1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to request the Baltimore City Council to consider declaring Baltimore City as a sanctuary city for transgender individuals. Maryland has a rich history for the LGBT+ community dating back to the emergence of drag balls in 1931 and Mount Vernon's long reputation as Baltimore's 'gay village'. Our state boasts an incredibly diverse population of trans individuals ranging from minors to people well into their 80s, and we represent a variety of races, genders, sexual orientations and abilities. Furthermore, a 2022 Public Religion Research Institute shows that 87% of Marylanders support LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws. We also historically had been to supportive through the "Creating Welcoming and Affirming Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students," also known as Policy 443. However, despite Maryland generally being supportive of the LGBT+ community, we still unfortunately actively face hate and discrimination. According to The Maryland Trans Survey, which included 750 participants, trans people in Maryland experience an alarming rate of violence and victimization, with 78.2% reporting at least one instance of verbal abuse and 46.1% reporting physical or sexual assault in their life. Speaking as a transgender man, saying that the current Trump administration is hostile towards the transgender community would be an understatement. During Trump's last presidency, hate crimes surged nearly 20 percent according to the FBI's annual report on hate crime statistics, with 16.7 percent being motivated by sexual orientation and 2.7 percent by gender identity. While these numbers may seem small, it is worth mentioning that our community is vastly in the minority compared to other demographics. Although we are fortunate to live in a relatively accepting state, those in my community, myself included, fear for our ability to authenticically express ourselves without harassment and discrimination after the removal of protections on our community from title lX. We fear for our bodily autonomy and healthcare considering the bans on minors and 19 year olds (whom are legal adults) from receiving affirming treatment. And we fear for our ability to flee the country should things escalate given Trump's attacks on identification documents. To put it shortly, our livlihoods and freedom are vastly at stake. We once again humbly ask that Baltimore follow in the footsteps of Worcester, Cambridge, Pittsfield, and Boston in becoming a sanctuary city for the transgender community as a means of reaffirming dedication to protecting our LGBT+ citizens' freedoms, safety, and culture. Thank you for your time and consideration.