The Cincinnati City Council is going to spend $500,000 on all forms of healthcare for transgender youth, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.The original motion for this came on Monday and aims to prioritize gender-affirming care for minors within the city. This will come out of the overall $22.1 million budget for the Cincinnati Health Department. Related Charmaine McGuffey beat her old boss in an election after he fired her. Now its the rematch. Sheriff McGuffey talked to LGBTQ Nation about how things have improved since she took over after he fired her for speaking out on use of force. The motion passed with a 9-0 vote. An additional vote to solidify the ordinance is still pending. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Increased risk of suicide is a very concerning thing in this population, said Cincinnati Health Commissioner Grant Mussman to council members during the Budget and Finance Committee meeting. For children, especially young children, having that mental health support is very important.The money will be allocated over the next two years. The care is to be contracted to external experts while trying to avoid any repetition of the same work.Mental health care, which is included under this vote, will not be directly provided and will be sought through external submissions.City Council member Mark Jeffreys, who has a transgender child, helped pass the bill. Over the last two years, Ive become acutely aware of the needs in this community, he said. And I believe now is the time for us as a city to say that transgender youth are human beings and deserving of basic dignity. Theres just a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety out there in this community.Former City Council member Chris Seelbach, also the first openly gay council member to be elected to office, promoted the motion.This vote is not about politics its about protecting lives, he told council members during the committee meeting. Its about ensuring that every child in Cincinnati, regardless of who they are, knows they are valued and safe.Editors Note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at988lifeline.org. TheTrans Lifeline(1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth viachat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.