SPOKANE, Wash. — As the federal government rolls back LGBTQ+ protections, the Spokane City Council is taking steps to further safeguard the rights of the local LGBTQ+ community.
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During Monday’s agenda review meeting, councilmembers debated an ordinance, proposed by Councilmember Paul Dillon, which aims to affirm the LGBTQ+ community’s already existing rights.
Dillon’s proposals include affirming the right to seek gender-affirming care and maintaining an LGBTQ+ liaison officer within the Spokane Police Department to collaborate with the community.
Councilmember Jonathan Bingle also proposed amendments that would restrict the use of city-owned restrooms by the sex someone is assigned at birth and would ban transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports at city-sponsored sports events.
“These proposed amendments are blatant attacks from the far-right to distract us from the real concerns of Spokanites and people in our community,” Councilmember Zappone said. “That’s the high cost of living, our Safe Streets, our safer neighborhoods, our parks and climate change, not these manufactured culture wars.”
Council Member Bingle defended his proposals, arguing that many people, regardless of political alignment, support his ideas.
“I didn’t realize that saying that only girls should play in girls sports was an attack from the far-right. I think that you would find that many people who do not consider themselves far-right, right, center-right or center, even, would agree with that,” he said.
On Monday, Bingle’s amendments were not adopted, while Dillon’s proposals were approved.
Spokane City Council is expected to have a formal first reading of the ordinance at its next meeting on Monday, April 21.
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