On November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance – Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved a motion to spend $500,000 over the next two years to support trans youth mental healthcare.
The funding comes after HB 68 – which bans gender-affirming care for minors – was upheld by Judge Michael Halbrook in August. Cincinnati is also home to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which houses a Transgender Health Center for trans and gender non-conforming youth up to age 25.
“We’re offering this because words and laws of political leaders do have consequences,” said Mark Jeffreys, the councilmember who camptioned the motion. “It is not hyperbolic to say this will save lives.”
The Cincinnati Health Department will send a request for proposal (RFP) to fill gaps in the “ecosystem of healthcare” through funding, Jeffreys said.
Jeffreys cited a 2024 Trevor Project study, which found that anti-trans laws can significantly impact transgender youth suicide rates. One of his children is also transgender, according to WVXU.
During public comment, former city council member Chris Seelbach said he worked with Jeffreys on the motion, and urged the council to pass it. In 2011, Seelbach became the first out LGBTQ+ individual elected to Cincinnati City Council.
“Being an ally is not just a title – it is earned through action,” he said.
Tom Sauer, president of Cincinnati PFLAG, said the funding for mental health was a great step, but it shouldn’t be the only one.
“We applaud the legislation for trans and nonbinary youth, but we can’t help but wonder, will it be enough?” he said. “I’m scared [that my children] are now political targets. I’m scared that this will continue.”
Lucinda Isaacs, a trans woman and Presbyterian minister, said that Cincinnati’s investment in LGBTQ+ mental health care inspired her to invest in the city through buying a new home.
“This type of care saves lives, and I know this because it saved mine,” Isaacs said.
Though there was unanimous support by city council, some members of the public took issue with the funding.
A resident during the city council meeting said she was not homophobic, but believed that if $500,000 could be used for trans youth, it could also go towards Black youth through transportation and other initiatives. Another resident said President-elect Trump’s 2024 election victory translates into a lack of support for transgender people, before calling trans individuals a “freak show,” according to WVXU.
“As a Black male voter in this city, we need council members that prioritize us over they/them to vote down this motion,” he said.
Council member Anna Albi responded to opposition by asking dissenters to “direct their ire to the state government and the state legislature.”
“In the days following the election, they didn’t try to help people with their property taxes,” Albi said. “They didn’t try to help kids who were going hungry after school lunches. No, they used the power at the statehouse to target trans individuals, to keep them from using the bathroom, to keep them from playing sports, to keep them from accessing health care.”
When the Cincinnati City Council passed the motion unanimously, the chamber broke out in applause. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- To let Cincinnati City Council know your thoughts on the $500,000 investment, click here.
Know an LGBTQ+ Ohio story we should cover? TELL US!
Submit a story!
