The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is calling on the transgender community and its allies to participate in an Action Day at the State House.
The Transgender Equal Rights Bill, which is being introduced in the House by Rep. Carl Sciortino and Rep. Byron Rushing, and in the Senate by Sen. Ben Downing and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, will be refiled in early January 2011. An Action Day in support of this bill will be held on Thursday, January 27th from 11-2 in Room 167.
MTPC needs transgender folks, as well as friends, family, significant others, and all supporters of equal rights, to come to the State House and ask your legislators to co-sponsor the Transgender Equal Rights Bill. - More Info -
The Transgender Equal Rights Bill would add the categories of gender identity and gender expression to the state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws. Nationwide, thirteen states, Washington D.C., and at least 132 counties and cities have passed similar legislations banning this type of discrimination in their communities—including Boston, Cambridge, Northampton, and Amherst. With this bill, the state could hold employers, housing managers, and healthcare officials accountable by explicitly stating that discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression will not be tolerated.
A recent survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force revealed that transgender people experience unemployment at twice the rate of the population as a whole and 97% of those surveyed reported experiencing harassment or mistreatment on the job. Transgender people experience poverty at a much higher rate, significant housing instability, and difficulty accessing competent medical care.
Gunner Scott, Executive Director of MTPC said, “We are hard at work in our organization and at the State House to make sure that the Transgender Equal Rights Bill is passed this year. But we cannot do it alone. Our upcoming Action Day is the next step towards passing this important legislation, and community support is essential to our success.”
For more information about MTPC or the legislation, please visit www.masstpc.org or email info@masstpc.org. To find out who your legislators are, please visit www.wheredoivotema.com
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About MTPC: Founded in 2001, 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.
