At roughly 8:30 p.m. on May 19, Bellingham City Council member Hannah Stone announced the City Council’s plans to discuss a proposed city ordinance that will offer legislative protections to transgender community members, among others.
“I think about a resolution as a declaration to our values,” Stone said. “An ordinance is a call to action.”
The ordinance originally began as a proposed update to Resolution No. 2017-10, which outlines Bellingham’s affirmation, advocacy and protection of communities such as people of color, immigrants and LGBTQIA+ citizens.
The proposed update to the resolution would affirm Bellingham’s commitment to prohibiting the criminalization of people for identifying with their chosen name and gender. It would also allow hate crime reporting through existing systems, protect providers of gender-related healthcare and education and designate enforcement of anti-transgender federal laws the lowest priority for the Bellingham Police Department.
Trans Survival, the organization that previously advocated for declaring Bellingham a transgender sanctuary city, coordinated a mass showing of community members dressed in clothing covered in faux blood and organized over 60 speakers at the meeting.
During the public commentary portion of the meeting, transgender people and allies shared personal stories, including hardships they’ve faced in and out of the community, joyful moments tied to their identities, anger at discriminatory federal legislation and support for the resolution-turned-ordinance.
City resolutions are considered official statements put forward by legislative bodies and act as opportunities to communicate stances and opinions on particular issues. In contrast, city ordinances are official laws and regulations that cities agree to abide by.
“In our minds, this [ordinance] is a huge step forward for our progress in trans rights and trans sanctuary,” Selene Etheredge, a Trans Survival organizer, said. “We are appreciative for the city in considering the resolution, and we especially appreciate they would take our feedback to put real teeth onto an ordinance that will help all of us for the future.”
Stone said the next steps in the drafting process are to confer with City Council President Hollie Huthman, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund and Bellingham City Attorney Peter Ruffatto to review the documents, then formally introduce the ordinance at the City Council’s next regular meeting on June 9.
“We see the ordinance here as the groundwork for creating [a] sanctuary where it’s not as accessible, and especially as the first step towards fighting the federal pressure that is seeking to dismantle our rights,” said Etheredge.
Jae Ranney (they/them) is a second-year journalism major and city news reporter for The Front this quarter, having previously worked in campus news. When they're not chasing a lede or hounding you for a quote, they enjoy playing guitar, banjo, and drumming in a few local bands. You can reach them at jaeranney.thefront@gmail.com.
