Worcester City Council voted Tuesday night to declare Massachusetts’ second-largest city a sanctuary for the transgender community.
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The resolution passed by 9-2 votes strengthens the city’s commitment to protecting transgender rights and ensures that it does not use urban resources to bind gendered individuals. The city also promised not to provide information to out-of-state agencies, Boston CBS Affiliate WBZ.
Background and discussion
The measure was introduced in response to growing concerns about transgender rights following Donald Trump’s executive order that the federal government recognizes only “two genders, male and female.”
It also comes a month after the large Tu Nguyen, the city’s first non-binary council member, claimed he had been harassed and falsely disabled by other city officials.
According to WBZ, Nguyen told people at the conference.
Mayor Joseph Petty supports the resolution saying, “I don’t care what your beliefs are, but it’s wrong to remove the word “trans” from the federal vocabulary.” It was inside.
Opposition and concerns about federal funds
Councillors Donna Cario and Morris Bergman had two opposing votes. Although they recognized the importance of transgender rights, they expressed concern that the resolution could risk Worcester losing federal funds under the Second Trump administration.
“We don’t have a new right that doesn’t exist yet, but we could potentially take the federal dollar away from the city of Worcester,” Bergman said.
Growing movement
Worcester is on a growing list of cities across the United States that have taken similar steps to protect transgender individuals. Sacramento, California, and Ithaca, New York have also declared safe shelters, ensuring that local policies protect trans people from legal consequences related to gender maintenance care.
Sanctuary City’s resolution is largely iconic, but it can send a clear message about city priorities and impact local police and management policies.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
