Right-wing media figures mocked Worcester, Massachusetts, for voting to become a sanctuary city for transgender people while simultaneously denying attacks on transgender rights—even as they defended those very attacks.
Trump attacked sanctuary cities for immigration in his first term. Now, with the help of right-wing media and encouragement from Project 2025, he's employing some of the same tactics to target sanctuary cities for transgender people. He’s also issued an executive order that would sanction states with sanctuary policies for youth transition care, part of his slate of orders that hack away at trans people’s access to public life, including sports, health care, and the armed services.