Olympia City Council approves resolution declaring city a sanctuary for LGBTQIA2S+ people

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Olympia City Council voted Jan. 28 to adopt a resolution declaring the city a sanctuary for LGBTQIA2S+ people, directing city officials to prioritize protections for gender identity and expression, limit use of city resources to enforce laws that would punish or restrict LGBTQIA2S+ rights, and continue partnership with local community organizations on safety and outreach.

The resolution, presented by Assistant City Manager Stacy Reyes, affirms that the city “expands its sanctuary city commitment to include LGBTQIA2S+ people” and lists a series of actionable commitments ranging from defending access to gender-affirming care to protecting information about a person’s sex assigned at birth except when required for a criminal investigation.

The council approved the resolution by voice vote after a period of public comment that included speakers representing PFLAG Olympia, local labor organizations, community mutual aid groups and individuals who identified as transgender or queer.

“The resolution before you tonight meets all three requests,” Assistant City Manager Stacy Reyes said during the council presentation, summarizing staff work that she said incorporated community input and aimed to be “responsive to the moment with actionable items.” The resolution’s text cites the city’s commitment to dignity, equity and respect regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and references Washington’s anti‑discrimination statute, chapter 49.60 RCW.

Community members who spoke during public comment urged passage. Lucas Scott Miller of PFLAG Olympia told the council the city could offer refuge for LGBTQ people fleeing restrictive laws in other states and invoked Harvey Milk’s exhortation to offer hope: “You got to give them hope,” Miller said. Alice Rosewater, speaking for the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council, said the labor movement supports the ordinance and argued solidarity protects workers and vulnerable people: “An injury to one is an injury to all,” she said.

Arlo Kajaca, a local organizer and steward of the Liberation Collective, said the resolution was timely for transgender and nonbinary community members worried about losing health care or facing increased violence. “This resolution is really timely,” Kajaca said, adding that it would help people feel they can remain in Olympia.

Key provisions in the adopted text include: affirming the right to seek, obtain or facilitate gender-affirming care that is legal in Washington; protecting speech and expression in support of LGBTQIA2S+ people, including drag and literature; committing that city resources will not be used to investigate or detain individuals exercising the rights enumerated in the resolution; making enforcement of any future state law that would penalize those rights the lowest enforcement priority; and restricting collection or dissemination of data about sex assigned at birth unless needed for a Washington state criminal investigation.

The resolution also commits the city to ongoing engagement with LGBTQIA2S+ community leaders, maintaining liaison officers in the Olympia Police Department as points of contact, collaborating with event organizers on public-safety planning, and expanding education and public events that uplift LGBTQIA2S+ voices. The text includes a clause stating that if any part of the resolution were held invalid by a court, the remaining provisions would remain in effect.

Mayor Dante Payne moved to approve the resolution after temporarily ceding the gavel to Mayor Pro Tem Nguyen so that Payne could make the motion; the motion was seconded and then passed by voice vote. The record shows no roll-call tally in the meeting transcript; the council reported the motion as approved.

Council members spoke in support during and after the vote. Payne said he hoped community members would feel “some sense of relief that your city, not only affirms you, but is celebrating you.” Several council members emphasized that passage must be followed by concrete implementation steps and monitoring so the commitments become “living and breathing” actions rather than symbolic language.

The resolution cites Washington’s existing anti‑discrimination law, chapter 49.60 RCW, as part of the legal framework the city embraces while pledging to oppose state or federal actions that threaten LGBTQIA2S+ rights. Staff told the council the draft language drew from sanctuary declarations in other jurisdictions and had been developed with input from local community groups, the city’s employee resource groups and police department staff.

Implementation details, including how the city will operationalize the “lowest enforcement priority” language and staffing for liaison officers, were not finalized in the meeting. Council members and staff said they expect follow-up work with departments and community partners to translate the resolution’s commitments into policies, training, and reporting mechanisms.

The council recessed briefly after the vote and then continued with committee and city updates. Several public commenters who had addressed the council during the meeting thanked the council and community organizers for their work on the resolution.

For context, the meeting also included public remarks and a proclamation recognizing Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day, plus routine council business. The sanctuary resolution was the single substantive action item considered and approved during the session.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve the resolution declaring Olympia a sanctuary city for LGBTQIA2S+ people — Mover: Mayor Dante Payne; Second: Council member Gilman; Outcome: approved by voice vote (no roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript).