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Thurston County Board of Health proclaims March 31 International Transgender Day of Visibility; local advocates urge protections
Summary
The Thurston County Board of Health adopted a proclamation recognizing March 31 as International Transgender Day of Visibility. Local advocates praised the county for affirming gender-affirming care and warned of state ballot measures targeting transgender youth; the board discussed flying a transgender flag and agreed to the proclamation and a photo.
The Thurston County Board of Health on March 10 adopted a county proclamation declaring March 31, 2026, International Transgender Day of Visibility and heard local advocates describe threats to transgender people and the value of public-health support.
Lucas Miller, introduced to the board by the chair, thanked the board and said formal recognition from a public-health body matters in the current political climate. "When a body like this recognizes our rights to live with dignity and privacy, that's very important," Miller said, urging the county to affirm gender-affirming care for those who need it.
PJ O'Connor, co-chair of Sound Alliance of Older LGBTQ, framed the proclamation as part of a broader community response to an array of anti-transgender measures nationwide. "Transgender Kansans are now living in a tornado of anti-LGBTQ legislation," O'Connor said, and noted that courts and some local governments are pushing back. He cited recent local steps such as updates to Olympia's municipal code to prohibit discrimination.
Commissioner Klaus asked whether the county would fly a transgender flag on March 31; the county manager replied that if the flag had flown last year they expected to be on schedule to do so again. Klaus also provided flags and offered to assist with photos for the proclamation.
Staff read the proclamation language, which affirms Thurston County's recognition of contributions by transgender residents, calls attention to disproportionate discrimination and violence, and proclaims March 31, 2026 as International Transgender Day of Visibility in Thurston County. The board adopted the proclamation and paused briefly for a group photograph before resuming the open meeting.
The adoption was ceremonial but tied to public-health concerns raised at the meeting: speakers stressed that visibility, access to gender-affirming care and local nondiscrimination policies are matters of community health and safety. The board did not take a separate policy vote on services or funding at this meeting; members and staff noted opportunities for future agenda items on related public-health programs or community outreach.
