Lakewood council adopts gender freedom policy to protect transgender residents

Lakewood City Council on Oct. 6 adopted substitute Resolution 2025-45, the city’s Gender Freedom Policy, directing city officials to protect the privacy and civil rights of transgender and gender-diverse residents and to prioritize city resources away from enforcement actions that target gender-affirming care or expression.

The adopted substitute version, revised in committee and edited by the law department, says the city will take steps such as deprioritizing certain police cooperation, protecting performers and entertainers from discriminatory enforcement, and keeping private health-care information secure and available to city employees even if the services are provided out of state.

Councilmember Strybigg, who spoke in support on the council floor, said the policy responds to “national and state attacks to dehumanize and erase United States citizens, members of the LGBTQ community” and called on the city to act to protect neighbors. “We must act to protect Lakewoodites with every means possible,” Strybigg said during council debate.

Dozens of residents and local advocates addressed the council during the public-comment period before the vote. AJ Mallow, who identified as a recently out trans resident, told councilors the policy “is a deep reassurance for me and my fellow trans neighbors” and said it would help ensure the city remains a safe place for performances and businesses that serve LGBTQ people. Elizabeth Katovich, representing the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, said the center “strongly support[s] the gender freedom policy” and called it a proactive measure to protect privacy and access to care.

Council members said the measure is intended to preserve civil liberties and local autonomy in the face of state and federal actions they said could threaten privacy and access. Several members praised the youth and community speakers who addressed the council. No roll-call breakdown was recorded in the public proceedings; the president called for the ayes and said the motion passed.

The substitute resolution was developed after two Committee of the Whole meetings in late September, when the council heard testimony from local and regional advocates and received edited language from the law department and community partners. The council’s action sends the revised language back to full council for immediate effect under the terms of the substitute motion.

What the policy does and does not do: the resolution directs city personnel to change internal priorities, documentation, and practices; it does not create new criminal penalties or alter state law. The policy references coordination with city departments and commits the city to limit use of its resources in ways the resolution specifies. Councilors noted further work will be needed to implement specific staff procedures and to coordinate with the city’s law department and other departments.

Council members and several community speakers said the vote was a message of local support for transgender and LGBTQ residents. Several speakers urged continued advocacy at the state and federal level as well as local follow-up to put the policy into practice.