Opinion :: Editorial
Transgender rights long over-due by Representative Carl Sciortino
Bay Windows ContributorTuesday Jul 14, 2009 On the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, I am proud to be the lead sponsor of a bill that would prohibit discrimination against people who are transgender and gender non-conforming. This bill is important to all of us in the entire LGBT community, and our inclusion of transgender protections is long overdue.
In 1989, Massachusetts was one of the first states to pass a law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. At that time, transgender protections were left out of the bill because people generally believed that it would not pass if they were included. Massachusetts has a chance, 20 years later, to right the wrong that was done to transgender people by leaving them out of that original legislation.
As a lawmaker, I try to represent the interests of the people who elect me, as well as to work for the good of the Commonwealth. I remember when we were debating equal marriage - thousands of people made their voices heard by calling and emailing my office, both for and against the issue. Transgender people fought right alongside us for the right to marry who they loved; they lobbied their representatives, they phone banked, they contributed money.
Working together, we achieved victory in Massachusetts in the fight for marriage equality. I believe that 40-odd years ago, those first brave souls, many of whom were transgender, who stood up for their right to exist at Stonewall and the Compton Cafeteria could not have imagined that we would actually achieve the legal rights and possibilities that we enjoy today. However, we should not use our past success as a reason to rest on our laurels, and we mustn’t abandon a vital segment of our community, our transgender brothers and sisters.
I would not have introduced this legislation if I didn’t see a compelling need for it here in the Commonwealth. Transgender and gender non-conforming people are targeted mercilessly for harassment on the streets, discriminated against in the workplace both during hiring processes and when they decide to transition on the job, and denied housing due to their status as transgender. Even in our liberal state, acts of discrimination and violence happen every day.
This bill could mean the difference between life and death for some of the people it is designed to help. Transgender people often experience a sort of downward spiral, where job discrimination leads to unemployment, where unemployment leads to public assistance, where difficulty accessing public assistance leads to homelessness. And if that’s not bad enough, I have heard many stories of transgender people turned away from homeless shelters because of their gender identity, or pushed into risky behavior in order to survive on the streets.
The time is now to come together and support this bill. The ’T’ in LGBT has waited long enough for the same protections some of us have had for 20 years. As the lead sponsor of this bill, and as a citizen of this state, I believe that my fate is inextricably intertwined with the health, safety, and well-being of my transgender friends and constituents. I am grateful to serve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and am looking forward to passing this legislation.
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