Massachusetts community hopes to become safe haven for transgender people
By Colette Lauture
Northampton’s City Council is awaiting a resolution that would make the community a “sanctuary city” for people who are transgender and gender diverse. This encompasses individuals with identities beyond male or female.
The resolution was read aloud at the council’s Sept. 19 meeting, initially brought forward by Councilors Deborah Klemer and Rachel Maiore. It emphasizes transgender rights and equal protections, as well as gender-affirming healthcare access.
The resolution would avoid using its resources to arrest someone for seeking or providing gender-affriming care, according to initial reports by Daily Hampshire Gazzette. The city also wouldn’t be allowed to disclose any information regarding lawful gender-affirming care in Massachusetts.
During last week’s council meeting, Maiore explained the importance of the resolution’s timing overlapping with this year’s presidential election.
“And I think we need to do all we can and we need to really speak very proactively to our community and let them know that … we’ve heard you, we see you, and we will do everything we can to protect your basic rights and to be a welcoming place for you and your family,” she said.
Many members of Northampton’s LGBTQ+ community spoke in the resolution’s favor. Margo Anderson noted the outsized impact Northampton’s resolution could have.
“I think it’s important that we recognize that although this is a small town, it can make a very big statement,” she said.
Others say Northampton’s “sanctuary city” status is just a portion of several necessary steps to put it in practice. This includes ensuring the curriculum and city’s school resources echo the proposal’s spirit, and encouraging city councilors to consider any additional support Northampton could extend to transgender community members.
Maiore said that amid these addressed concerns, she sees the resolution as a springboard to “declaring our aspiration to the community and our expectation of our city government and our employees.”
Northampton’s City Council will vote on the resolution Oct. 1. Several other cities, including San Francisco and West Hollywood in California, have passed proposals similar to this.