News of the Future: Unanswered questions after the sanctuary vote

Presenter: To make decisions together, groups of people from time immemorial have used three steps. Step 1: Initiate a proposal. Step 2: Respond to the proposal. Step 3: Consider the proposal and the response, and decide.

Lane County commissioners approved a statement April 22 that ‘reaffirms the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act, as well as our value of equity and respect for transgender people and immigrants who reside in Lane County.’

In this 1-2-3 model, the Step 1 initiating group included immigrant rights, social justice, and trans communities, and a majority of Lane County commissioners. During public comment right after the 2024 presidential election, Anna Lardner:

[00:00:45] Anna Lardner (Nov. 12, 2024): Oregon is a haven for marginalized and vulnerable people, and that is central to both our state’s values as well as the values of our county.

[00:00:53] Unfortunately, the incoming administration in Washington is likely going to try and jeopardize that. They plan aggressive and intrusive immigration raids across the country, as well as definitely in our state.

[00:01:05] Here in Lane County, the commissioners can take a stand by making a statement that we will protect our vulnerable Oregonians, that we will make sure that we safeguard the rights of our community and our people against those from Washington who might come and try to take those rights, that we will not accept money from federal immigration authorities, that we will protect the reproductive health care, gender-affirming care and other rights that we hold so dear.

[00:01:29] I really hope to hear about that statement soon.

[00:01:32] Presenter: Dec. 17, 2024, Amie Annsa:

[00:01:35] Amie Annsa (Dec. 17, 2024): We need to know that we’re going to be okay, and we need to know that you are with us. We need to know that no matter what happens under this new administration, that local government, which is the government that most affects people’s daily lives, is going to protect us and fight for us.

[00:01:52] There are so many organizations here in Lane County and nationwide, that are advocating for the rights of transgender and gender-nonconforming people. But we can’t do it without you.

[00:02:03] Presenter: Jacob Griffin:

[00:02:04] Jacob Griffin (Dec. 17, 2024): Nothing in my life gives me the joy that discovering at 62 I had been in the wrong body and now was in the right body. And what I need you to do is to protect me and that joy and all the trans children that are growing up in your community.

[00:02:22] … And so I am asking you to create a sanctuary county, to create a situation in which our children can feel safe and celebrated as who they are, and get to grow up to be the people that you want in your community to help grow it.

[00:02:37] Presenter: Commissioner Laurie Trieger:

[00:02:39] Commissioner Laurie Trieger: I really appreciate everyone who spoke and particularly to my queer community. I have the privilege of a sort of passing queerness that a lot of the folks who came to present today do not. And I very much appreciate you bringing your full selves—your joy, your anguish, your fear, your hope.

[00:02:55] Presenter: Dec. 17, 2024, Commissioner Pat Farr.

[00:03:00] Commissioner Pat Farr (Dec. 17, 2024): I’m going to be asking for a statement or declaration regarding Lane County as a sanctuary county, which will include providing agenda time for local agency testimony.

[00:03:09] Presenter: After hearing from local agencies and conducting listening sessions, county staff presented the final statement. April 22, 2025, Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky:

[00:03:22] Steve Mokrohisky (Lane County, administrator, April 22, 2025): There really is nothing in this statement that is new or different from actions that the county has historically taken or continues to take: welcoming diverse people to our community; upholding the laws that exist in the state under the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act; providing equal access for services, particularly healthcare services; and affirming the rights of transgender people and the right to access to healthcare; upholding the rights of people to seek gender-affirming care; and then challenging federal policies that may harm transgender individuals.

[00:03:58] So these are all things that either exist under state law, that we have adhered to and continue to adhere to, or they are statements reaffirming work that we have always done. I also want to be clear, it, you know, it’s our estimation and belief that the direction of the board was the statement is not intended to provide more rights to some and less rights to others.

[00:04:20] It is not intended to favor or support individuals above other individuals, but really the work that we do that we, oftentimes is called DEI or equity or belonging-type work, this is really work that is in recognition of the support for all people in our community.

[00:04:39] And I know that sometimes that work can get politicized. This is not about a political agenda. It’s really about supporting the people that we employ and the people that we serve in the community, very basic in that regard.

[00:04:52] Presenter: Jacob Griffin:

[00:04:53] Jacob Griffin (April 22, 2025): When I read the sanctuary promise draft that you sent out, I cried. And I don’t know any trans people who didn’t cry. It’s beautiful and affirming.

[00:05:03] Presenter: Sherri Jones:

[00:05:04] Sherri Jones: Thank you, Board of Commissioners, for the statement as it’s been published, I cried when I read it.

[00:05:13] And I want to say, though, today, especially, that I know that I’m not alone as a parent and a supporter of the transgender community. And I know that there are folks here in this room that also are parents and family members of members of the transgender community

[00:05:30] Presenter: Amie Annsa:

[00:05:31] Amie Annsa (April 22, 2025): The affirmation of these protections mean so much to me and my family and my community. It’s affirmations of protections that already exist in Oregon law. It’s about helping people to know that Lane County is a place that loves and cares for people regardless of their gender identity, or expression, or their status as an immigrant.

[00:05:56] We’ve been fighting to make Lane County a place that is welcoming to everyone. It’s not about our life choices. Being trans is not a choice. If it is, I promise you, it is a terrible choice.

[00:06:08] It has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, being my true self, but every day I know that I am better off for it. My community is better off for the strength that I bring and the strength that we collectively bring and the strength that my children bring and the strength that everybody in our community brings and we’re going to keep fighting and we need you to fight with us and we love you. I love all of you. I thank you all so much for being you.

[00:06:37] Presenter: Anna Lardner:

[00:06:38] Anna Lardner (April 22, 2025): I remember coming here five months and a week ago, right after the election to come and speak before you. And that was a really scary thing to do. I’d never spoken before the Board of County Commissioners before, and I’ve been really excited and happy with the way that the commissioners have held space for these concerns and have actually moved forward in conjunction with Mr. Mokrohisky right here in the county with making those requests for a sanctuary county a reality.

[00:07:07] As part of this statement that you’ve issued, I am really excited that you are affirming state law and affirming Oregon’s state law in particular to provide these protections and make sure that not only are we not cooperating with federal immigration authorities, but that we are also a place where anyone, immigrants, refugees, the trans community, and anyone who needs it can get the health care that they need.

[00:07:33] This statement represents something that’s really beautiful and magical and shows that Lane County is a place that people can come to regardless of their background and that Lane County will be a place that can provide them that health care and be a safe home for them.

[00:07:49] Presenter: That was the group that initiated the proposal. In the next step, we hear from the group that responds. Feb. 11, Austin Hodges:

[00:07:58] Austin Hodges (Feb. 11, 2025): We were very distraught with what we were told with how transgendered men were allowed in the women’s bathroom locker room to watch my kid undress or my wife. what would you do in this situation if your daughter or your wife was sexually assaulted because we allow this agenda and this negative dogma to continue that men can be women and that men can be in their sports, they can be in their locker rooms.

[00:08:24] And you want to sit here and talk about how the LGBTQ community might be oppressed or whatever it may be. But where does our rights stop to make them feel more comfortable?

[00:08:35] Presenter: April 8, Austin Hodges:

[00:08:37] Austin Hodges (April 8, 2025): Long story short, I just got full custody of my daughter, which is pretty hard. Moved her from Arizona up here three months ago and kind of get her into the private Christian school that we wanted to, so we had no choice but to let her go to public school.

[00:08:53] I went to school with her on Friday because she was struggling and I made the executive decision as her father to pull her out of the public school system because of what was in that school system.

[00:09:02] Some of those books have materials such as intercourse between gay couples, as how do you feel about being on the non-whatever-it’s-called, binary spectrum with no gender, stuff that doesn’t make sense. And it’s like we’re putting this in our schools for elementary, for a middle, for a high school for what? You guys want to have—? I don’t agree with changing the safety of 98% of your town, 98% of your county or country for 2% of people.

[00:09:31] Presenter: April 22, Austin Hodges and his daughter:

[00:09:35] Austin Hodges: I even have my daughter with me today. I asked her this morning. I said, ‘Hey, are you comfortable with a guy who thinks he’s a woman, are you comfortable with him being in your bathroom and in your locker room, watching you change, watching you go to the bathroom?’ What did you tell me? (No)

[00:09:49] ‘No,’ why? Why is that? (Inappropriate.) It’s inappropriate. A 12-year-old, a 12-year-old girl knows it’s inappropriate, knows it’s disgusting. But you guys don’t want to take the precaution to protect them and like I’ve said before, there’s extents that I’m willing to go to protect my family that go far beyond any extensive measure you guys can take to pass an agenda.

[00:10:12] Presenter: April 22, [Speaker]:

[00:10:14] Speaker: We’re not judging you on who you are as people. We do not want to be forced to pay for your medical care, for your transitioning, your gender transition surgery. We do not want to be forced to pay for your medications. All of it is extremely expensive and it’s my understanding that it’s covered by Medicaid if they deem it necessary. I don’t know what the criteria is. That is a separate and very valid issue that needs to also be discussed, I think, with the Lane County residents and taxpayers.

[00:10:54] We are not judging you as people. We are judging in so far as we do not want to be financially responsible for your personal sexual identity and gender choice. That is your business and your business alone. We do not want to pay for it. We work hard to support our own families. Some of us work two jobs. Some of us work more than two jobs.

[00:11:20] It’s a very expensive to live in the 21st century in the United States of America. It’s very hard to keep up and just manage our own costs. A Lot of us can’t afford health care for ourselves. Why would we support your health care? It is not a right. It is a privilege just like citizenship is a privilege.

[00:11:45] Presenter: [Speaker]

[00:11:47] Speaker: The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders lists body dysphoria as a mental disorder.

[00:11:58] No one would ever affirm an anorexic in their delusion. No one would ever use the pronouns overweight or fat because it’s simply not true.

[00:12:10] Karen Carpenter was a drummer and a singer who died from her delusion. She was anorexic, she thought she was fat, she starved herself to death. Supporting a delusion doesn’t help anyone.

[00:12:26] XY chromosomes will never be female, XX chromosomes will never be male. Transitioned people have the highest suicide rate of any demographic. There’s a lot of regret afterwards and a very high suicide rate. Affirming a delusion doesn’t help anyone.

[00:12:50] Presenter: [Speaker]

[00:12:51] Speaker: I do not want Lane County to become a Mecca for transgenderism. I feel that the commission has better ways to spend our money. I understand that these people have needs, and I treat them with respect whenever I’m in association with them at an office or at a building, and I expect them to do the same for me.

[00:13:21] And if we all live as decent human beings, there’s no reason why we can’t all get along and not need special resolutions to make people a special group. It is your responsibility as commissioners to support and represent all of the people of Lane County and not just a special interest group.

[00:13:46] Presenter: Brian Cuff:

[00:13:47] Brian Cuff: This smacks of special rights, all of this does. It goes into, you know, foreign citizenship. It goes into denouncing white nationalism, acknowledging Pride Month, and then you get down to the goal. To me, this is the goal that I see in this paperwork, is this: ‘…with a strong call from community members urging the declaration of Lane County as a sanctuary for transgender people.’ That’s special rights. You start going down a special rights road…that I think is totally totally not what the county should do.

[00:14:19] When you look and they say that 10.5% of Oregon considers themselves this way, but we only have so many resources inside the county itself. So why, why would we spend resources on something that’s already affirmed?

[00:14:35] It says, another phrase: ‘…building systems that advance their efforts.’ What does that mean? What kind of system is going to be built to affirm these efforts of getting these special rights? You get down and they talk about they begin to intersect the community of foreigners with LGBT community. They’re trying to pull something here.

[00:14:56] Presenter: After Step 1 Initiate and step 2 Respond, step 3 is: Deliberate and decide. They can agree with the initiating group or the responding group, or they can seek a compromise acceptable to all.

[00:15:08] April 22, commissioners briefly considered compromise in hopes of a unanimous vote. Commissioner Ryan Ceniga:

[00:15:16] Commissioner Ryan Ceniga: I’ve stated for a couple of years now. I don’t know if the county should make these kind of statements. You can tell the tension it brings, the unneeded tension. As has been mentioned, we’ve had 70—I thought it was closer to 100—emails about adjustments that people would like to see to this letter and that we’ve had comment today from a different side asking for adjustments to this letter.

[00:15:38] My hangup is these letters create tension. They do every single time, and in these uncertain times, do we need to add to that tension?

[00:15:49] Presenter: Commissioner David Loveall:

[00:15:51] Commissioner David Loveall: I don’t know about you, but I feel the tension up here for the last three months. It’s been difficult to run these meetings and hear the angst of people and then hear some counteropinions and then it just fueled all of the things that has happened and in fact one of the meetings we had that we had to recess, it got so out of hand.

[00:16:08] And that bothers me. It bothers me that the county whom I’ve heard many people in the public sector in this public comment arena say that they came to Lane County because they feel safe here and they’ve heard that this was a safe place. So Lane County historically has done some good things and some good things right and I want to be a part of that and continue to be a part of that.

[00:16:27] I struggle with all of these differentiations between different classes. I struggle also too with this update on this when it says, ‘create policies across Lane County to protect the rights of transgender people and immigrants’ when some of my colleagues had said how many times the word ‘every person’ and ‘all people’ was referred to in the sanctuary letter.

[00:16:46] So I’m wondering why again we make another statement with some exclusatory language when really, what I would think we would say would be: Update and create policies across Lane County to protect the rights of all people. Isn’t that what we’re here for?

[00:17:01] So I think as we continue to specify the letter based on our preferences or our backgrounds, I think we do ourselves a disservice.

[00:17:10] So I would support this letter without this added statement… Commissioner Farr, do you wish to make any corrections to that, based on what you’ve heard so far, sir?

[00:17:19] Presenter: Commissioner Pat Farr:

[00:17:21] Commissioner Pat Farr: Thank you for the request, Chair. I would like to have a unanimous vote on this. I can’t predict what the vote may be. So if a friendly motion were made to remove the addition, I would consider accepting that as a friendly motion.

[00:17:37] Commissioner David Loveall: I think that would be something that you could do on your own self, but I think your perception on a unanimous vote is very astute, sir.

[00:17:48] Commissioner Pat Farr: And Chair Loveall, I wish to restate that I believe these words are very meaningful, particularly in light of the current situation that we have in the United States of America… At this particular point in time, we have certain groups that have been targeted and this statement covers in a small way those groups who feel particularly vulnerable today.

[00:18:15] Presenter: Commissioner Heather Buch:

[00:18:17] Commissioner Heather Buch: I want to see us vote on the original motion. At this time at this moment in our country with what our community is telling us, we need to stand strong and we need to have a powerful statement and the motion on the floor is a powerful statement.

[00:18:35] Presenter: Commissioner Laurie Trieger:

[00:18:37] Commissioner Laurie Trieger: I also would like to see us vote on the motion that is on the table with the amendment and I appreciate and respect the chair’s concern but the addition does not say ‘update and create policies across Lane County only to protect the rights of,’ and so it’s not an exclusive, it’s an inclusive statement, and again, surrounded by language about ‘every person,’ and ‘people in our community.’

[00:19:05] This came before us at the request of constituents. This addition came to us at the request of constituents. This is to be responsive to the community, and I stand by seconding the original motion that has the addition of this statement, and would like to call the vote.

[00:19:22] Commissioner David Loveall: All those in favor signify with an aye. (Aye. Aye. Aye.) All those opposed. (Nay. Nay.) Vote passes 3-2. Thank you very much.

[00:19:34] Presenter: And just like that, 1-2-3, Lane County reaffirms the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act, as well as our value of equity and respect for transgender people and immigrants who reside in Lane County.

[00:19:47] Although that vote is past, the concerns remain: How can we afford these expensive treatments for gender dysphoria, when many in Lane County are going without health care? And how can we respect the rights of transgender persons while also respecting the religious beliefs of those citing the most sacred books of their religions?

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News of the Future is produced by John Q for Whole Community News, KEPW 97.3, Eugene’s PeaceWorks Community Radio. Some names withheld, pending public records request, to confirm spelling.