Sacramento Becomes Sanctuary City For Trans People

The city of Sacramento, California, unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to serve as a sanctuary city for transgender people.

The resolution, introduced by Katie Valenzuela, a member of the Sacramento City Council, means that Sacramento would protect the trans community’s rights, safeguarding them from anti-trans legislation such as the growing push across the country to ban gender-affirming care. It follows Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-Calif.) signing of a law in 2022 that established California as a sanctuary state for trans youth.

“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 states.

“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.”

California is one of 11 states that have varying laws protecting access to trans healthcare, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit think tank focused on equality.

Meanwhile, the Trans Legislation Tracker is currently following 533 anti-trans bills and predicts that the number is likely to increase as the year goes on. According to the tracker, 228 of the bills carried over from last year.

“By affirming our commitment to supporting our LGBTQ+ community and ensuring that no city resources or staff time will be used to help enforce these harmful laws in other jurisdictions, the