The Young Democratic Socialists of America call upon city officials to pass an ordinance that would guarantee protections for LGBTQ+ community members and their families.
The Mizzou Young Democratic Socialists of America partnered with the Mid-Missouri Democratic Socialists of America to issue a press release urging the Columbia City Council to declare Columbia a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community.
Columbia’s designation as a sanctuary city would guarantee protection for, “the LGBTQ+ community, their families, their right to gender-affirming healthcare, and their rights to speech and expression,” Mel Tully and Reese Holcomb wrote in the press release.
The proposed ordinance would require Columbia along with all city public officials, employees, agents, and law enforcement to recognize the unconstitutionality and infeasibility of current or future laws that potentially endanger members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically transgender individuals.
The press release cited examples of such laws and actions, including penalizing individuals for receiving or providing gender-affirming care, banning drag shows, requiring individuals to use bathrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth or nonconsensually disseminating information on someone’s sex assigned at birth.
YDSA cited Kansas City’s approved resolution to become a sanctuary city, which occurred in May 2023.
YDSA representatives plan to read the proposed ordinance at the next Columbia City Council meeting, on Nov. 20.
“Current and prospective LGBTQ students increasingly view Missouri as a state where they are denied the ability to live their lives without interference, fear, and oppression,” the press release read. “This is a measure Columbia must take to protect the lives of Transgender and Queer Missourians.”
Edited by Sam Barrett | sbarrett@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com