Ithaca, New York declares itself a safe haven for trans people

Ithaca, New York has officially declared itself a safe haven for transgender people. Last week, the city’s Common Council unanimously approved a bill to emphasize existing anti-discrimination laws and protect access to gender-affirming care.

As reported by The Ithaca Voice, it also said the city would not work with out-of-state law enforcement officials looking to punish those who traveled to New York to receive legal healthcare.

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He said respecting the privacy of LGBTQ+ youth is just an excuse for “psychotic activists” to exploit children.

“Ithaca is officially a safe haven for those seeking and providing gender-affirming care,” wrote Common Council member Jorge DeFendini on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Now continues the work to ensure easy access to said healthcare so queer Ithacans can safely and securely live their lives as authentically as they deserve.”

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While New York state already has similar protections in place, the Council passed the bill in case state law ever changes. The bill reportedly declares that should state law change, the city would designate the enforcement of gender-affirming care bans as its “lowest priority.”

The move comes only a few months after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a law making the entire state a safe haven for trans folks.

The law says state officials should not cooperate with out-of-state investigations of trans youth and their families who have sought gender-affirming care in New York. It also bans state officials from considering the laws of other states that would allow a child to be removed from their family based on their parent or guardian allowing them to receive gender-affirming care.

Around the same time, New York City Mayor Eric Adams also signed an order protecting people who come to the city for gender-affirming care. The order prohibits any city resources or officials from detaining individuals or assisting out-of-state investigations into anyone who seeks or provides gender-affirming care for transgender youth.