Governor Deval Patrick signed into law today An Act Relative To Gender Identity, “historic legislation to legally protect transgender individuals from discrimination in housing, education, employment and credit. The new law, signed at the State House today, also provides additional civil rights and protections from hate crimes.” “No individual should face discrimination because of who [...]

U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) has been dodging questions about his stance on the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA, S811). ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. But at a private company function in Massachusetts this week another of Senator Brown’s non-answers on ENDA revealed [...]

Moving across country and buying a new home are stressful events. Those stresses were partially ameliorated for my wife and me because we were moving to Massachusetts, a state that recognizes our same-sex marriage and protects residents against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Imagine how our stress levels soared when we were blatantly discriminated against [...]

The Massachusetts Congressional Delegation taped an “It Gets Better” message to LGBTQ teens. The message includes Senator John Kerry and Congressmembers Ed Markey, John Tierney, Jim McGovern, Bill Keating, Richard Neal, Niki Tsongas, John Olver, Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch and Barney Frank appear in the one minute spot that directs viewers to log onto Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth (BAGLY)’s website.

This would be the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation.

Oh wait, there’s one conspicuous absence.

Despite overwhelming public support, the Massachusetts Legislature has yet to pass the Transgender Equal Rights bill.  Action is needed.  It’s well past time. The following is a guest post by a member of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.  It was first published in Bay Windows. By Michelle Tannen My name is Michelle Tannen, and I’d [...]

On March 1, 2008 retired Presbyterian Church (USA) minister Rev. Jean Southard officiated at the marriage ceremony of two of her parishoners, Jen and Sara.  The ceremony was conducted at First Presbyterian Church in Waltham, Massachusetts. Marriage equality was already the law of the land in Massachusetts in 2008, but PC(USA)’s ecclesiastical law remains unsettled [...]

This is from the anti-LGBT Massachusetts Family Institute’s 5.5.10 E-Alert, on the subject of GLAD’s Section 3 challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  The case is being heard in federal district court today (Thursday). “The court should reject this thinly-veiled attempt to impose same-sex marriage on American citizens who have overwhelmingly voted [...]

Massachusetts’ election of Scott Brown to the Senate has resulted in the ill-founded meme that Massachusetts voters don’t want national health care reform.  The reality is that Bay Staters with real experience with Massachusetts’ comprehensive health care system firmly back the passage of the health care reform bill now before Congress.  

Senator Scott Brown (?-MA) has successfully snookered Brian Camenker of MassResistance.  Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes MassResistance as an active anti-gay hate group.  MassResistance is so fringe that the “mainstream” anti-gay organization Massachusetts Family Institute cut ties with them during the marriage debates in that state. According to a MassResistance e-mail that Camenker sent out [...]

“An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” (H. 1728/S. 1687) got a hearing last July in the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary.  Then, nothing.  In light of the recent poll showing that 76% of Massachusetts voters, including 81% of women, support passing a law, isn’t it high time that the bill got [...]