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Athens City Council approves a resolution to declare the city a safe haven for gender-affirming care
By: Jack Greene
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Athens, OHIO (WOUB) – During a packed meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring Athens a safe haven for individuals 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.
Indigo Steiner, a transgender woman, grew up in Logan and said moving to Athens has been the best decision she has made.
Steiner said it wasn’t until she moved to the city that she was able to get the care she needed to transition. Since then, her self-confidence has grown.
“Moving to Athens and subsequently getting access to gender-affirming care has drastically changed my life for the better,” she said. “The fact there is a place here in southeast Ohio where this care is available is a wonderful, amazing thing.”
Spencer Stein, a second-year medical student at Ohio University, said declaring the city a safe haven for gender-affirming care will save lives.
“Eighty-one percent of transgender adults in the U.S. have thought about suicide,” Stein said. “Forty-two percent of transgender adults have attempted it.”
Stein said this law doesn’t just impact transgender individuals, but also impacts those who are cisgender.
Eric LeMay identifies as nonbinary and said this resolution is about guaranteeing equal access to health care for all people.
“We’re your neighbors. We live on the same streets as you,” LeMay said. “Our kids go to the same school as you. Or trans kids are in the same schools as your kids. We go to the library, and you see us at the grocery. We would like to have the care that everyone has.”
Ari Faber, a transgender man, said while the resolution “may not change state or federal law, it does something just as important.”
“When cities like Athens step up to affirm and protect this care, we provide hope,” Faber said. “It tells transgender people that Athens is a place where they are valued, protected and affirmed.”
Faber said as state and federal lawmakers look to pass bills limiting the rights of transgender individuals, this resolution shows, “Athens will not turn its back on us.”
Before voting on the resolution, Councilmember Micah McCarey said that while he hasn’t heard any opposition to the resolution, he understands if people are intimidated to speak out.
“I do want to offer myself as an educational resource for those individuals who are confused about why this is so important,” he said.
After unanimously approving the resolution, the council also unanimously approved a resolution calling on federal officials not to impose a tax on municipal bonds.
These bonds are how the city funds a majority of its infrastructure projects, and if the tax is imposed, officials say it would increase project costs and hurt taxpayers.