Dozens of people gathered outside the Columbia City Council chambers on Monday, February 19. Many of them were being checked in by Paul Harper, a member of thelocal Parents 4 Parents group.
Parents 4 Parents is a Columbia-based support group for parents of queer kids and has been one of several groups pushing for a "Safe Haven” ordinance in the city.
![Razz White testifies in front of City Council members while speaking in support of the proposed LBGTQ+ Safe Haven ordinance on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, at City Hall in Columbia. White, who is a 33-year-old nonbinary person, has lived in Columbia for the past decade. “I am from a very small town about two hours from here, and personally I saw a lot of my friends die because of [homophobia and transphobia],” White said.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a40a3c6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4731x3785+0+0/resize/840x672!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F51%2F44%2F3b4bcdcc4307ad9fb0e5fa299aee%2F20240219-sanctuarycity-bas-1056-copy.jpg)
This ordinance would not and cannot overrule state law, but it would declare support for the LGBTQ+ community and identify the enforcement of several current and proposed anti-LGBTQ laws as “the lowest priority within the city.”
Some of these laws, both current and proposed, criminalize things like helping another person get gender-affirming healthcare, using a bathroom that matches one’s gender identity, participating in drag and more.
Jen Harper, a co-facilitator of Parents 4 Parents and Paul’s wife, was one of the people lined up to address the Council during public comments. She had undergone back surgery a week ago.
“Normally, a week out of back surgery, I probably would not be out somewhere where I'm going to be for several hours,” Harper said. “But this is so important… It's important to our community, it's important to so many people I love, that it's just more important than resting at home, I guess?"
Harper is the mother of a trans child and was one of the 59 community members that spoke during the public comment portion for the ordinance. She has lived in Columbia for many years and said she wants Columbia to “be a little protective bubble for the LGBTQ community because Columbia has always been a safe place to be.”
Harper said she’s concerned about the recent and continued rise of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans legislation from the Missouri State Legislature, like last year’s “Save Adolescents from Experimentation,” or SAFE Act, which prohibits gender-affirming healthcare for minors in Missouri.
The ordinance also had two amendments naming drag bans and bathroom restrictions as “low priority”for enforcement in Columbia. There are currently no statewide bans on these issues, but several bills have been introduced at the state legislature that would restrict bathroom use based on gender assigned at birth.
“They haven't necessarily passed all of these laws that we're worried about yet. They have passed a few but… that's more of it's probably going to happen, and we need to do something now. So that once it does happen, we won't have to deal with that," Castillow said.
“There's nothing to be afraid about with this ordinance… This really is just providing safety for a particular group that's being attacked.”Eury Speir
Jay Castillow is a 17-year-old trans Columbian who was impacted by the SAFE Act. He had his gender-affirming care abruptly halted when the University of Missouri found there was too much liability to continue gender-affirming careunder the new law.
Castillow says he does have enough medication to make it to his 18th birthday in May and his family is willing to leave the state if needed, but he recognizes that not everyone is so lucky.
“For me specifically, it's really scary with all the bathroom bills and things that are trying to pass in Missouri,” Castillow said. “It's just hard because I know what they're trying to do, and I know that they're probably going to be able to do it, but I have hope that Columbia will pass laws to protect me and everybody else who needs protecting in Columbia.”
Though several people who spoke in opposition to the ordinance brought up concerns that it would allow minors in Columbia to receive gender-affirming care regardless of the SAFE act, the new “Safe Haven” ordinance will not restore gender-affirming healthcare to minors in Columbia and has no ability to do so without violating state law.
The consequences of violating the SAFE Act don’t include criminal penalties where the police would be showing up to arrest someone. Instead, the penalties are largely professional and financial.
Under the law, medical providers would lose their licenses for providing gender-affirming care, and medical systems face the possibility of large financial settlements.
But despite this, Castillow and others agree the new ordinance is important. They say it’s a statement of support from Columbia, which will make it so LGBTQ+ people want to stay, work, raise families, attend universities and own businesses here.
Numerous people stood to address the council - sharing experiences that ranged from being queer business owners, having LGBTQ+ friends and family, experiencing harassment in the bathrooms at school and more.
A dozen or so people spoke in opposition of the ordinance, and they shared religious concerns, questioning the necessity of the ordinance when many class protections already exist in Columbia and even – expressed fear of their rights being taken away.
“There's nothing to be afraid about with this ordinance… This really is just providing safety for a particular group that's being attacked.”
Eury Speir, a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri, was one of the people who spoke in support of the ordinance. They’re a trans nonbinary agender person originally from Springfield, Missouri.
“And for the people who aren't part of the LGBTQ community, it shouldn't affect your day-to-day life,” Speir said. “It's not going to prevent the police from coming and rescuing you from the bathroom because someone is attacking you. It will only prevent them from arresting someone because they're in the bathroom that matches their gender."
After more than three hours of public comment, City Council members shared their final thoughts, thanked community members. – and the “Safe Haven” ordinance and its amendments passed by a vote of 6 to 1.
Ward 5 Council Member Donald Waterman was the one vote against. He said no one should have to feel unsafe in Columbia, but he objected to the proposal being an actionable ordinance that sets law enforcement priorities as opposed to just a resolution of support.
As the final vote was cast and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe called for a short recess, the room erupted in cheers of celebration. People embraced, cried and kissed as they began to leave the council chambers.
Many of the young activists who spearheaded the ordinance efforts prepared to head to a local gay bar to continue the celebration, but mom Jen Harper – while happy about the night's result – turned for home.
“This is just the beginning,” Harper said. “ I swear these kids are going to change the world.”
