The Cincinnati City Council is going to spend $500,000 on all forms of healthcare for transgender youth, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The original motion for this came on Monday and aims to prioritize gender-affirming care for minors within the city. This will come out of the overall $22.1 million budget for the Cincinnati Health Department.

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The motion passed with a 9-0 vote. An additional vote to solidify the ordinance is still pending.

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“Increased risk of suicide is a very concerning thing in this population,” said Cincinnati Health Commissioner Grant Mussman to council members during the Budget and Finance Committee meeting. “For children, especially young children, having that mental health support is very important.”

The money will be allocated over the next two years. The care is to be contracted to external experts while trying to avoid any repetition of the same work.

Mental health care, which is included under this vote, will not be directly provided and will be sought through external submissions.

City Council member Mark Jeffreys, who has a transgender child, helped pass the bill. “Over the last two years, I’ve become acutely aware of the needs in this community,” he said. “And I believe now is the time for us as a city to say that transgender youth are human beings and deserving of basic dignity. There’s just a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety out there in this community.”

Former City Council member Chris Seelbach, also the first openly gay council member to be elected to office, promoted the motion.

“This vote is not about politics − it’s about protecting lives,” he told council members during the committee meeting. “It’s about ensuring that every child in Cincinnati, regardless of who they are, knows they are valued and safe.”

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.

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