Sac City Council Unanimously Declares Sac a Sanctuary City for Transgender People

By David M. Greenwald
Executive Editor

Sacramento, CA – The Sacramento City Council unanimously passed a resolution proposed by Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, making Sacramento a Sanctuary City for Transgender People.

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

Staff noted, “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 has important components: “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.”

Further, staff noted, “This resolution would also resolve to ensure the rights of transgender individuals in Sacramento are upheld, and 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 resolution noted that “healthcare professionals” as well as those “seeking, receiving, or assisting” another “individual who is seeking or receiving gender-affirming healthcare in the City of Sacramento should be protected from attempts to impose criminal punishment…”

It notes that “it is necessary and appropriate… to protect healthcare professionals and persons lawfully seeking, receiving, and assisting another individual in seeking or receiving of gender-affirming healthcare in the City of Sacramento.”

It allows that “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 lawful gender-affirming healthcare or gender-affirming mental healthcare performed in the state of California.”

While the city council was unanimous in their support for the resolution, a small group of the people including Davis’ Beth Bourne spoke out against the resolution.

Instead, from Bourne and others including Sophia Lorey from the CA Family Council, they noted, “This proposal says if a child is brought to Sacramento by anyone and wants this kind of treatment, the City of Sacramento will not permit law enforcement to search for that child or return them to their family or legal guardian.  This is kidnapping in order to cause permanent physical harm.”

Bourne during her public comment added, “My main concern, I would say the first thing is the medicalizing of children.  We cannot be giving children cross-sex hormones. We can’t give them surgeries that will change their sex and we can’t give children puberty blockers that will sterilize them. So we need to protect our children’s bodies. Every child is perfect, just as they are.”