Massachusetts became one of 18 jurisdictions—joining 17 other states plus Washington, D.C.—when it adopted protections for transgender individuals in public accommodations two years ago. Witnessing the House of Representatives vote from the gallery that day filled me with hope about the state’s commitment to becoming more inclusive and welcoming.
Voters will face a straightforward choice on November 6: preserve commonsense public accommodations protections for transgender individuals by voting YES, or eliminate these equal rights by voting NO.
I strongly encourage a YES vote on question 3. Without legal protections in place, transgender people would encounter numerous discriminatory obstacles in their daily lives. Since the 2016 vote, society has not suffered—in fact, we have benefited. “fblikebutton_button”
Over the past two years, transgender individuals have held the same rights and protections as all other residents of the Commonwealth, a situation that did not exist previously. Removing these protections now would represent a harmful step backward in the pursuit of equal legal protections for everyone.