The city of Bloomington has now been declared a safe space for those seeking gender affirming health care, as the Bloomington City Council adopted Resolution 2024-14, in an eight-to-zero vote during Wednesday night’s session. The resolution was sponsored by councilmembers Courtney Daily and Matt Flaherty.
The resolution was written in response to Senate Bill 480, passed by Indiana General Assembly in 2023, which bans gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse individuals under the age of 18 in Indiana. Section one of Resolution 2024-14 defines gender-affirming health care as any combination of services – medical, surgical, mental health and non-medical – which support and affirm someone’s gender identity.
State Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-District 40), who represents Bloomington, released a statement ahead of the council vote declaring her support for the resolution.
“We know that our transgender youth tragically have higher rates of depression and suicide. We must protect the rights of parents, youth and their doctors to make medical decisions with well-established, scientifically backed guidance without interference from politicians,” Yoder said in the statement. “Bloomington has a long history of being welcoming and treating people better than the state legislature, and I urge our Councilors to vote tonight to uphold that history by supporting the resolution.”
The now-adopted resolution declares the city of Bloomington a safe haven for gender-affirming care; recommends city personnel not penalize any individual or organization providing or receiving gender affirming healthcare; and says any state law or regulation which imposes civil liability, or penalties on those providing or receiving gender affirming care be enforced with low priority. The resolution, however, is non-binding.
