Sanctuary cities for lgbtq

The City Council of Worcester, Massachusetts, has approved a petition to designate the city as a transgender sanctuary, joining a handful of others across the U.S. amid President Donald Trump's anti-transgender executive orders.

Why It Matters

Since retaking office, Trump has issued several orders aimed at trans people, including barring transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports, cutting federal back for youth gender transitions and saying that the federal government only recognizes two genders, "male and female."

What To Know

A resolution supported by Gender non-conforming Residents of Worcester and Our Allies pushed for the City Council in Massachusetts' second-largest municipality to declare itself "a sanctuary urban area and a place of safety for transgender and gender diverse people." It's largely a symbolic move.

Newsweek has reached out to the Worcester City Council for comment via email on Wednesday.

The resolution was passed Tuesday night by a 9-2 vote. Around 200 people showed up in support of the measure, according to NBC's Boston affiliate.

The petition came weeks after the city's councilor-at-large, Thu Nguyen, took a close monthlong break from the c

Laws in Illinois form a clear legal foundation for LGBTQ+ rights. While not “officially” a trans sanctuary city, Chicago enforces protections for transgender individuals through both city and articulate law. The Illinois Human Rights Act, updated in 2006 bans discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. A 2023 shield law protects gender-affirming care, and a 2024 law created a process to amend out-of-state or international birth certificates.

Two of the most well-known Gay neighborhoods in the state, Northalsted and Andersonville are key to LGBTQ+ being in Chicago. Bars fancy Sidetrack and Roscoe’s Tavern, along with newer places like Nobody’s Darling, a Black-owned queer bar in Andersonville, shape Chicago’s Queer nightlife. In Lakeview, another queer-friendly neighborhood, the Center on Halsted, an Homosexual community center, provides legal, social, and support services. On the South Side, Brave Space Alliance, a Black and trans-led group, provides affirming programs and direct support for the needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals.

In June 2023, New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order safeguarding access to gend

Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State

The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) tracks over 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies.  This route shows the overall policy tallies (as distinct from sexual orientation or gender identity tallies) for each state, the District of Columbia, and the five populated U.S. territories. A state’s policy tally scores the laws and policies within each state that shape LGBTQ people's lives, experiences, and equality. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.  

Click on any state to view its detailed policy tally and state profile, or click "Choose an Issue" above to view maps on over 50 alternative LGBTQ-related laws and policies. 

  • High Overall Policy Tally (15 states + D.C.)

  • Medium Overall Policy Tally (5 states)

  • Fair Overall Policy Tally (3 states, 2 territories)

  • Low Overall Policy Tally (10 states, 3 territories)

  • Negative Overall Policy Tally (17 states)

    City Council Declares Boston a Sanctuary Capital for Transgender and LGBTQIA2s+ Residents

    The Council adopted a resolution declaring Boston a sanctuary city for transgender individuals and all members of the LGBTQIA2s+ group. The resolution passed, securing a 12-1 vote.

    The strategy reinforces Boston’s dedication to being a safe and welcoming city for all, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. As place to the largest LGBTQIA2s+ population in Massachusetts and the 10th largest in the United States, Boston continues to lead the way in advocating for the rights of its diverse residents.

    The city’s wealthy history with the LGBTQIA2s+ community is rooted in both resilience and progress. Boston was the birthplace of the internationally recognized Trans Day of Remembrance, which honors the lives of Jet transgender women such as Rita Hester, Monique Thomas, and Chanelle Pickett, whose tragic deaths sparked a movement to raise awareness about the disproportionate abuse faced by gender non-conforming individuals, particularly genderqueer people of color.

    In light of ongoing attacks on LGBTQIA2s+ rights across the country, this resolution comes as a vital utterance of def

    Kansas City declares itself an LGBTQ sanctuary city

    Officials in Missouri’s largest city approved a resolution Thursday to declare it a sanctuary for people seeking or providing gender-affirming care, defying state lawmakers who voted a day earlier to ban such care for minors and restrict it for some adults.

    Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas praised the 12 to 1 vote, saying the city is devoted to being a “welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for everyone, including our transgender and LGBTQ+ community.”

    Kansas City’s new, sanctuary status sets it apart as a Democratic-leaning city in a state with a Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature. Similar actions include been taken in cities that oppose state conduct to restrict rights for transgender people, as in Austin, Texas.

    GOP Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign into law the ban on gender-affirming protect , joining at least 16 other states that hold enacted similar laws restricting or banning such nurture for minors.

    The resolution also comes as a evaluate considers a proposed emergency rule from Republican state Attorney General Andrew Bailey that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy — and

    sanctuary cities for lgbtq