Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has signed an executive order today protecting gender-affirming care in the city.
Gender-affirming care includes a range of therapies designed to support and affirm a person's gender identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth.
City council president Andrea Jenkins, who is transgender, was instrumental in pushing for the order, saying all trans or gender non-conforming residents deserve protection.
"We see you. We feel you. We hear you. Each and every day we are trying to be responsive to the needs of this community, bringing equity and equality to the work we are all trying to do to make this a much better place for all of us to live."
According to Children's Minnesota, all major medical associations support gender-affirming care. Studies have shown young people with access to these types of therapies have less emotional distress, a better sense of well-being, and fewer thoughts of suicide.
Dr. Angela Goepferd is Medical Director of Children's Minnesota's Gender Health Program:
"When transgender and gender-diverse young people are supported to get the gender affirming care that they need that they have less emotion distress. That has positive impact on their well-being. They have reduced thoughts of suicide. To put it simply, when kids are seen and heard and believed they do better."
Executive Order 2022-04 prohibits all City of Minneapolis departments and staff from taking any enforcement action against providers or individuals exercising their right to gender-affirming health care in Minneapolis. The Executive Order also affirms the right of minors living apart from their parents to make their own medical decision regarding gender-affirming health care, pursuant to Minnesota state law.