Seattle’s Democratic mayor, Bruce Harrell, has proposed a new city ordinance aimed at enhancing protections for individuals seeking transgender care and surgeries. This move comes in response to what he described as the Trump administration’s “hateful, dangerous, and discriminatory attacks” against the LGBTQ+ community.
Harrell, who took office in 2021 following a period of unrest in the city, campaigned as a moderate with a focus on public safety and supporting local businesses. Despite his more centrist approach, Harrell has been a vocal advocate for transgender care in the past.
The proposed ordinance is seen as a direct response to President Trump’s executive order that suspended federal funding for providers offering transgender healthcare to individuals under 19. Harrell emphasized the importance of Seattle’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city for the LGBTQ+ community, stating that the legislation is a concrete step towards strengthening local protections.
Critics, including conservative radio host Jason Rantz, have labeled Harrell’s proposed legislation as “extreme” and “virtue signaling,” suggesting that it is more about gaining favor with progressive constituents than enacting meaningful change. However, Harrell remains steadfast in his commitment to standing up against discriminatory policies at the federal level.
The Trump administration’s executive orders targeting transgender healthcare have faced legal challenges and are currently blocked by the courts. Some hospitals across the country have halted transgender care services in response to these orders to avoid risking their federal funding. In Seattle, a judge blocked the orders in four states as part of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Democrat-led states.
Harrell’s proposed ordinance also reinforces Washington state’s “Shield Law,” which protects transgender individuals seeking reproductive services and healthcare providers from prosecution. The mayor highlighted a previous bill he signed in 2022 that made interfering with reproductive or transgender care a misdemeanor offense, underscoring his longstanding support for access to transgender care for city employees.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
As a former member of Seattle’s City Council, Harrell has been a vocal advocate for transgender rights and healthcare, making this latest proposal a continuation of his efforts to ensure equality and inclusivity for all residents. With the support of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, Harrell’s ordinance represents a crucial step towards safeguarding essential healthcare services for transgender individuals in Seattle.
This article has been rewritten to provide a comprehensive overview of Mayor Harrell’s proposed ordinance, incorporating key points from the original source while adapting the content for a WordPress platform.
