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Update: Anyone feeling lazy about acting in support of this bill, a reminder of how dedicated the opposition is rests below the fold.
Your help is needed now to pass transgender non-discrimination legislation in Massachusetts. Our friends at GLAD explain how you can help.Next Tuesday, July 14, “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” (H. 1728/S. 1687) will be heard by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
This bill will explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.
Please join us at the State House in Boston next Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. as we stand together with parents, employees, victims of violence and allies in the passing of this bill and the right for all Massachusetts citizens to work, go to school and live without fear. If you have not already done so, contact your legislators today and share your own story about why you support this bill.
A large show of support at the hearing on Tuesday will demonstrate to legislators that Massachusetts is ready to join the twelve other U.S. states, including Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, that protect all citizens equally under the law.
This is why we need all hands on deck to support the bill. The hate brigade is not going to play nice. They never have, they never will.
This is it: Hearing on HB 1728 next Tuesday
Weeks and months of lobbying, strategy and grassroots action have led up to the hearing next Tuesday before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. The “bathroom bill” fight has been played out on the airwaves and in the halls of the Statehouse. Passage of HB 1728 is the top priority of the radical homosexual lobby in this state, and they have poured their resources into lobbyists and phone banks.
With 104 legislators having signed on as co-sponsors of the “bathroom bill,” killing this dangerous legislation in committee is critical. Efforts were successful last year due to a huge grassroots uprising spurned on by MFI and our coalition partners, emailing, calling and writing to the Judiciary Committee members.
That may not be enough this year. We need you at the hearing in Boston next Tuesday, July 14. Our opponents will turn out in large numbers as they always do, but we must be there in equal numbers. The hearing begins at 1:00 pm in the Gardner Auditorium. If you want to testify, it is strongly recommended that you get there early to get your name on the list, as this is how they will call people.
Please RSVP to attend either by replying to this email or sending an email to xxxx@haters.org. This is a fight that we can win, but not without your help. If you are able to help keep our hard-hitting radio ads on the air, please CLICK HERE to donate today.
As always, please visit www.nobathroombill.com for more information and to send emails to the members of the Judiciary Committee.
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Some things never change — we are not alone: note the omment “I’m scared they might do something to my child”More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.
Pool Boots Kids Who Might “Change the Complexion”
Watch Video
Kids at Creative Steps Day Camp were thrilled to go swimming once a week at the Valley Swim Club. But after only one trip to the private club, they were…
“I heard this lady, she was like, ‘Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?’ She’s like, ‘I’m scared they might do something to my child,’” said camper Dymire Baylor.
The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers’ first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.
“When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,” Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”
The next day the club told the camp director that the camp’s membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.
“I said, ‘The parents don’t want the refund. They want a place for their children to swim,’” camp director Aetha Wright said.
Campers remain unsure why they’re no longer welcome.
“They just kicked us out. And we were about to go. Had our swim things and everything,” said camper Simer Burwell.
The explanation they got was either dishearteningly honest or poorly worded.
“There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club,” John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.
While the parents await an apology, the camp is scrambling to find a new place for the kids to beat the summer heat.
unbelievable
LurleenThe GLAD website won’t load for some reason. Where is the hearing being held (what town) and do you have a POC?
The State House is in Boston.I’ll update the post so it says that explicitly. I don’t understand your POC question.
POC suggestionJohn,
The general phone number for the GLAD offices in Boston is (617) 426-1350. They can probably put you through to the team working this particular legislative issue.
As someone who just lived through a grueling legislative session and committee hearings, it is imperative that if you are a resident, that you submit testimony in support of a bill. It’s not enough to just call your legislator. You need to call the legislators’ offices, express your support, and inform the staffer that you will be submitting testimony in support. It’s helpful if a higher percentage of testimony to the committee is in support of the bill.
Call. Send a postcard. Stop by the office and leave a handwritten note and chat with the staffers. Submit testimony in support of the bill. Just don’t do nothing.
KeoriI’m not a resident, but Boston is only two hours away. As a non-resident of Mass what can I do that would help?
oh, “point of contact”.duh! i thought he was referring to “people of color”.
the legislative contact link above takes you to a page with contact info for the massachusetts transgender political coalition, which is working in conjunction with glad. if you don’t find what you need at the website, call them at 617-778-0519.
Thanks
thank you for getting on the stick!
As a non-resident your testimony will not be countedHowever, you can show up to rally on the steps of the State House in support, or offer to carpool people there. Christian hate groups will be out in force screaming about the bathroom, and our side will need every supportive face in the crowd we can get. Call up the GLAD offices, ask to speak to the team lead on this issue, and find out details of any rallies/sign-making sessions/whatever. Get signed up on the GLAD email list for action alerts.
Excuse me, LurleenYou don’t live in Massachusetts, so why are you interfering in their strategy and tactics?
interfering?um, huh? you really object to me providing people with information on how they can help advance LGBT equality?
http://www.masstpc.org/The Mass Transgender Political Coaltion
http://www.masstpc.org/
web site is a great place to get more information and action steps. Phone banking can be done from your own home (with your own phone).
Visit the Mass Equality site
http://www.massequality.org/
for details on phone banking.
If you have friends in Massachusetts, get them to call their legislators. Details on those web sites.
GLAD web sitehttp://www.glad.org
sometimes sites need the www in their URL. If a site isn’t loading for you, make sure it’s got www in it. Not always the case, there are technical reasons I’m not getting into (I work in IT, I’m trying to keep this simple).
Lurleen / baristas: consider changing the GLAD link at the top of this story to be http://www.glad.org rather than just http://glad.org
(I tried it and the www version loaded while the other one didn’t.)
thank you for all the additional links,and for pointing out the glad link (fixed!).
Since whenare we limited to discussing and advocating only in our home state?
Does this mean that friends outside the US are no longer allowed to comment on stories in America?
Let’s think this through… certainly there is alot of value in many hands helping and many voices supporting/ offering suggestions.
I sometimes worry about thatI’ve written hundreds of comments now in various local and regional US newspapers. Blatantly interfering in another country’s internal affairs.
FWIWPeople are going to decide for themselves what advice to take and what to ignore, so I really don’t see it as interference at all, but rather as throwing thoughts/options/support out there.
the hilarity of it allis that all i did was post an advocacy email that glad sent out.
Lurleen attacked and threatened me when I offered suggestionsLurleen attacked and threatened me when I offered suggestions to people in Washington state, so I figured Lurleen’s rule applied to Lurleen, as well as to me.
Guess I was mistaken.
Apparently, Lurleen’s Proper and Allowed Opinions Patrol really does dictate allowed opinion here.
Discrimination and Hate Crimes”I will contact my legislator in regards to this bill
(H. 1728/S. 1687)I support the cause. Unfortunately I can’t be there for the hearing. But you have my support
MaryAnn Sumaraga From Groveland Ca.
Which, by your rules, Queen LurleenI would not be allowed to do.
Keep it up, Lurleen. Your sanctimonious hypocrisy is showing.
Liz