Sacramento proclaims itself a sanctuary city for transgender individuals

Sacramento’s city council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday declaring it a “sanctuary city” for trans-identifying people.

The resolution declares the city a “place of safety” for trans-identifying people and says Sacramento will not cooperate with states seeking to enforce laws relating to transgender medical services.

“California has been a leader in protecting the rights of transgender individuals to access care, but many states across the nation are moving in the opposite direction,” the resolution reads. “In preparation of future legislation that may criminalize those providing or seeking gender-affirming care and given the Council’s stated values of equity and inclusion, it is important for the City of Sacramento to be proactive in reiterating our commitment to transgender rights and equal protections for transgender people by declaring ourselves a sanctuary city and a place of safety for transgender people.”

The resolution states that “no city resources — including staff time — would be used to detain individuals seeking care, or otherwise to cooperate with jurisdictions seeking to enforce laws criminalizing gender affirming care in other jurisdictions.”

“The City of Sacramento is already a sanctuary city for immigrants; this proposed resolution would enact the same protections for transgender individuals,” the resolution notes.

More than 30 people showed up at City Hall, some supporting and some opposing the resolution during more than an hour of public comment.

“We cannot be giving children cross-sex hormones. We can’t give them surgeries to change their sex,” Beth Bourne, a member of a Sacramento chapter of Moms for Liberty, told KCRA 3. “This sanctuary city is saying that we will promote the idea that people can be born in the wrong body.”

Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who introduced the resolution and is a member of Sacramento’s Democratic Socialists of America, said it is “the sort of thing that you hope is never necessary,” but “it’s important to be realistic.”

“You hope it never gets triggered. That there’s never anyone coming to Sac who is potentially fleeing law enforcement for the sole reason of looking for health care,” said Valenzuela.

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The same day the resolution passed, Valenzuela conceded her race for re-election to her opponent.

So far, 24 states have enacted restrictions on children accessing transgender medical services like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender surgeries like double mastectomies and genital surgeries.

Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The city adopted the resolution just days before “Transgender Day of Visibility” on March 31.

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