This week, Waltham City Councilors passed a resolution stating that the city is a friendly place for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.
With the action, Waltham now formally pledges to protect LGBTQ+ individuals in the era of the second Trump administration, following in the footsteps of Boston and numerous other Massachusetts cities.
Although other localities have referred to themselves as sanctuary cities, Waltham leaders specifically changed their wording. The words “sanctuary” were changed throughout the resolution’s language to “welcoming” and “refugee” during Monday’s City Council meeting. In the end, it approved with a vote of 13 to 1.
The resolution’s sponsor, Councilor Colleen Bradley-MacArthur, stated that she changed the wording because the Trump administration has used the term “sanctuary” as a weapon, particularly in discussions about immigration enforcement. A few of her coworkers were also worried that Waltham may be singled out by the federal authorities because of his use of sanctuary.
I was told not to worry about national concerns when I initially entered local politics. Bradley-MacArthur stated that this is not just poor advise, but it is also detrimental to our constituents.
The text in the resolution states that no public resources should be utilized to imprison anyone who are only seeking or offering gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy or gender affirmation surgery.
Additionally, it stated that the city should not collaborate with people or out-of-state organizations to provide that care using its resources. Lastly, the resolution said that Waltham will not support state and federal regulations that target transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.
According to Bradley-MacArthur, it was based on comparable actions taken in Brookline and other locations. Earlier last month, elected authorities there joined towns like Boston, Cambridge, Northampton, Pittsfield, Salem, and Worcester in passing a similar resolution.
Easthampton also passes resolution in support of trans residents
At a meeting of the Easthampton City Council last week, scores of people spoke in support of the transgender community, urging officials to endorse a resolution. Almost everyone in the council rooms stood and cheered when it was unanimously adopted.
During that discussion, Easthampton City Councilor Brad Riley became extremely upset and fought back tears as he talked about the anxiety he had as a child growing up as a queer person.
This platform is not something I take for granted. I view it as an opportunity to do what so many others were unable to do for me when I was younger: to speak up, to give back, to reassure anyone who is afraid to live totally and freely that they won’t be harmed by the Easthampton administration. Riley replied, “You are welcome here, you are seen, and you are so beautiful.”
Families and supporters were alarmed when the Supreme Court reaffirmed Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors the day after the Easthampton vote. This news, along with other policies being promoted by the Trump administration, was particularly noted by Bradley-MacArthur in the language of her resolution.
Advocates of such measures assert that they are essential lifesaving instruments rather than merely symbolic gestures. At the Easthampton City Council meeting, Mona Huntley, a transgender woman, talked about her experience with suicidal thoughts prior to transitioning.
According to recent studies, 42% of transgender adults in the United States have attempted suicide and 81% have considered it. According to additional statistics, transgender and gender nonconforming teen suicide attempts rose by up to 72% in states that enacted anti-transgender legislation targeted at minors.
According to Huntley, the federal government is giving bigots the confidence to treat transgender persons with greater violence and cruelty. According to Huntley, she and her friends have observed a notable increase in hate speech in recent months.
Therefore, a sanctuary resolution that upholds the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals is a potent means of communicating a city’s inclusion and ideals.
The President is making it quite evident that we are the other and that our fate is irrelevant. And that is being listened to. According to Huntley, this is our opportunity as a community to demonstrate that the cruelty and violence are not us. For trans people, this has been a really bleak and frightening time, and we need to win.
Waltham is probably not the last Massachusetts city to enact a resolution of this kind, particularly if the Trump administration keeps adamantly opposing gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.
According to Bradley-MacArthur, transgender persons have always existed and will continue to exist, regardless of your personal preferences.
Since 2022, Ross Cristantiello has been a general assignment news correspondent for Boston.com, covering a variety of topics including as local politics, crime, and the environment.
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