City councilors in Boston have voted 12-1 to make Boston a sanctuary city for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The designation came after Councilor-at-Large Julia Mejia and District 9 Councilor Liz Breadon called on the city to adopt measures to support transgender people.
NBC 10 Boston reported Mejia said Boston wouldn’t back down on Wednesday. “We’re seeing attacks on our trans loved ones, and here on the local level, a lot of folks are feeling helpless.”
Breadon, the first openly gay woman elected to the city council, said “many of our neighbors are feeling unsafe and insecure for various reasons,” through these unprecedented times, according to NBC News.
“During the election and since, there’s been an incredible escalation in anti-trans rhetoric and violence that has caused incredible stress and anxiety to our LGBTQI+ community, and especially to our trans brothers and sisters,” she said.
Only one council member, Ed Flynn, voted against the resolution. He cited the need for more information on the resolution as his reason for down-voting it “I would like to learn more about what this resolution does as it relates to sanctuary cities, the Trust Act, what impact is has on city services, what role the city departments will play,” he said according to The Boston Herald.
The resolution reiterates Boston’s commitment to “protecting transgender and gender-diverse individuals.” This includes that taxpayer-funded agencies will not be permitted to comply with federal efforts to strip resources that safeguard trans rights. The city will also refuse compliance with “federal or state policies that harm transgender and gender-diverse people and remains committed to ensuring their access to healthcare, housing, education, and employment without fear or discrimination.”
NBC News reports that Mejia and Breadon know the resolution is merely symbolic and nonbinding, however they maintain that it is a crucial first step, opening opportunities to set groundwork for legislation.
The decision follows a similar resolution approved in Worcester, MA which passed by a 9-2 vote in February following the controversial temporary departure of nonbinary city council member Thu Nguyen from council. Nguyen claimed they didn’t feel safe on the council floor, having been subject to transphobia and public misgendering.
However, Worcester’s resolution affirmed the city’s stance on transgender rights, and confirms that city resources can not be used to detain people seeking gender-affirming care. In addition, the city will not provide out-of-state agencies with their information, according to reports from CBS News.
Trump has recently passed directives ordering federal agencies to cease funding DEI programs and cut off funding to nonprofits, academic institutions and more. Federal agency websites have also been scrubbed of information addressing trans issues, on a directive from Trump.
Massachusetts currently has multiple sanctuary cities for trans and gender non-conforming people including Northampton, and across the nation various cities have passed similar solutions including Sacramento, CA and Ithaca, NY.
