Milwaukee County is set to consider a resolution declaring sanctuary status for transgender and non-binary individuals, including children.

The resolution says the “Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors firmly asserts its commitment to protect transgender and non-binary individuals and believes access to health care is a fundamental right and all people in Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin should have access to all health care, including gender affirming care.”

“If the state of Wisconsin passes a law that imposes criminal or civil punishments, fines, or professional sanctions on any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormones, or surgery, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors urges the Milwaukee County Sheriff to make enforcement their lowest priority,” the resolution says.

This comes on the heels of WRN’s investigative series in which we reported that more than 260 juveniles received puberty blockers or hormone therapy in recent years from two major Wisconsin hospitals, and up to 15 juveniles underwent breast surgeries every year – in most cases mastectomies – because of “gender dysphoria.”

Last month, the Dane County Board passed a similar resolution declaring that county a transgender sanctuary.

One of those hospitals, Children’s Hospital, is located in Milwaukee County.

Yet, a growing body of research is leading European countries to toughen guidelines, even as many on the left in the United States often demand no dissent, and people who want to consider the science or criticize transgender treatments on juveniles are threatened with cancellation.

The resolution will next be taken up on July 17 at 1:30 pm by the Milwaukee County committee on judicial, law enforcement, and general services, Room 203-R and Microsoft Teams County Legislative Information Center HYBRID MEETING This meeting will be held in Room 203-R, and will be live-streamed on the County Legislative Information Center: https://milwaukeecounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Milwaukee County Transgender Sanctuary Status Resolution

By Supervisor Clancy, Burgelis, Rolland, Martinez, File No. 23-694
Shea, Johnson Jr., and Gómez-Tom

A RESOLUTION

Declaring Milwaukee County a sanctuary for trans and non-binary individuals

WHEREAS, in the last few years, states have advanced a record number of bills that attack LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth; and

WHEREAS, so far in this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers across the country have introduced 491 bills that restrict fundamentals like health care, education, and the freedom of expression for LGBTQ+ people, according to analysis from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); and

WHEREAS, the American Civil Liberties Union has tracked legislation which takes many forms including:

• Bills that attempt to limit the ability to update gender information on IDs and records, such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses.

• Bills that attempt to undermine and weaken nondiscrimination laws by allowing employers, businesses, and hospitals to turn away LGBTQ people or refuse them equal treatment.

• Bills that restrict how and when LGBTQ people can be themselves, limiting access to books about them and trying to ban or censor performances like drag shows.

• Bills that target access to medically-necessary health care for transgender people; ban affirming care for trans youth; create criminal penalties for providing this care; and bills that block funding to medical centers that offer gender-affirming care, or block insurance coverage of health care for transgender people.

• Public accommodations bills seek to prohibit transgender people from using facilities like public bathrooms and locker rooms.

• Bills that prevent trans students from participating in school activities like sports, force teachers to out students, and censor any in-school discussions of LGBTQ people and issues.
; and

WHEREAS, according to a survey by the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group focused on LGBTQ+ youth, found that 86 percent of trans or non-binary youth reported negative effects on their mental health stemming from the political debate around trans issues, and nearly half have seriously considered suicide in the past year; and

WHEREAS, in this hostile environment, some cities and counties across the country are taking steps to support and protect trans and non-binary individuals; and

WHEREAS, Kansas City, Missouri recently approved measures indicating the city will not prosecute or fine any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormones or surgery. The resolution also says that if the state passes a law or resolution that imposes criminal or civil punishments, fines or professional sanctions in such cases, personnel in the city will make enforcing those requirements “their lowest priority”; and

WHEREAS, last year Austin, Texas declared it should be considered a sanctuary for transgender youth and their families, and Harris County, home to Houston, declared it wouldn’t pursue cases against parents over gender-affirming care; and

WHEREAS, California, Minnesota, and Washington have declared themselves sanctuary states for gender-affirming care, as have the cities of Chicago, Minneapolis and West Hollywood; and

WHEREAS, Dane County, Wisconsin adopted a resolution that declared the county a “sanctuary” for transgender and non-binary individuals; and

WHEREAS, transgender Americans are four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than their cisgender peers, according to a 2021 study; and

WHEREAS Milwaukee County values its transgender and non-binary residents and vigorously opposes measures that would allow legal violence toward trans people in accessing gender-affirming care or expression; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors firmly asserts its commitment to protect transgender and non-binary individuals and believes access to health care is a fundamental right and all people in Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin should have access to all health care, including gender affirming care; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, if the state of Wisconsin passes a law that imposes criminal or civil punishments, fines, or professional sanctions on any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormones, or surgery, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors urges the Milwaukee County Sheriff to make enforcement their lowest priority; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Milwaukee County be considered a safe place, a sanctuary, for transgender children and adults and their families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Office of Government Affairs is hereby authorized and requested to communicate the contents of this resolution to Governor Evers, the Milwaukee County state legislative delegation, US Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, and the Wisconsin Congressional delegation.