ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council appears poised to pass a resolution declaring the city a “safe haven” for transgender people seeking gender-affirming care.

Council member Natalie Santos introduced the proposal, which directs the city to “state its commitment” to LGBT human rights and health care access and directs city personnel not to prosecute or impose penalties on anyone seeking transgender health care in the city.

Santos said she put forward the resolution in light of federal attacks on transgender people and their gender-related health care. On his first day in office, Donald Trump passed an executive order that the federal government would no longer recognize transgender identities as legitimate, and called for the government to no longer use federal money for gender-affirming medical care. Several states also have banned or restricted gender-affirming care for minors, and some have aimed to ban any gender-affirming procedures for adults, too.

“Local protections can serve as a safeguard ensuring that even if federal policies change, the rights and health care access of our LGBT community members remain safe and protected at the local level,” Santos said.

Santos went on to say that the resolution would aim to “defend the dignity and well-being of every individual no matter the political climate,” and cited research that gender-affirming care prevents suicide and mental illness in both LGBT youth and adults.

Specific provisions of Santos’ bill include:

—Declaring Allentown a “safe place and supportive city” for LGBT people.

—Directing Allentown employees to, in the event that a national law is passed imposing criminal or civil penalties on people seeking gender-affirming care, make enforcement of said law their lowest priority.

—Directing city employees not to enforce laws that impose criminal or civil punishments on people for seeking gender-affirming care outside of their state.

—Asking the county and state to pass a similar resolution supporting transgender people and their health care.

Council’s human resources, administration and appointments committee unanimously voted to forward the resolution favorably to City Council’s next meeting April 16, where it could receive a final vote. Several council members also voiced support for the resolution and LGBT rights generally.

“I hope that everything in this resolution is already being done at the administration level. … We have to assess our responsibilities to our residents, we serve everyone in the community, it’s good to take a moral stand here, it’s good to see that they’re seen and heard,” Council member Santo Napoli said.

Several transgender advocates and allies also spoke in favor of the resolution.

“I think this resolution could give (health care) providers assurance that they can keep doing their jobs, which is to continue to provide gender-affirming care,” said Robin Gow, an Allentown resident and member of the group Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley. “I have been on hormone (therapy) since 2016, and should not have to be thinking about making changes based on politicians who don’t understand my health care the way that me and my doctor do.”

The city has a nondiscrimination law that dates to the 1960s and was amended in 2002 to specifically address discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. However, advocates said Santos’ resolution is necessary to specifically address new threats to transgender health care under Trump.

Liz Bradbury, who founded the Allentown-based Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, said it is “heartening” to see City Council make an effort to protect transgender health care. She also asked city officials to update the language of its human relations commission ordinance; the commission is an independent city agency that investigates discrimination complaints citywide.

“While it is a good ordinance, it is outdated, it is very outdated, and the language of the county’s human relations ordinance is much more up to date, it protects transgender citizens more, it protects all citizens not just those in bigger businesses, and I really hope that you’ll consider that as well,” Bradbury said.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, who was not present during City Council’s discussion of the bill, said Thursday he is “absolutely grateful” to Santos for putting forward the resolution. However, he told The Morning Call he asked Santos to make several changes to the resolution because he believes City Council does not have the right to direct administrative policy — that is his responsibility as mayor, he said.

“I would happily do this in collaboration with City Council,” Tuerk said. “I have heard the urging of LGBTQIA+ advocates, activists and I think we can certainly take a look, and that’s what council has put forward.”

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