Massachusetts’ second-largest city voted to become a sanctuary for transgender people — one of the first in the country to do so since President Trump took office in January and brought sweeping reform to federal gender policy.
In an overwhelming 9-2 vote Tuesday night, Worcester’s city council passed a resolution declaring the city’s new status, which also applies to people from the LGBTQ, non-binary and greater gender-queer community.
The resolution has no legally binding power but means the city is officially committed to refusing to cooperate with federal or out-of-state entities that would infringe on the rights of trans and queer people.
“No city resources…or city property, shall be utilized for detaining persons for solely seeking or providing gender-affirming care,” the resolution read, according to Boston.com.
“No city resources [shall] be utilized for cooperating with or providing information to any individual or out-of-state agency or department regarding the provision of gender-affirming healthcare,” it continued.
The resolution was put forward by the Queer Residents of Worcester and Our Allies and called on the city to declare itself “a sanctuary city and a place of safety for transgender and gender diverse people” — and came in direct response to Trump’s new policies.
“The trans, nonbinary, and LGBTQIA+ community in Worcester and nationally are being attacked by President Trump,” the resolution read.
Trump declared during his inauguration speech that the federal government would only acknowledge two genders — male and female — and vowed to “defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology.”
He quickly backed up his promises with a series of executive orders — including one banning the use of federal funds for child sex-change treatments, and another keeping biological males out of women’s sports.
Worcester, which has a population of more than 207,000 people, appears to be the first city to declare itself a trans sanctuary since Trump’s orders were issued.
Several cities have previously declared themselves trans sanctuary cities before Trump was re-elected, including San Francisco, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Ithaca.
Worcester’s vote Tuesday was preceded by weeks of extensive public testimony, with the vote itself including performances by drag queens and poetry readings.
“When the president of the United States, in his inauguration speech says that you do not exist, it should matter at our local level,” said Joshua Croke, co-founder of a Worcester LGBTQ non-profit for kids.
“It’s absolutely exhausting to continue to have to defend your existence. Say the words, say the words that we’d be safe here,” said another person who spoke at the vote, Boston 25 News reported.
Worcester previously voted to allocate $500,000 towards resources for its LGBTQ community.
