At its bimonthly meeting Monday, the Baltimore City Council unanimously voted to authorize an informational hearing on the “well-being” of the city’s transgender community.

The resolution passed by the council invites representatives from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s office, the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and various city agencies related to diversity, equity and inclusion to “update the Council on services provided to, and the general well-being of, the transgender community in Baltimore.”

Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, a co-sponsor of the resolution, characterized the effort as a way to advocate for transgender people who feel “unseen” in the city.

“This is an opportunity for transgender to feel seen and to feel heard,” Porter said Monday.

Council President Zeke Cohen took a more political stance on the issue, calling out President Donald Trump’s administration for hoping to “erase trans people” from society altogether.

“This resolution is right on time given that we have an extremely hostile administration in D.C. that seeks to erase trans people from public life,” Cohen said. “Here in Baltimore, all are welcome and we value all of our communities — particularly folks who have experienced marginalization in one form or another.”

Trump has signed executive orders limiting the designated sex on American passports to male or female, as well as banning transgender people from competing in gender-specific sports leagues that do not align with their biological sex.

“The war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said Feb. 5 as he signed the latter executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

The president also railed against so-called “transgender insanity” in public school curriculum during 2024 campaign speeches.

School absenteeism

Councilman Mark Conway’s bill to authorize a study on chronic absenteeism in Baltimore City Public Schools — the first such study since before the COVID-19 pandemic — was approved on a third reading, meaning it now heads to Scott for the mayor’s signature and final enactment.

Councilman James Torrence spoke about the bill Monday, expressing concern that the city spent millions of dollars paying vendors to make home visits with poor results. Torrence said he hopes authorizing the study will push these vendors to improve their collaboration efforts.

“Six million on home visits in two years, and they had no data to provide? That to me is sad, but that is a choice they made,” Torrence said.

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