An ordinance fighting against discrimination against all women, including transgender women, and non-binary people, was tentatively passed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in a 3-2 vote.
Supervisor Nora Vargas introduced the ordinance, which aims to define what constitutes discrimination against women, and develop policies to bring an end to it county-wide. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international bill of rights for women adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly.
“Discrimination against women violates basic human rights because all human beings are inherently entitled to equal rights and respect for dignity. Furthermore, discrimination against women causes adverse, unequal, and/or unfavorable treatment of women and girls based on sex, gender, gender identity, and/or gender expression with regard to economic development, the legal system, political and civic engagement, and healthcare,” according to a letter written by Chief Administrative Officer, Helen N. Robbins-Meyer.
Robbins-Meyer wrote, “adopting a CEDAW ordinance will help the County of San Diego achieve gender parity, decrease gender-based discrimination, and work towards the elimination of all acts of discrimination against women and girls in our count.”
Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voted against the ordinance.
"In my opinion, it is taking away from biological women, and that in itself is discriminatory towards women," Desmond said before casting his vote.
Opponents of the ordinance say it changes the historical definition of “women” to include biological men. There were a total of 40 public speakers who supported the ordinance, while 437 spoke in opposition.
According to Vargas, the ordinance only covers county departments, programs, and policies to achieve wage equity across all genders. The ordinance incorporates similar provisions enacted by the County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, and City and County of San Francisco.
After the meeting, Vargas tweeted “Dear San Diego County Staff, if you are a #TransWoman or have a family member or friend, I’m sorry that you have to listen to all this traumatizing hate. Just know that I see you. I love you, and I will fight for you. Every day!”
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The County Board of Supervisors will vote again to formally adopt the ordinance at a May 10 meeting.
