Boston’s City Council passed a resolution on March 14 declaring the Massachusetts city “a sanctuary city for transgender persons and all members of the LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and 2-spirit) community.”
In practice, this means the city of Boston “will not cooperate with federal or state policies that harm transgender and gender-diverse people and remains committed to ensuring their access to healthcare, housing, education, and employment without fear or discrimination.” The resolution also specifically says that tax-payer funded agencies will not comply with “federal efforts to strip resources that safeguard their rights.”
The 12-1 vote came after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testified on March 5 before the Congressional House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C. to defend Boston’s practices as a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants.
The term “sanctuary city” was coined in the 1980s to refer to cities that will not cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration law and there are now hundreds of cities that identify as safe for immigrants with this term.
Cities and states began declaring themselves sanctuaries for transgender people in 2022. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington say they will not comply with other states’ or federal anti-trans laws. Cities include Cambridge, Pittsfield, and Worcester, MA; Kansas City, MO; Ithaca, NY; and Sacramento, San Francisco, and West Hollywood, CA.
A declaration of being a sanctuary city is not the same as a law, and some states and cities have “shield” laws without the label of a “sanctuary” or “safe haven.” A shield law protects those providing or accessing gender-affirming care from legal consequences from other states’ laws against such care.
“This moment is more than just a symbolic resolution,” Boston City Councilmember Julia Mejia said of the resolution. “We didn’t file this to check off a box …. We filed this because it is necessary for the harder, more concrete work that is to come.”