Supervisors vote to establish Milwaukee County as a sanctuary for transgender and nonbinary people
Milwaukee County is set to become a sanctuary for transgender and nonbinary people, following approval from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors on Thursday.
Supervisors voted 12-4 in favor of the resolution. Supervisors Patti Logsdon, Steve F. Taylor, Anthony Staskunas and Deanna Alexander voted against the resolution. Supervisors Kathleen Vincent and Felesia A. Martin were absent during the meeting.
The step comes after Dane County announced a similar decision with a 25-1 vote, with three supervisors abstaining, in June.
The resolution articulates the board's support for transgender and non-binary people and urges the sheriff to place a low enforcement priority if the state passes a law in the future 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, that the board urges the Milwaukee County Sheriff to make enforcement their lowest priority."
Supervisor Ryan Clancy, who spoke to the committee about the many residents who provided testimony at the Judiciary, Law Enforcement and General Services committee on Sept. 11, shared his personal ties to the resolution.
"I am grateful for our colleagues in Dane County for the language here that we borrowed," he said. "I know that as a father of an amazing transgender child myself and seeing the struggle that he has had as well as his victories, I know that as a board we have the obligation to provide whatever support that we can."
"I want to underline this is only a first step and that we have a great deal of work to do in health care and over-policing, and housing and employment and so many other areas that make things from bad to worse for trans and non-binary individuals," he said.
The measure goes to County Executive David Crowley for his signature.
More: 'This Is Trans' photo exhibit helps local trans people feel confident in their own skin
Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Vanessa_Swales.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County approves transgender and nonbinary sanctuary measure
