San Francisco proclaims itself a sanctuary for transgender individuals

San Francisco has declared itself a “sanctuary city” for transgender and gender-nonconforming people, making it one of the first major cities in the United States to do so.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of the resolution, which declared the city a “place of safety” for people identifying as transgender, gender-nonconforming, nonbinary, and two-spirit and for providers of gender transition procedures.

“We have seen an influx of refugees, not just from other countries, but from other states who are seeking care and seeking sanctuary,” said Honey Mahogany, San Francisco’s director of the office of transgender initiatives.

The move comes as more than 40 states have introduced pieces of legislation that “target the LGBTQ+ community” in 2024, according to the resolution.

Many of these bills seek to restrict access to gender transition procedures for minors, prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, and require people to use the bathrooms corresponding with their biological sex.

Tennessee passed a bill in April making it a felony for adults to help minors access gender transition procedures. In Florida, a federal judge on Tuesday blocked most of a law that limited gender transition procedures for adults — the first law to do so, according to the Washington Post.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a law in 2022 that blocked state law enforcement agencies from enforcing out-of-state laws against gender transition procedures.

Sacramento and West Hollywood also declared themselves sanctuaries for transgender people earlier this year.