30 speak to support trans rights at Lansing City Council forum

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 — Around 75 people showed up to the Lansing City Council chambers this evening for an open forum hosted by the Council’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee on solutions to increasing anti-trans rhetoric in the city.

Committee Chair Brian T. Jackson called the meeting after a dozen advocates spoke at last week’s City Council meeting following violent threats made against two trans women at the Avenue Café last week. The other two committee members, Peter Spadafore and Tamera Carter, were also present, and Council President Ryan Kost was in the audience.

Around 30 spoke at public comment, including state Rep. Emily Dievendorf, D-Lansing, who is the state’s only openly nonbinary representative. Members and supporters of the Lansing Advocates for Trans Safety, a group which formed following the threats, made three requests: a statement affirming a commitment to LGBTQ+ safety, the formation of a city LGBTQ+ advisory board and funding for local queer-owned businesses.

“There is the opportunity right now to protect our trans, nonbinary, larger LGBT communities and really so many of our underrepresented, underserved communities,” Dievendorf said. “Because the state and federal government — I'm telling you right now, they're not going to do it. So much of our power to protect our communities right now and our neighbors is in our local government and the protections that can be provided.”

Some speakers also called for Lansing to formally designate itself an LGBTQ+ sanctuary city, something speaker AJ Schicht said “would essentially provide queer people within the greater Lansing area with a commitment to understand that the city of Lansing is dedicated to protecting our legal rights, access to health care and other rights.”

Representatives from the Lansing Police Department were not present after trans safety advocates sent Jackson an email requesting their absence. The email argued that the presence of police would have a chilling effect on trans residents’ willingness to speak. A suggestion by Jackson to include the chief of police in a future meeting was met with a resounding chorus of “no” from the audience.

“In the case of the Avenue incident, the police were called, the police report was made and some of my friends had spoken with the police,” speaker Jasper Baldwin said. “However, after the City Council meeting, we had two other officers approach the Avenue that evening and open up a separate investigation. This told me it was not taken seriously the first time.”

Speakers did not advocate for a police crackdown on anti-trans hate speech. Instead, they called for a proactive approach that bolsters queer and trans-friendly businesses and organizations. The concerns of homeless LGBTQ+ residents, who struggle with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and forced misgendering at religious shelters, were repeatedly raised as speakers asked Councilmembers to fund A Place For Us, an organization working to build a queer and trans-friendly homeless shelter.

“Focusing on hunting down this one individual is the wrong way forward,” said a speaker named Florence during public comment.

Jackson said such funding would be possible through the Human Relations and Community Services Department.

Some speakers referenced Lansing’s reputation as a queer-friendly city.

“I have a very good friend of mine who came here for college, and they found this community and they thrived, and I thought it was because the community here was so well-supported,” said Matthew Frick. “I’m learning it’s in spite of what’s been given to this community.”

Myrh, a speaker, said she had recently moved to Lansing after 30 years in Texas, where there has been a crackdown on transgender rights. She said she lived with a group who has helped migrate people “in terrible situations” to Lansing.

“Let’s build a community and not just be reactive, but proactive,” she said.

Councilmembers quietly took notes during public comment but expressed solidarity with the speakers afterward and discussed solutions.

“It does not fall on deaf ears,” Carter said.

Jackson expressed concerns that adopting a “sanctuary city” title would put a target on Lansing’s back, suggesting it should be discussed further in later meetings.

Spadafore suggested a resolution affirming the city’s commitment to LGBTQ+ residents be drafted for the Oct. 27 Council meeting so that Councilmembers could have further discussions with trans residents. However, Jackson said he would draft it before Monday’s meeting instead, to be discussed during the Committee of the Whole session.

“I heard what the Lansing Advocates for Trans Safety demanded,” he said. “They demanded a statement that comes from us, and they demanded an advisory board and funding and support for queer businesses. Those are the top three.”

“So, if I meet with them, I have a feeling that’s what it’s going to be surrounding. I'm comfortable with putting up a resolution forward for the next City Council meeting.”

He said the resolution would be visible on the agenda ahead of time, and commenters could express support or dissent at the meeting.