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Pressing for Transgender Civil Rights
By Erica L. Kaufman- MTPC Media Intern
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition held a press conference at the State House on July 14th, 2010 calling on the leadership of the Massachusetts State legislature to act favorably on H1728/S1687, “An Act Relative to Gender Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” before the end of the current session on July 31st, 2010. Close to 100 people were in attendance, including legislators, supporters, and members of the press.
Gunner Scott, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, opened the press conference with identifying the over eighty organizational members of the Transgender Civil Rights Coalition, including labor unions, LGBT groups, women’s groups, and advocacy groups all calling on the legislative body today to pass this bill.
“This bill is for fair and basic treatment of transgender youth and adults,” said Scott. “This bill is about human rights and dignity for those who are contributing to society or trying to, including paying taxes, but are often being denied access, opportunity, and justice.”
Scott reminded everyone that it was one year ago today that families, advocates, and allies testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of this bill. “Hundreds of transgender people and their families have come forward to tell their stories to legislators about the need for this bill, at great risk for many because of the fear that being out as transgender may cost them their job, their housing, or their education,” he said.
Scott then recounted the nearly 300 calls that a handful of organizations have fielded since September of 2009 from transgender adults, youth, and family members about the discrimination, violence, and/or harassment they have experienced.
“When people are denied employment or education we lose out as a society,” Scott said. “We lose out on the talent, the creativity, and the experiences that transgender people bring to society.”
The general population, as a national survey showed, doesn’t believe that individuals should be discriminated against at work because of their gender identity or expression. Seven out of ten 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. After all, what someone looks like does not determine whether or not they are a good software engineer, doctor, lawyer, or retail cashier.
Scott ended his speech by stating, “The only question remaining is how long will transgender people have to wait for the Massachusetts government to finally act in accordance with the needs of its people.”
Christina Knowles, State Director and Lobbyist for the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass. NOW), spoke next. Mass. NOW has been a strong and visible supporter of the Transgender Civil Rights Bill since it was first filed in 2007. Knowles put the issue into perspective when she stated simply, “Mass. NOW cares about this legislation because transwomen are women, and they are being denied rights and protection.” This is exactly why even people who are not transgender and have no connection to the transgender community should care about transgender rights. It is not a political issue. It is a human rights issue. Knowles went on to say, “Transwomen are part of our community, and we fight for their rights, just as we fight for the rights of other women. We are committed to ensuring that all women and girls in the Commonwealth have civil rights, equal opportunities, and can live their lives free from violence and discrimination.”
Knowles detailed the lack of rights and protections that transgender men and women must deal with everyday. She described “unspeakable amounts of violence and discrimination” that transgender people face in every aspect of their lives. Knowles also commented on the lies spread by the opponents of this legislation. Opponents of the bill claim that by allowing transgender people basic human rights, public bathrooms will somehow become unsafe places for women and children.
“I’m here today to tell you that these claims are outright lies,” Knowles said. “As a woman, I understand what it’s like to fear for your personal safety. But I cannot fathom what transwomen and transmen go through every time they use a public restroom or walk down the street, knowing they are vulnerable to assault and harassment.” Knowles also pointed out that the bill doesn’t change who is using what bathroom. “Women are still using the women’s room and men are still using men’s rooms,” she said. “But it will help protect transwomen and transmen from the violence they so often face.”
Knowles spoke of the large amount of legislative co-sponsors that the bill has, and about how Attorney General Coakely and Governor Patrick are strong supporters of the bill. She ended her speech by declaring, “Mass. NOW wants legal protections and civil rights for transgender women—and we want them NOW.”
Jennifer Springer, Vice President of the MA chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (MA AFL-CIO), said, “We are concerned with the dignity of all workers. Transgender workers are demeaned, harassed, and degraded.” She called on the legislative body to end this discrimination by moving the bill forward now.
Rebekah Gewirtz of the National Association of Social Workers, MA Chapter, spoke after Springer. Gewirtz described the roll of social workers in the fight for transgender rights, explaining that social workers often work with transgender people, and they understand the difficulty that transgender people experience in their lives everyday. “They have heard stories of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as homelessness and job loss. They have seen the devastating affects that gender identity-based hate crimes have on people—financially, socially, mentally, and physically.”
“The stories I have heard about the pain and suffering experienced by people in the transgender community are enough to make anyone shocked, alarmed, and frankly outraged that there is any place for this in 2010 and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Gewirtz said. “For too long as a culture we have sat idly by as our friends, co-workers, neighbors, and fellow human beings are treated as second-class citizens. This bill stops all that.”
Gewirtz concluded by saying that too much was at stake to wait another year or until next session for these protections to be in place, and that the National Association of Social Workers urged the legislation to act favorably right away.
DeeDee Edmondson, Political Director for MassEquality, spoke about the scare tactics being used against the bill, and how they are the same scare tactics and same arguments that have been used throughout history including the fight for gay rights and marriage equality. Edmondson ended with a call to pass the bill saying, “It’s the right thing to do. It’s about people’s lives.”
Gunner Scott closed the press conference by once again asking for the leadership to move the bill forward. He thanked the eighty organizations as well as the legislators in attendance. State Representative Carl Sciortino, State Representative Byron Rushing, and State Representative Denise Provost were all in attendance, as were numerous aids from several other State Representative and Senator offices. Scott pointed out that if the Obama administration can recognize that transgender people are valued workers, shouldn’t Massachusetts be able to do this too? Massachusetts, he said, is no longer ahead of the curve, and needs to catch up.
The press conference concluded with questions from members of the press, including one about the language and the title “the bathroom bill” to which Rebekah Gewirtz replied, “The people in jeopardy in the bathrooms are the transgender people,” which elicited loud applause from the audience members.
After this portion of the press conference Gunner Scott, along with other Transgender Civil Rights Coalition partners, and numerous members of the transgender community and its allies, marched up the grand staircase of the State House to hand deliver a stack of letters to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House. These letters, sent to MTPC over the last week, were from people in support of the bill, written to urge legislators to move the bill forward. The letters detailed people’s own stories of discrimination, harassment, and violence that they have either experienced or witnessed for being transgender. People told personal and sensitive details of their lives, and put themselves out there as being transgender. They are willing to do whatever it takes to get this bill passed, because their lives depend on it. Letters came from all over the state, from those who couldn’t make it to the press conference but still wanted to show their support.
The mood in room A2 of the State House today still felt hopeful. Those who are fighting for this bill are not ready to give up, and will continue to advocate for its passage. Their spirits are not broken. From those who spoke at the press conference, to those who wrote letters, to those who stood as beacons of support in the audience, the message was simple and it’s clear: We’re tired of waiting. We’re frustrated and disappointed that the legislature has not moved this bill forward. We do not want to wait another year for this bill to pass. This bill is necessary, this bill is urgent, and basic civil rights need to be granted to transgender people now.
