A resolution designating California funds as a transgender sanctuary was approved by the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday.
The resolution, effective immediately, ensures that no portion of the state’s resources, including staff time, will be used to enforce laws passed in various states that forbid transgender minors or adults from accessing gender-affirming healthcare.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit organization that monitors LGBTQ+ laws, twenty-four states have passed laws since 2021 that restrict access to treatments, including puberty blockers, estrogen, and surgery. In addition to restricting access to certain trans people’s care, laws passed in states like Florida and Missouri have been specifically targeted by GOP state politicians for those 18 or older.
A 2022 state law shields people from facing criminal charges if they travel to California to seek treatment for their trans children, further protecting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. However, this law does not extend to transgender individuals themselves.
On Tuesday, Sacramento City Council members emphasized that a sanctuary city resolution is necessary to ensure trans people will be protected in the event that the state’s current safeguards are repealed.
While California has been a leader in defending transgender people’s access to healthcare, some states are moving in the opposite direction, as noted in the resolution. It is crucial for the City of Sacramento to proactively reaffirm its commitment to transgender rights and equal protections for trans people by declaring itself a sanctuary area and a place of safety for trans individuals, aligning with the Council’s values of equity and inclusion.
City Council member Katie Valenzuela, who introduced the resolution, celebrated the majority vote late Tuesday in a blog on X, previously Online.
The City has gone beyond state laws to send a strong message to everyone in our community that we are a safe space for all, she stated, affirming our commitment to supporting our LGBTQ+ community and ensuring that no city resources or staff time will be used to uphold these harmful laws in different jurisdictions.
An increasing number of cities have adopted similar sanctuary resolutions, which, while not legally binding, often stand in direct opposition to proposals made by Republican state lawmakers threatening access to gender-affirming healthcare.
Including California, 14 states and Washington, D.C., have passed “shield” laws protecting access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
