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Spokane committee hears public support for ordinance to update LGBTQIA2S+ protections and employee health coverage
Summary
Testimony from transgender Spokane residents and discussion by council members moved an ordinance updating Title 18 and adding health‑coverage language forward for further review after stakeholders and staff said more outreach and minor edits remain.
Dozens of residents and stakeholders told the Spokane Finance & Administration Committee they support a proposed ordinance to update the city—s human‑rights code and clarify protections for LGBTQIA2S+ residents, including explicit language related to gender‑affirming care.
Supporters said the update would align city code with state definitions and a state shield law and would close gaps for residents who the speakers said currently face federal and state threats to care.
“I—m Luis Stay. I—m a transgender man and executive director of Trans Spokane, and I—m here to speak in support of the proposed ordinance updating the LGBTQIA2S+ sections of the municipal code,” said Luis Stay during the committee—s public testimony period. Other speakers included a parent of a transgender child and community‑group leaders who described the ordinance as a needed local safeguard.
Why it matters: Committee members and staff said the ordinance would both clean up Title 18 of the municipal code and add stand‑alone language mirroring Washington state—s nondiscrimination definitions. The proposal also includes a provision to extend city employee health benefits to cover gender‑affirming care, which staff said fills a local gap identified during drafting.
Committee members asked staff to confirm which provisions already reflect current city practice and which would change procedures or reporting. Members of the Human Rights Commission and outside community groups asked for additional stakeholder review; several council members noted they had not received the sponsor package in advance and requested extra time for edits.
Council discussion and next steps: Committee members raised procedure questions about coordination with police and event organizers and asked staff to confirm that the ordinance—s shield language would not require the city to use resources to investigate federal actions. The chair said the ordinance had been circulated to local LGBTQIA2S+ organizations, WSU and health providers, but several community members told the committee they had learned of the draft only recently and asked for a formal stakeholder roundtable before final action.
The committee did not vote on the ordinance at the meeting; sponsors and staff said they will incorporate edits and further outreach before returning the measure to a future committee or full council agenda.
