Boston, MA July 7, 2010 —The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and partners of the Transgender Civil Rights Coalition will be holding a press conference at the Massachusetts State House on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 11 am in Room A2.
MTPC and members of the Transgender Civil Rights Coalition will be urging legislators to pass H 1728/S 1687 “An Act Relative to Gender Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes,” before the end of formal session, which ends at midnight on July 31st. This press conference also marks the one-year anniversary since over 65 transgender adults, youth, families, allies, women’s groups, civil rights advocates, and LGBT advocates testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and over 100 pieces of written testimony were presented to the committee, in support of the bill.
H 1728/S 1687 will add Massachusetts to 13 other states, Washington D.C., and 116 counties and cities, including Boston, Cambridge, Northampton, and Amherst, that protect on the basis of gender identity and expression. This bill will make the protection of transgender people explicit, uniform, and visible to the general public. It will include gender identity and expression in the state’s non-discrimination statute and will amend existing hate crime laws to explicitly protect people targeted for violence and harassment.
“Transgender people continue to experience overwhelming amounts of harassment and discrimination, particularly in the workplace” said Gunner Scott, Executive Director of MTPC “In fact the 2009 National Transgender Discrimination Survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian task Force found that 97% of transgender people surveyed had experienced some form of harassment or mistreatment on the job due to their gender identity or expression. This is why we must pass this bill now. Not tomorrow or next session. Transgender people just can’t wait any longer for fairness in the workplace”.
In the same survey, 47% experienced an adverse job outcome, such as being fired, not hired, or denied a promotion. Additionally, transgender people experience double the rate of unemployment regardless of the economic climate, double the rate of poverty, with 15% of transgender people living on $10,000 or less a year. Transgender people face discrimination in housing situations as well. Of those surveyed, 19% were either currently homeless or had been in the past, 11% faced eviction, and 26% were forced to seek an alternative temporary space.
Polling shows that the voting constituents of Massachusetts support this bill. In statewide polling conducted by Lake Research Partners, more than four in ten voters have a very positive reaction (44% very, 76% positive overall) to legal protections in employment, housing, or other public accommodations for individuals who are transgender, with 73% wanting their legislators to vote in favor of the law. This bill garners support across the board, with 81% of women polled supporting the bill, 70% of men, 90% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans. Another survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that seven out of ten (71%) heterosexual adults agree that how an employee performs at their job should be the standard for judging an employee, not whether or not they are transgender.
“This is not a partisan issue, nor a political issue, but a basic human rights issue. Fear and hate have no place in determining public policy. Passing this bill is a chance for legislators to take a stand against discrimination. It is time for Massachusetts to join the growing number of places that protect the basic civil rights we all deserve,” said Gunner Scott. Other cities and counties, such as Missoula City, Montana, have recently passed similar legislation.
Some of the speakers at the July 14th press conference will include: Gunner Scott, Executive Director of MTPC, Christina Knowles of Mass. NOW, Rebekah Gewirtz of the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts, and Arline Isaacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.
###
About The Transgender Civil Rights Coalition: The coalition is made of over 80 LGBT, civil rights, women’s groups, labor unions, faith, and student groups partnered with MTPC including Mass Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, Massachusetts Chapter of National Organization for Women, Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, Massachusetts Chapter National Association of Social Workers, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), MassEquality, and the Massachusetts Chapter of the ACLU.
About MTPC: The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC works for a world where persons of all genders are treated with respect and fully participate in all areas of society, free from fear of prohibition, harassment or violence based on their gender identity and/or expression. Its members educate the public, advocate with state, local, and federal government, engage in political activism, and encourage empowerment of community members through collective action.
