News/Commentary

Can’t make this up! Oregon mental health advisory board includes member who identifies as a turtle

March 13, 2025 | | Print Article

A member of a board that advises on mental health policies in Oregon identifies as a “turtle.”

The Consumer Advisory Council (OCAC) works on informing and advising the director of Oregon’s Health Authority (OHA), and among its members is JD Holt, who goes by the name “JD Terrapin” on Facebook and whose pronouns are “they, them, and turtle.”

“Hello, everybody, it’s JD. I use they, them and turtle for my pronouns. I’m in the Springfield-Eugene area and I get to be part of the council,” Holt said during the virtual OCAC meeting in December.

According to Fox News, “Gender Wiki, a website that documents the list of non-binary genders, describes ‘turtlegender,’ sometimes called ‘tortoisegender,’ as ‘a xenogender identity in which one feels a gendered connection to turtles.'”

“One may feel their gender is replaced by a ‘turtle,’ or their gender is best described with the use of turtles,” the site reads.

In another meeting of the Oregon Consumer Advisory Council in December, one member introduced themselves as “Luke A Shooting Star.”

In a review of Holt’s Facebook page, Fox News found that Holt “has promoted ‘anarchist’ causes and encouraged people to obstruct immigration enforcement actions.”

“WHAT TO DO AT AN ICE CHECKPOINT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE and/or FEEL THE NEED TO JAM UP THE WORKS,” a Jan. 29 Facebook post reads.

The Consumer Advisory Council is established by administrative statute and advises OHA Director Dr. Sejal Hathi on mental health services in the state. Hathi was appointed by Democrat Gov. Tina Kotek. According to the agency’s website, the OHA budget for the 2023-2025 biennium was $35.8 billion.

“In following Oregon statute, every member of the Oregon Consumer Advisory Council is someone with lived experience, bring [sic] the voice and experiences of people across the state that have experienced behavioral health challenges,” OHA spokesperson Amber Shoebridge told Fox News Digital, adding that the perspectives of the nearly two dozen members “are highly valued.”

“In response to questions about how Hathi goes about appointing members of the committee, Shoebridge said it is a joint effort between existing members on the council, a seven-member committee appointed by the council and the director, who ultimately makes the final decision,” Fox News explained.

The selected members, who serve for two-year terms, “represent independent, consumer-run organizations, consumer-run advocacy organizations and consumer-operated advisory councils that are active or headquartered in this state,” according to Shoebridge.

Social media users were stunned by the “consumers” on the board who are advising on mental health issues in the state.

Frieda Powers
Latest posts by Frieda Powers (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles