Given that Pride Month has just passed, one Erie City Council member has been working with community leaders about the possibility of declaring Erie a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community.
During the Erie City Council meeting Wednesday morning, there was a discussion about making Erie the first sanctuary city in the Commonwealth.
Due to the recent activity and concerns over the Pride display being removed from the children’s section of the Blasco Library, Erie City Council member Susannah Faulkner has been working on a soon-to-be-proposed ordinance to declare Erie a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community.
Faulkner said this declaration would shield multiple groups.
“Folks who are fleeing more hostile states but also just folks here in our region and in our city. Unfortunately, in Pennsylvania, we do not have statewide protections against discrimination as a community,” said Susannah Faulkner, Erie City Council member.
One of the seven people that spoke said the city has received a perfect score on the municipality equality quality index and believes Erie is already known for protecting the LGBTQ+ community.
“By putting into place the discrimination laws for LGBTQIA+ folks looking for housing and work,” said Samantha Smith who is in favor of the proposed ordinance.
Another person in favor has lived in Erie all their life and said the city is worth building and nurturing.
“We are raised to believe Erie is a city not worth being in and leaving was the best option for a better life, I do not believe that,” said Rie Witherow, who is also in favor of the proposed ordinance.
All the citizens that spoke during the meeting are hopeful that the city council establishes Erie as a sanctuary city.
“Eighty percent of our trans youth have considered suicide. About 40% have actually attempted it. If there is anything we can do to make those statistics better in our home I really beseech you to try to do that for them,” said Carol Rodgers, another ordinance supporter.
“We have to protect ourselves, protect our own. And so I’m working with various groups to put that together our first reading for our first council meeting on July 19,” Faulkner went on to say.
Councilwoman Faulker has met with Governor Shapiro during his recent pride reception and said the governor hopes Erie will be the first to be declared a sanctuary city.
