Lucy Calderon is a journalist and political activist in Louisville Kentucky who graduated from Ithaca College in 2023. Having lived in New York and Kentucky, she experienced firsthand how the protection of accessible and equitable healthcare directly impacts the overall wellness of a community.
“When I came to Ithaca it felt like a parallel universe and like a utopia because when I was in Kentucky, I was constantly fighting for more inclusive sexual health education,” Calderon said. “I was constantly fighting for access to abortion and birth control because every year [Kentucky] legislators try to create more barriers to people receiving care.”
States like New York that continue to protect reproductive care are “doing their part through their common council by declaring sanctuary cities because they realize the gravity of the situation and how many people who need this care aren’t receiving it where they are,” Calderon said.
Sanctuary status for abortion and gender-affirming care
In 2017 Ithaca declared sanctuary status for abortion and reproductive healthcare, which means the city will not cooperate with out-of-state investigations into abortion care and will not use city resources to aid in these investigations.
In 2023 the Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously to declare Ithaca a sanctuary city for gender-affirming care following Governor Kathy Hochul’s declaration of New York State as a “safe haven” for transgender youth.
Ithaca’s Common Council unanimously voted to reaffirm both of these jurisdictions in February of this year.
Caitlin Hunter, Planned Parenthood community organizer, said that the push to reaffirm cities sanctuary statuses came directly from the community.
“It was a community led kind of push to re-engage this conversation,” Hunter said. “I was at all three meetings when these issues were discussed, and the community really did come out in full force and express their interest.”
Ithaca’s three sanctuary jurisdictions intersect at Planned Parenthood, where reproductive care, including abortions, and gender-affirming care are treated to the fullest extent regardless of citizenship status.
Hunter said that patient privacy is at the core of Planned Parenthood and encouraged individuals to be well-informed about their reproductive healthcare provider.
“Protecting patient privacy is something we are always thinking about and working towards both at a legislative level and in our own practices,” Hunter said. “Unfortunately, there are groups that engage in deceitful tactics that will not provide holistic and truthful healthcare… so make sure you are going to a trusted medical provider.”
By protecting these rights and offering the related services, the Ithaca Common Council and Planned Parenthood are “holding up the mirror back to the community and reaffirming the belief that abortion and gender-affirming care is healthcare, that health decisions should be made between the individual and their doctor and that LGBTQ individuals should be able to live their most authentic lives,” Hunter said.
Receiving medical care under sanctuary status for immigration
In 1985, Ithaca passed a resolution to become a sanctuary city for immigration, prohibiting police and city officials from aiding federal immigration enforcement. The Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously to reaffirm this jurisdiction in February with the other jurisdictions.
This protection extends to healthcare, declaring that anyone in Ithaca can receive adequate medical care regardless of citizenship status.
Herb Alexander, Cayuga Health Chief Diversity and Learning Officer, has the lead role of providing equitable and inclusive care in their hospitals. He said that sanctuary jurisdiction in Ithaca supports their goal of creating a “healthier, more equitable community.”
“Some studies have shown that these policies may lead to higher rates of healthcare utilization by people who are undocumented as they feel more comfortable accessing services,” Alexander said.
Sanctuary policies protect anyone in Ithaca seeking protected healthcare services, so those without access in their hometown or state have the right to travel to sanctuary cities and receive the healthcare they need.
The most vulnerable people are those without the resources to travel to sanctuary cities like Ithaca to receive healthcare. Calderon said she is planning to attend law school in 2025 to “help give people in my state a fighting chance, whether that through more inclusive legislation and policy or fighting for people who otherwise can’t afford my services, which is the majority of my state.”
Interview with Lucy Calderon
