(MADISON) WKOW -- The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution that will make Dane County a sanctuary for trans and nonbinary residents early Friday morning.
The resolution aims to make Dane County a safe place for transgender people and their families. It says if the state of Wisconsin were to pass a law that places criminal or civil punishments on any person or organization seeking gender affirming care, like puberty blockers, hormones or surgery, the board urges the Dane County Sheriff to make enforcing that law its lowest priority.
Rick Rose, author of the resolution says he's been empowered by the influence local governments are growing to have and hopes Thursday night's discussion will allow for him and fellow supervisors to "I take this very seriously," Rose said. "I'm tired of hearing the rhetoric and the narrative being determined by these legislative orders that are happening that are anti. I want to see some positive stuff, some protective stuff going on, on a local level." better understand how they can protect residents.
Despite overwhelming support, 29 out of the 37 supervisors on the board are sponsoring the resolution, there are supervisors who have made their concerns clear.
Jeff Weigand, supervisor of the 20th District, said in an email he was "sorry" to share the news of this resolution.
"What’s worse is the resolution specifically offers support to 'trans youth' and encourages all School Boards in Dane County to support transgender children," Weigand's email said. "Encouraging an adult to mutilate their God determined gender is very sad; but to encourage the mutilation of a child’s body is horrific and is to be condemned and not praised."
Before the County Board meeting, Weigand said as a county board it is the supervisors' duty to protect children.
"We should not be putting them in harm's way," Weigand said. "We should not be encouraging them to make a life altering decision that is irreversible, they cannot change this. And Jesus said that it'd be better for a millstone to be tied around her neck and for us to be cast into a sea than to cause a child to sit and stumble. And that's what this resolution does."
One of the 29 sponsors of the resolution, Supervisor Dana Pellebon says the supervisors that had a hand in creating the resolution pulled from anti-trans legislation being enacted across the country.
The resolution cited a survey from the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group focused on LGBTQ youth, that found trans people are four times as likely to be victims of violent crimes.
"It's important for people to know that there is a space where they are seen, where they are heard, where they are protected," Pellebon said. "So, I'm walking into this, even with all the hate that we have gotten, proud and firm. That what we're doing is the right thing."
The resolution was passed in the early Friday morning after many members of the board voiced their opinions on the resolution.
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