ANN ARBOR, Mich. – March 31 will now be known as Transgender Day of Visibility in Washtenaw County.
On Wednesday, the county’s Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the day and adding it to county calendars for this year and beyond.
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A Transgender Pride Flag has been raised at the Washtenaw County Administration Building in Ann Arbor in past years to show solidarity with transgender individuals in the community.
Later this month another flag-raising will commemorate the day of visibility. Details have not yet been announced.
“I am proud to be a part of our community where our elected officials are willing to annually recognize Transgender Day of Visibility and fly the Transgender Pride Flag over our government buildings,” said District 8 Commissioner Jason Morgan in a release. “It’s a symbol of our commitment to fostering a diverse and welcoming community, and a reminder that we have more work to do to improve the lives of transgender individuals in every corner of our County.”
The approved resolution established a Gender Affirming Policy (GAP) committee that will use a gender-affirming focus when creating and reviewing county policies, officials said.
Through the resolution, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners affirmed its commitment to creating a diverse community where individuals are “treated with dignity, respect, and protection from discrimination or harm.”
The GAP committee will create a Gender Affirming Documents and Forms Policy that establishes best practices for documents that collect sex and gender identity data.
“Whether you work for Washtenaw County or are accessing services here, we want to make sure we are using best practices to affirm your gender identity and collect good information,” said Katie Scott, Commissioner for District 9, in a release.
“In light of recent actions elsewhere to take away the rights and belittle the needs of the transgender and gender non-conforming community, the creation of a Gender Affirming Policy committee is an important step to ensure every individual is treated with dignity and respect in Washtenaw County.”
Find the resolution here (check out pages 144-145.)