"The timing of this is not lost on us, with the elections right around the corner," Maiore said during last week's meeting. "And I think we need to do all we can and we need to really speak very proactively to our community and let them know that ... we've heard you, we see you, and we will do everything we can to protect your basic rights and to be a welcoming place for you and your family."
Klemer drew on her own experience coming out as gay in the early 1980s. 'The first thing I was told was, 'Nobody needs to know. Don't tell anybody,' she recalled. 'It's a lousy way to live, and I think we should all be able to come out and be who we are and not have to hide.'
The resolution from Councilors Deborah L. Klemer and Rachel Maiore emphasizes trans rights, equal protections, and access to gender-affirming health care, striving to model Northampton as a sanctuary for transgender and gender diverse individuals.
Collection
[
|
...
]