GENDER AND SEXUALITY JUSTICE

Megan believes everyone deserves to be treated with compassion and dignity. She is a longstanding ally to the LGBTQIA+ community in St. Louis and has worked diligently as Alderwoman to advance the dignity and equality of queer folks that call St. Louis home. In 2019, Megan co-sponsored legislation to prohibit the use of conversion therapy in the City. More recently, Megan worked to secure fertility insurance for City employees, meaning that LGBTQIA+ couples and people seeking to become pregnant have help and support on their journey to building a family. 

Megan recognizes the importance of enshrining these protections locally, especially in the face of a hostile statewide and federal environment. For nearly twenty years, the Missouri Legislature has refused to pass the Missouri Non-Discrimination Ordinance (MONA), which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace. Meanwhile, the impending overturn of Roe v. Wade looms large. Megan knows it is imperative, now more than ever, that the City of St. Louis implement policies to support our LGBTQIA+ community and people seeking abortions and other reproductive healthcare services.

As President of the Board of Aldermen, Megan is committed to:

Making City Government More Inclusive for All:

• Formally changing the name of the City’s legislative body from the “Board of Aldermen” to the more inclusive “Board of Alderpeople” or “Board of Alders” 
• Requiring pronouns for City employees on ID badges and mandating training for City employees on the use of inclusive language as well as other relevant issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community
• Reviewing and updating all municipal paperwork to be more contemporary in its language to describe the LGBTQIA+ community
• Ensuring all City buildings offer gender-neutral bathrooms 
• Exploring the possibility of developing a municipal government-issued ID, with varied and inclusive options for gender markers (including the option to not designate any gender), like New York City’s “IDNYC” program

Promoting Health and Well-Being for All:

• Fully funding and staffing the City’s Department of Health to address the City’s rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which are among the highest in the nation
• Developing specific funding and supports for substance abuse and addiction treatment for LGBTQIA+ neighbors, who experience higher rates of substance abuse than non-LGBTQIA+ people
• Passing legislation locally that prohibits nonconsensual, medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex youth and deferring all nonemergent interventions until patients can provide free, fully informed consent and drive decision-making
• Building a local registry of physical and mental health care providers that are LGBTQIA+ friendly and that offer gender-affirming care

Developing LGBTQIA+ Supportive Programming:

• Developing summer programming to support trans, non-binary, and LGBTQIA+ youth
• Funding employment support services like job fairs, skill-building programs, mentorship and networking programs, and cultural competency training for employers to help trans, non-binary, and queer individuals find supportive places to work
• Developing specific funding and supports for housing and homelessness services for LGBTQIA+ neighbors, who are more likely to experience housing insecurity and instability than non-LGBTQIA+ people
• Mandating a local educational campaign, executed by the Department of Health, that builds awareness of the existence and needs of intersex members of our community and the importance of affirming care and informed consent for intersex youth
• Unapologetically supporting LGBTQIA+ people of color, and specifically transgender women of color, who are more likely to experience violence and discrimination, poverty, and unemployment as a result of their intersecting identities 

Protecting Abortion Access:

• Creating a municipal abortion access fund to support abortion access locally and for those who must travel to seek care
• Establishing strict regulations, within the confines of Missouri state preemption laws, for crisis pregnancy centers (also known as “fake clinics”) that spread misinformation and promote shame surrounding reproductive healthcare decisions