Amid GOP assault on trans people, Kansas City declares itself an LGBTQ+ sanctuary

In a near-unanimous vote on Thursday, local Missouri officials approved a resolution declaring Kansas City a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people after Republican state lawmakers passed legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for minors and some adults—part of a nationwide GOP assault on trans rights.

The resolution, approved in an 11-1 vote, states that "city personnel shall not criminally prosecute or impose administrative penalties on an individual or organization for providing, seeking, receiving, or assisting another individual who is seeking or receiving gender-affirming healthcare."

"In the event any law or regulation is passed in the state of Missouri which imposes criminal punishment, civil liability, administrative penalties, or professional sanctions on an individual or organization for providing, seeking, receiving, or assisting another individual who is seeking or receiving gender-affirming healthcare," the resolution continues, "city personnel shall make enforcement of said law or regulation their lowest priority."

Kansas City Councilmember Heather Hall cast the only no vote against the measure, the passage of which local trans rights advocates celebrated as "an important first step."

"I look forward to trans leaders and Kansas City working together to address the health disparities in our communities and ways we can have sustainable funding and programming reaching all trans people," Merrique Jenson, the founder of Transformations KC, said following Thursday's vote.

As The Kansas City Beaconreported Thursday, trans Missourians and their families "have been shuttling back and forth to the capitol in Jefferson City to testify against legislation aimed at banning gender-affirming healthcare."

"But for the first time on Wednesday, trans Kansas Citians flocked to City Hall to support a measure that could protect these treatments from statewide bans," the outlet added. "The LGBTQ Commission brought the resolution to the City Council in April as a way to formally preserve access to gender-affirming care before the state passes restrictions on healthcare, instead of reacting afterward."

In the coming days, Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign into law the newly passed legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors, making the state one of more than a dozen that have approved laws or policies prohibiting the lifesaving healthcare.

The Associated Pressnoted Thursday that the Kansas City sanctuary resolution passed as a judge is considering "a proposed emergency rule from Republican state Attorney General Andrew Bailey that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy—and fulfill other requirements before they could receive gender-affirming treatment."

After state Republicans passed a pair of anti-trans bills earlier this week, the ACLU of Missouri pledged to "explore all options to fight these bans and to expand the rights of trans Missourians."

"Both bans attempt to erase transness from Missouri," the group warned, referring to the state GOP's attempt to ban gender-affirming care and prevent trans girls and women from playing on female sports teams.

"Every person in the state should be alarmed by this weaponization of the government to intimidate people through the denial of basic healthcare and exclusion from extracurricular activities," the group said.