Our Mission
The Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers aim to defend and support LGBTQIA2S+ spaces, reproductive rights, and marginalized communities through education, countering bigoted rhetoric, and providing safer sex/reproductive, menstrual, and gender affirming supplies.
Our Values
Harm Reduction
We believe harm reduction is the most effective way to keep people safe, happy, and most importantly, alive.
What is harm reduction?
”Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of intentional practices and public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and/or physical consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal.”
Harm reduction practices include, but are not limited to: Using condoms, wearing seatbelts, applying sunscreen, carrying Narcan/Naloxone, Safe and legal access to abortion, and staying hydrated while drinking alcohol.
Practicing and promoting harm reduction helps us keep people safe while preserving their autonomy.
Mutual Aid
We believe in mutual aid because of the power it gives us as a community. Through mutual aid everyone involved is uplifted and power dynamics are minimized.
What is mutual aid?
“Mutual aid is an idea and practice that is based on the principles of direct action, cooperation, mutual understanding, and solidarity. Mutual aid is not charity, but the building and continuing of new social relations where people give what they can and get what they need, outside of unjust systems of power.”
Abortion
We are loudly and proudly pro-choice and pro-abortion. We believe the only person that should be making any decisions about if, when, and how someone gets an abortion is the pregnant person. Not their partner, not their family, and most certainly not the government.
Police
As an organization we are strictly police and prison abolitionists. We believe the police are an inherently harmful entity that hurts marginalized people the most; and for that reason we do not ever call or work with them, and we make it abundantly clear to them that they are not welcome in our spaces.
Pride started as a riot against police brutality in queer spaces, and we intend to keep that energy.
