly at the intersection of the conservation, environmental justice, human rights and social justice movements.
Recent extreme rhetoric, policies and laws proposed and – in many cases – passed across the country evidence a revitalized right-wing effort to demonize and target the trans community and strip them of fundamental civil rights. Transphobic bigots’ baseless claims echo anti-LGTBQ rhetoric from decades past. These attacks are occurring at joyous events like drag brunches, in the courts, in state legislatures, and our schools and libraries. Unfortunately, the Cascadia region is not immune.
As an organization actively working to learn and unlearn, confront our privilege and leverage our influence, we reaffirm our unconditional support for the transgender and broader LGTBQIA2S+ community, for the right to gender-affirming healthcare, freedom of expression, freedom to marry, and freedom to love.
At Cascadia Wildlands’ 25th Anniversary Celebration Down by the River: Summer Soirée & Auction on June 16, 2023, we invited attendees to join us in expressing solidarity with the trans community and provide financial support to another essential local organization: TransPonder. TransPonder is a transgender founded and led nonprofit based in Eugene providing support, resources, and education for the transgender and gender diverse community and their allies.
Cascadia Wildlands and Soirée attendees raised $5,000 for our colleagues at TransPonder.
TransPonder’s vision and commitment is to:
- Address the root causes of discrimination in the trans/gender diverse community through an intersectional social justice lens.
- Acknowledge the existence and harm caused by systemic racism and dismantle white supremacy within and outside of our organization.
- Increase allyship and accomplices in the broader community through relationship building and education.
- Foster leadership and skill building opportunities within the trans/gender diverse community across generations.
- Promote access to health by fostering expertise in mental, physical, and spiritual healing communities.
- Network with legal counsel knowledgeable about the trans/gender diverse community.
- Provide resource navigation support to address economic inequities, food and housing insecurity, medical and employment discrimination.