Activists laud City Council's passage of pro-trans resolution

Resolution, offered by Arroyo, offers support for Transgender Civil Rights Bill.

Boston LGBT activists are celebrating the City Council's resolution in support of An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights -- also known as the Transgender Civil Rights Bill -- passed unanimously on Wednesday, March 9.

"I am extremely moved by the unanimous passing of this Resolution in Support of An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights," Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) said in response to the resolution. "The continued leadership from the Boston City Council in supporting the rights of transgender youth, adults, and families, is admirable and we hope that the legislators will follow their lead and pass the Transgender Equal Rights legislation this session. Once again, we thank the Boston City Council for their support."

The resolution states in part, "The City of Boston currently protects transgender youth and adults on the basis of gender identity and gender expression in the city's non-discrimination ordinance and has done so through ordinance since 2002; and Massachusetts transgender youth, adults, and their families continue to face pervasive discrimination and violence because of widespread prejudice."

City Councilor At-Large Felix G. Arroyo offered the resolution and received the support of Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley and Councilor At-Large John Connolly. As the resolution was discussed, the nine remaining city councilors (President At-Large Stephen Murphy, Councilor Maureen Feeney, Councilor Charles Yancey, Councilor Salvatore LaMattina, Councilor Bill Linehan, Councilor Robert Consalvo, Councilor Matt O'Malley, Councilor Michael Ross, and Councilor Mark Ciommo) requested to be included in offering the resolution, and promptly passed it unanimously.

In speaking, several councilors thanked Scott and the MTPC for their work on this important matter.

The resolution concludes: "The Boston City Council goes on record in support of 'An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights,' HB 502/SB 764, and urges the Boston delegation of the Massachusetts Legislature and the leadership of the legislature to support a timely passage of this bill."

"GLAD is grateful to the members of the Boston City Council for their unanimous support of this resolution, and for their continued recognition that transgender people in Boston and across the state should be treated fairly and equally under the law," Gary Buseck, acting executive of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). "We hope the legislature will quickly follow suit and pass the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, a commonsense piece of legislation that will make it easier for thousands of our fellow citizens to earn a living, support themselves and their families, and live more safely."

MassEquality executive director Kara Suffredini responded to the resolution, saying, "This is yet another sign that momentum is building for passage of the Transgender Equal Rights Bill. Last month, the governor signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against state employees on the basis of gender identity and expression. This unanimous vote by the Boston City Council in support of a statewide law to prohibit discrimination against transgender people shows that the time to pass the statewide bill is now."

Don Gorton, board member of Join the Impact - MA, also spoke out in support of the City Council's resolution and joined the call to pass the Transgender Equal Rights Bill.

"It's exciting to see momentum building for the trans equality bill. The Boston City Council adds to the impressive support behind this crucial piece of legislation," Gorton said. "Of course, I remain very disappointed that the legislature's Joint Committee on the Judiciary has failed to report this bill out in over four years. I am reminded of the high-handed role former State Senator Arthur Lewis played with the lesbian/gay civil rights bill in 1987, where he held the legislation in the Third Reading Committee to kill it in defiance of majority support in the Senate. We pushed back against those shenanigans ferociously in 1988, and should do the same now."

The City Council's resolution comes weeks after Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued an executive order extending protections against discrimination to the state's transgender employees. In addition to all state agencies and programs, the executive order also applies to any businesses that contract with the state.