Athens City Council moves forward a resolution protecting gender-affirming healthcare
By: Jack Greene
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Athens, OHIO (WOUB) – A proposed City Council resolution would declare Athens a safe haven for people seeking and providing gender-affirming care.
The Ohio University chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) proposed the resolution.
It is in response to the SAFE Act, an Ohio law restricting gender-affirming care for minors and threatening legal action for the physicians who provide it.
“I came here today in fear. Fear that my fellow neighbors are on their way to being legally shoved back in the closet,” he said. “Fear that my friends are going to have their personal lives subject to the hatred of legislators and politicians who, quite frankly, have an ideological wish to eliminate my friends from existence.”
Odhrain Underhill said he grew up just outside of Athens County and moved to the city because it was “safe and welcoming.”
“Being a sanctuary city or safe haven would literally save lives,” Underhill said. “It’s the moral and ethical right choice. Caring for each other should be our first priority.”
The council expressed its support for the resolution, but councilmembers Solveig Spjeldnes and Beth Clodfelter said it needs to be properly vetted before being voted on.
“My only issue with this is any legal ramifications our law director might give us in terms of what we can and can’t say in a resolution like this,” Spjeldnes said.
“I really like this. I think I’m going to vote yes,” Clodfelter said. “My only concern is how the state of Ohio will react. Could make us a little bit of a target for those Republicans.”
Councilmember Micah McCarey said similar resolutions like the one proposed in Athens have been passed in Cincinnati and Cleveland Heights without any legal pushback.
McCarey said this is a chance for the city to take a stance and support any individual’s healthcare choice.
“The land of the free and the home of the brave, sometimes that means we have to be brave,” he said, “and take on resolutions that comment on the needs of those who are often marginalized and underrepresented.”
The resolution is expected to be voted on at next week’s council meeting.
Editors Note: A previous version of this story misspelled Odhrain Underhill’s first name as Warren and said he lived in Athens County all his life instead of just outside of Athens County.