Monterey Planning Commission moves to strike transphobic language from its community development plan.

Following community pushback against transphobic language in the City of Monterey's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Draft Annual Action Plan, the city's Planning Commission moved to remove the language from the document.

To receive federal funding for housing, infrastructure and community service projects, the city is required to submit an action plan every year to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Planning Commission considered the draft plan on Tuesday, April 16, where city staff recommended the governing body pass a motion to officially get rid of four paragraphs in the document’s executive summary with the last now-omitted paragraph reading: “The City of Monterey shall not use grant funds to promote 'gender ideology,' as defined in Executive Order (E.O.) 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

The city’s planning staff recommended that the paragraphs be replaced with: “The city will comply with all applicable state and federal laws,” which was read into the record by Monterey Planning Manager Levi Hill. 

Several community members during public comment spoke against the original language in the draft plan and expressed support for the city and commission’s omission of the paragraphs.

“I also want to announce my great pleasure to hear that you are moving to adopt replacement language,” Mel Zaragoza of Monterey Peninsula Pride said at the meeting. “That language was quite shocking to see, and it’s not in alignment with the values that I know our city has.”

Commissioner Eric Palmer thanked the public for speaking about the language in the plan.

“We still have a lot of work to do and showing up here is really important,” Palmer said. “We were put in a really hard place, and it’s frankly extortion from the Trump Administration to pit us against each other, from either the LGBTQ community becoming offended to taking away basic services for our poor and working class here. It’s just disgusting.” 

Commissioner David Stocker and Vice Chair Terry Latasa agreed with Palmer and reiterated that the language change was for the better. Following deliberation, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a motion to recommend that the Monterey City Council approve the revisions and submit the plan on Tuesday, May 5.