20220304 2a Budget Recommendation LGBTQIA DRAFT — original pdf

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Budget Recommendation 2022-23 DRAFT families; WHEREAS, On February 22, 2022, Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton issued disturbing and dangerous directives impeding the safety and personal freedoms of our transgender youth and their WHEREAS, City of Austin values and recognizes the LGBTQIA+ community and will not support any efforts to compromise the welfare and safety of our LGBTQIA+ youth and their families; WHEREAS, Gender identity and freedom of expression are vital to how children and teens see themselves and their ability to thrive; WHEREAS, Family support and professional care reduce suicide attempts by LGBTQIA+ youth by 40%; WHEREAS, It is critical for families and transgender youth to have safe access to resources and professional guidance to ensure a positive quality of life; WHEREAS, Major medical healthcare organizations support gender-affirming care and oppose legislation that will hinder medical care for transgender youth; WHEREAS, Dismissing the needs of transgender youth and families is fundamentally negligent and poses a significant risk that may have harmful and dangerous physical and mental health consequences; WHEREAS, Actions like those of Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton are likely to increase rejection, targeted harassment, and hate crimes against transgender youth intersex youth;  statewide; WHEREAS, The intended directives by Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton are a misrepresentation of the law and intend to erode the rights of families and the LGBTQIA+ youth WHEREAS, City of Austin Leadership has a long history of standing in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community, including recent actions of the Travis County Attorney and District Attorney statements to not unjustifiably interfere with the medical decisions made between children, their parents, and their medical physicians; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Human Rights Commission recommends to Council and the City Manager to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community, protect their rights to seek care and feel physically and mentally safe in our community, oppose actions that negatively impact the well-being and rights of LGBTQIA+ youth and their families, and include funding in the FY 2022-2023 budget to demonstrate this commitment.