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Council adopts ordinance to protect access to reproductive and gender-affirming care, narrows city role and adds confidentiality provisions
Summary
After public testimony from youth advocates, neighbors and opponents, the council passed an ordinance declaring city confidentiality for reproductive and gender-affirming care records, narrowing the city's role to sharing state-provided information, and directing complaints to the police chief/designee.
The City Council adopted an ordinance intended to protect access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care in the City of Lynn, with amendments requested by the public health director and the police chief.
Councilor McLean introduced the ordinance and framed it as an effort to affirm the city’s commitment to resident health and confidentiality. Student speaker Jason Mao said the ordinance was important for youth, including those who identify as queer or transgender, and asked the council to approve it. Advocacy groups, including members of Neighbor to Neighbor and Lynn United for Change, also spoke in favor.
The council adopted amendments that (1) narrowed the definition of "city agent" by removing contractors and certain recipients of city funding from the definition in order to limit the ordinance’s application, (2) removed unused definitions referenced in the advertised text, (3) replaced an original "Safe Access" section with a confidentiality provision stating that information related to reproductive or gender-affirming health care held by city employees is confidential and will not be released "to the extent permitted by law" absent a court order, and (4) limited the City’s active role in providing information to sharing links and materials already published by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MassGov) and the Department of Public Health. The amendments also replaced an internal affairs reference with the chief of police or his designee for complaint handling.
Opponents who addressed the council urged reliance on medical definitions and warned against compelled changes in language. Brandon Higgins told the council, "A man is characterized as having been born with male genitalia... A man cannot bear children," language he used to explain his opposition to the ordinance.
Councilor McLean moved for approval with the amendments; the motion passed on roll call after a second and floor debate.
The final ordinance directs the Health Department to provide state links and materials on reproductive and gender-affirming care on the city website while explicitly instructing city employees and officials to comply with state and federal law. It also places confidentiality requirements on city-held information, and directs that the police chief or designee handle specified complaints.
Vote: Motion carried (roll call recorded).
