Last week, the City Council quietly passed a resolution that loudly affirms the City Council and Mayor Laredo’s “commitment to transgender rights and equal protections for transgender and gender diverse community members.”

The letter comes during Pride Month and against the backdrop of a national debate over transgender Americans’ rights and a federal government determined to curtail them.

The resolution passed unanimously without debate. Discussion had been held when City Councilor Cyrus Dahmubed introduced the resolution at the June 3 Programs and Services Committee after the city’s Pride Flag ceremony.

Families came to him and other city councilors last year, Dahmubed, anxious over federal crackdowns on gender affirming care, transgender restroom use, transgender troops in the military and more.

“Since then, we have had I’m very happy to say, a really community-focused process that has engaged families, community organizations, faith organizations and I’m also really happy to say the support from the mayor’s office,” Dahmubed said.

Mayor Laredo co-docketed the resolution with Dahmubed and other city councilors.

Dahmubed noted that the resolution doesn’t change any ordinances or anything else from a legal standpoint. But he also noted the peaceful, joyous vibe at the Pride Flag ceremony just moments before.

“You felt the spirit that brings people together and that helps people feel welcomed and safe here. And that’s one of the beautiful things about Newton,” he said.

Newton has a strong support base for transgender and nonbinary residents and workers–including gender-affirming care and educational policies that mirror state and Biden administration guidance–but with a new presidential administration targeting LGBTQIA+ communities, activists and allies have felt a need to reinforce support for already marginalized people.

“I think it’s also an important moment to recognize that there are challenges for the transgender, gender diverse and LGBTQIA+ community in this country that we cannot solve, that this does not attempt to solve, Dahmubed continued. “This is really about a very particular feeling that we can share with our neighbors and with our friends.”

Here is the full text of the resolution:

By this Resolution, the City Council and the Mayor of Newton affirm the City’s commitment to transgender rights and equal protections for transgender and gender diverse community Members.

WHEREAS, the City of Newton is committed to the safety, dignity, and equal treatment of all residents, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and transgender and gender- diverse people and their families; and

WHEREAS, as a result of other states enacting Anti-Transgender and Anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, individuals and families are relocating to Massachusetts, which is more accepting and protective of individuals receiving gender affirming care, and the City of Newton has a responsibility to ensure these new residents are welcomed; and

WHEREAS, transgender and gender-diverse individuals, particularly young people, face disproportionate risks of harassment, discrimination, denial of lifesaving care, and mental health distress; and

WHEREAS, Newton’s 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), & Mental Health Overview identified that transgender and gender diverse students, students who are LGBTQIA+, and students with disabilities reported higher levels of bullying than their peers. This included 7% of surveyed high school students and 5% of surveyed middle school students who reported being treated badly or unfairly because of their gender identity, and 6% of surveyed high school students and 3% of surveyed middle school students who reported being treated badly or unfairly because of their sexual orientation; and

WHEREAS, approximately 23% of surveyed high school students and 12% of surveyed middle school students identified as LGBTQIA+, and

WHEREAS, gender-affirming care is recognized as medically necessary and appropriate by the American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Psychological Association (APA), and other leading medical and mental health organizations; and

WHEREAS, the AMA, AAP, and APA oppose any laws or regulations that discriminate against transgender and gender-diverse individuals, or that interfere in the doctor-patient relationship; and

WHEREAS, state and federal legislators have introduced legislation to criminalize or penalize the provision of, or the receipt of, gender-affirming medical care, causing fear, instability, and psychological harm to individuals seeking or providing gender affirming care; and

WHEREAS, under Chapter 12, Section 11½ of the Massachusetts General Laws, access to gender-affirming health care services is a right secured by the Massachusetts Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed Chapter 127 of the Act of 2022 and Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2025, commonly referred to as the “Shield Law” and “Shield Law 2.0”, respectively, which are designed to safeguard access to reproductive and gender affirming health care in the state and which offer protections from out-of-state legal actions targeting patients, providers, and families; and

WHEREAS, healthcare professionals providing gender-affirming healthcare and persons seeking or receiving care, or assisting another individual who is seeking or receiving care, within the City of Newton should be protected from attempts to impose criminal punishment, civil liability, administrative penalties, or professional sanctions based on the laws of other states, when such gender-affirming healthcare is lawful in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and meets standards for good professional practice; And

WHEREAS, the City of Newton is a welcoming city that provides safe and equal access to transgender, gender diverse, and LGBTQIA+ individuals at its public facilities and accommodations; and

WHEREAS, the City of Newton has long derived strength from its diverse community, including transgender, gender-diverse, and LGBTQIA+ residents and their families.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWTON, the City of Newton reaffirms its commitment to fair treatment for all and recognizes that protecting LGBTQIA+, transgender, and gender-diverse individuals from discriminatory enforcement actions advances public safety and community trust; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Newton affirms that gender-affirming medical care is a matter of personal health and family decision-making between patients, caregivers, and licensed healthcare providers, consistent with established medical standards of care; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Newton further affirms that LGBTQIA+, transgender, and gender-diverse residents deserve safety, stability, and dignity, and that protecting vulnerable populations strengthens public safety and community trust.