After a year of work to get things in place, PFLAG Portland is pleased to announce the start of our new scholarship program to help transgender youth and adults pursuing higher education.
The application window runs from March 1 to March 31, 2026, and we will announce the winners on or before April 30. (Click here to learn more and access the application form)
We plan to award at least five scholarships of $1,000 each to transgender individuals who are high school seniors or currently enrolled college/university students. Applicants must reside in Multnomah County. Recipients can use the funds for tuition, books or other educational expenses.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Kim Martinez, an LGBTQ+ veteran who lives in southern California and has been active with PFLAG San Diego County, for reaching out to us after the tragic death of one of her best friends from the Navy.
The friend, Asil Moreno, was fatally injured when he was hit by a car near his home in rural Oregon in January 2025. Asil, 42, left behind an ex-wife, a partner and three school-aged children. Asil had served as a nuclear power trained electronics technician and had recently transitioned from female to male.
“As a long time friend of nearly 20 years, I’m extremely grateful that Asil was able to become his authentic self, find love with a new partner, and continue caring for his three children,” Kim said of her friend.
Heartbroken after attending the military honors funeral, Kim wanted to do something in her friend’s honor and memory and thought to create a PFLAG scholarship in Oregon. She also offered to provide $2,000 in seed money.
In the following months, PFLAG Portland received financial support from the Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a self-styled lay order of “radical nuns,” and the Hillsboro-based Westside Queer Resource Center. As the year ended, we received additional donations from individuals, giving us enough to fund a first handful of scholarships in 2025-26.We welcome additional support at the Donate/Join page on our website: https://pflagpdx.org/donate/