The bill simply extends civil rights protections, the ones we take for granted, to Transgendered Americans. Just as someone can't fire you, refuse you work, deny housing, education or credit, or suffer harassment or violence against you based on the color of your skin (that includes because you are White), your gender, how much money you make, your choice of partner, it would also say you can't be discriminated against people based on gender expression and self identification.
This simple word addition will transform our relationship to justice, opening Transgendered Bay Staters to be treated with the same rights as the rest of us.
Call your State Representative let them know you support this bill.
MA State House Switchboard (617) 722-2539
What I wrote a few months ago about the Transgender Equal Rights Bill
There's so much beauty in the world, I know it can be intimidating but we should embrace all beautiful forms that people come in. When all people are accepted as full expressions of themselves their beauty is able to be reflected out on our society giving us all the benefit of their fullest love, wisdom and creativity. For people to be who they are meant to be in all the wonderful beautiful colors, forms, sizes and manners that reflect the universal love that is in Jewish tradition referred to as Hashem, we at the very least need to give basic civil rights protection.Call Now!
One of the ways we in America get us close to realizing the innate humanity of our citizenry is to ensure equality under the law. To realize the dream that everyone be able to “pursue, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” we require that people be judged on the content of their character.
When my great Grandmother was a slave we gave her freedoms and protection to ensure her ability to access freedom. When those failed to bring the equal access we passed more protections to say, we know she looks different, darker, but you need to give her equal access to housing, employment and basic rights; the same access to our society as her lighter counterparts.
When people were being discriminated against because of who they choose to love, we said that’s not right, for our society to be as great as it should be, we should encourage and value love not hate it. We as a Commonwealth said, what is important is that everyone have access to work, live and access services regardless of you love. Our communities are stronger for it.
Now we see (as this video above shows) that people are being beaten, killed, sexually assaulted, discriminated from housing and stopped from unleashing their creative energy in the workforce simply because their gender assignment doesn't fit neatly into a small box we created to differentiate people.
As a Straight Black Man, I am hurt when Transgenedered people are discriminated. Hurt that people I love, are told they are not equal, hurt because I don't get their full expression of themselves in my life. I get a human who first and foremost is trying to cope with a society that sees them as unequal, lesser than. Despite the amazing strength it takes to live with the basic dignity of knowing thyself, even the strongest of people, is shortened a little by carrying our society's hateful burden. In short, I am hurt that loved ones are more likely to be homeless and suicidal simply because they look “different.”
As a religious Jew I believe that we are made in the reflection of the universal love we know as Hashem, I don’t believe that reflection is narrow and small. I believe Hashem to be vast and incomprehensibly beautiful. I believe that Transgendered people are made in that incomprehensible beauty's image. Just as we as a society have come to understand that about my Great Grandmother, Grandmother, Mother and myself, so too must we come to understand that about everyone.
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