The city council of Cambridge, Massachusetts unanimously voted this week on a resolution to declare Cambridge a sanctuary city for transgender and nonbinary people.
Reports Boston.com:
The resolution follows the Trump administration’s recent attacks on the transgender community, including an order defining sex as only male or female, barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s sports, and banning transgender troops from serving.
Other efforts included rolling back anti-discrimination protections, limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare, and undermining the dignity and safety of transgender people in public spaces nationwide, the Cambridge resolution states.
The orders trickling down from Washington D.C. concern Mayor Denise Simmons, who became the first Black, openly lesbian mayor in the nation in 2008.
“As someone who is out loud and proud, I do too worry,” Simmons said during the council meeting.
She said that discrimination continues to occur, even in Cambridge, which people often see as a “safe haven.”
“It’s always probably been here,” Simmons said. But, “it’s been unbridled, released.”
“If we were silent it probably wouldn’t protect us,” Simmons continued. “We need to stand up. We’ve always stood up and not only to be an example but a beacon for other communities. Tonight we are amplifying that voice.”
Vice Mayor Marc McGovern, who introduced the resolution to the council, said that in times like these, some say it is best to fly under the radar to avoid unwanted attention.
“I think the opposite,” McGovern said. “We need to stand up to that bullying and help folks to feel more comfortable and safe in this community.”
Read the complete Boston.com story here.
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