Tallahassee community pushes for LGBTQ sanctuary city
Tallahassee, FL – On July 13 Tallahassee community organizers and experts gave presentations at the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council at City Hall. The presentation's focus was the demand to transform Tallahassee into an LGBTQ sanctuary city.
The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), represented by its president, Delilah Pierre, and communications director, Regina Joseph, led the program.
The presentation was created in response to the anti-LGBTQ policies enacted under Governor Ron DeSantis' administration. These laws include the anti-trans law that forces people to use the bathroom associated with their assigned sex at birth and the ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
TCAC is fighting to make Tallahassee a sanctuary city that provides legal protections and support for LGBTQ individuals. Similar initiatives have already been implemented in cities like Kansas City, Missouri, and West Hollywood, California.
According to one of the presentation slides, “TCAC's campaign centers around a resolution that seeks commitments from various entities, including the City of Tallahassee, Leon County, Leon County Schools, and social service organizations. The primary goal is to establish safeguards that prevent law enforcement agencies and the judiciary from targeting LGBTQ+ individuals based on their identities.”
During the presentation, TCAC expressed concerns about the Tallahassee Police Department. Delilah Pierre stated, “Chief Lawrence Revell attended the Billy Graham Evangelical Conference. This is heinous because of Billy Graham's anti-gay and anti-women stance and his organization's significant contributions to anti-gay and trans causes worldwide.”
Reflecting on the meeting, Regina Joseph seemed satisfied with the advisory council's response, stating that they appeared receptive to TCAC's suggestions and open to making an internal policy recommendation to the mayor.
TCAC plans to actively engage with the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council by participating in the council's upcoming meeting on September 21.
Regina Joseph says, “TCAC has already taken initial steps, such as working with a lawyer to draft policy language for the resolution. Additionally, the organization is actively seeking a city commissioner to sponsor the resolution, which would bring them closer to their goal of making Tallahassee an LGBTQ sanctuary city.”