Below,, my letter sent to Governor Baker, copying Lexington's legislators. The letter was sent via the contact form offered on mass.gov
Governor Charles D. Baker IV, Office of the Governor, Room 280, Boston 02133
April 1, 2016
Governor Baker,
Only recently did I learn about the Transgender Rights Bill (SB 735/HB 1577).
I was astonished to learn that under current Massachusetts law, there are not explicit protections (protections you and I probably take for granted) ensuring that transgender people can’t be turned away from a hotel, or denied service at a restaurant, simply because of who they are.
I also learned that our Commonwealth is behind in this regard, as 18 other states plus Washington DC have already passed similar legislation: CA - CO - CT - DC - DE - HI - IA - IL - ME - MD - MN - NJ - NM - NV - NY - OR - RI - VT & WA!
Massachusetts has always shone like a beacon in supporting equal rights and this is not the time to diminish our radiance.
The bill is stalled in the Joint Judiciary Committee and hasn’t been reported out from either House or Senate, yet there is a veto-proof majority in both.
Furthermore, though the Speaker has confirmed he has the votes to pass the House bill, many legislators there are lacking the courage to speak out publicly with their support for the bill unless they know that their Governor will support them.
It’s past time for transgender people to be treated fairly and equally in our Commonwealth. As your constituent, I urge you to provide the leadership that is necessary to speak out in support of transgender rights and commit to signing it into law.
Thank you for your consideration and for all you do.
CC: Representative Jay Kaufman, Senator Ken Donnelly, Senator Mike Barrett