The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors proclaim March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility. (Fairfax County)
"I'm just very happy that we're recognizing a community that has too often been pushed into the shadows and celebrating yet another community within our diverse tapestry here in Fairfax County," Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, a Democrat, said during the vote.
Bierman, one of the nine members who requested the proclamation, added the county wants "to make sure that everybody who's a part of our community feels welcomed, feels loved and feels empowered."
Democrat board member James Walkinshaw, referring to Herrity's absence, said he's "looking forward to the day when we have a full dais for this proclamation, and that day will come."
County Board Chairman Jeff McKay, a Democrat, called the proclamation part of the board's "moral responsibility to stand up for all people, not just the people we like or the people we agree with."
A transgender flag unfurled on a pole. (Getty)
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The Fairfax County proclamation comes amid a push from more conservative states to enact laws restricting both surgical and nonsurgical transgender procedures for minors. States such as Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida make it a felony to perform surgical procedures, such as sex changes, on minors or provide them with any gender-transition prescriptions.
Meanwhile, several states have created "shield laws" that protect these procedures and gender-transition prescriptions for transgender people. Those states include California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, Illinois and Massachusetts.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
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