City Council declares Olympia the state’s first sanctuary city for trans and queer people
The City of Olympia has joined a small group of jurisdictions in the country declaring itself a sanctuary city for LGBTQIA2S+ people, just a month after community members came to City Council asking for leaders to expand protections.
Assistant City Manager Stacey Ray presented the council with the resolution during a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28. The council passed the resolution unanimously.
Ray said the council asked staff in December to draft a resolution declaring Olympia a sanctuary city affirming a commitment to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, feel safe and supported in the community.
“You asked for a collaborative approach to developing the resolution that reflects our community’s values, needs and voice, and that includes actionable statements and with urgency to address rising concerns and fears in light of the new administration,” Ray said. “The resolution before you tonight meets all three requests.”
She said the resolution comes quickly to the council so as to be responsive to the moment. She said it was developed with input and review by LGBTQIA2S+ and allied community members and groups.
The expanded LGBTQIA2S+ acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and trans, queer and questioning, intersex, asexual or agender, and two-spirit. The plus-sign signifies additional identity terms to be inclusive.
Ray said Olympia joins only three other places in the U.S. that have declared themselves a sanctuary city or state for queer people. They are New York State, Kansas City, and Ithaca, New York, she said.
What the resolution says
Ray said the first part of the resolution includes six “Whereas” statements that clearly state the community and city values around treating people with dignity, equity and respect, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
She said it also includes an acknowledgment that sanctuary city resolutions are needed to address real threats to LGBTQIA2S+ people’s ability to live free of discrimination, violence and systemic barriers that threaten their safety, well being and human rights.
“Declaring Olympia a sanctuary city means recognizing the inherent worth and equal rights of LGBTQIA2S+ people, and demonstrating a commitment to protecting and advocating for individuals by rejecting policies and actions that promote discrimination, harm and inequity,” she said.
Ray said the second half of the resolution outlines what the city resolves to do in expanding its sanctuary status.
She said the city acknowledges that individuals have the right to gender affirming care, to speech and expression that supports LGBTQIA2S+ people, and expressing one’s own authentic gender and sexuality without regard to biological sex assigned at birth.
She said the city resolves to not dedicate city resources to enforce laws that do not support these commitments. The city also will do what it can to protect information about an individual’s sex or gender assigned at birth and actively oppose legislation or actions at higher levels of government that threaten the right to safety and dignity of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
Lastly, Ray said the city resolves to continue ongoing dialog, partnership and collaboration with the LGBTQIA2S+ community and cultural leaders to reduce barriers to accessing resources and support.
She said the city will continue to open up channels for communication and reporting of crimes against individuals, and build on the relationship with the police department to help promote safety and the well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ people.
Council comments
Mayor Dontae Payne passed his gavel to Mayor Pro Tem Yến Huỳnh to preside over the meeting after Ray summarized the resolution. He said the council guidebook says the mayor does not make motions, but council member Clark Gilman asked that Payne make the motion to adopt the resolution.
He said the council didn’t necessarily want to have to declare Olympia a sanctuary for anything, including immigrants, political refugees, reproductive rights and now LGBTQIA2S+ people. However, community members have repeatedly asked the council for protection.
“To our community members who showed up, who came here, putting themselves on the line openly in a public meeting, requesting that the council declare Olympia a sanctuary city is something that I will always remember and something that I’m so grateful to all of you for,” Payne said.
He said there were many times where he thought to himself that the city should do this, and he tabled it because he wanted to see if the community wanted the council to do it.
“I hope that you feel some sense of relief that your city not only affirms you, but is celebrating you, celebrating us,” he said. “And I look forward to a day where these types of actions at the local level are not necessary because our own federal government is attacking us. So it’s an honor and a privilege to be your mayor and to be part of this moment as someone who identifies with the LGBTQIA2S+ community.”
Huỳnh said it was a proud and historic moment for Olympia.
“This is when the rubber meets the road, right?” she said. “Because we have to hold each other accountable to actually implement and I’m just so proud and thankful for all of the people in this room that have gotten us here today, because this resolution is you and this city is you, and I’m just so proud to be part of it with you.”
Community comments
A handful of community members spoke in favor of the council adopting the resolution. There were no comments opposing the move.
Lucas Miller is a board member of PFLAG Olympia, a nonprofit that provides support, education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people, their friends, families and allies.
He said in declaring Olympia a safe place for people who need health care for their transgender children, or a place where their identities can be officially recognized, the council will be restoring hope to people who felt themselves losing it in the last several years.
He said since the inauguration, PFLAG Olympia has received numerous calls and welcomed new members from people relocating from states such as Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and even other parts of Washington.
“We stand ready to welcome those seeking a newer and safer home, to offer a community to help them find resources and to rebuild their social networks and support networks in their new home,” Miller said.
Alice Rosewater spoke as a representative of the Thurston Lewis Mason Central Labor Council. She said the labor council believes that the ordinance is an important step forward towards protecting LGBT workers and their friends and family members in this region.
“There’s a saying in the labor movement, an injury to one is an injury to all,” Rosewater said. “What this means to us is we recognize that our strength comes from the unity of all working people, regardless of who they are, who they love or where they come from.”
Rosewater said the number one strategy used against labor workers by bosses and the politicians that represent them is to divide and conquer by focusing their attacks on LGBT people and immigrants in particular.
“Right now, they hope to drive a wedge in our movement, to turn us against each other in order to make it easier to attack and exploit all working people,” Rosewater said. “The solution to this crisis is not to give up and give in. It’s to strengthen our bonds of solidarity by standing together as a community and to fight for democratic rights for all.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM.
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