The Massachusetts Senate and House are voting today, May 12, on a bill that would prohibit discrimination against transgender people in public accommodations, including sports arenas, gas stations, movie theaters, bars, and malls.
According to a May 12 Boston Globe article:
The legislation is aimed at protecting people who identify with a sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. It would specifically allow people to use the restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms that match their gender identity.
That’s prompted fears from opponents who claim that male sexual predators, under the guise of being transgender, could enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms. Proponents of the bill say those worries are totally unfounded
The Democratic leaders of the Legislature, Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, both back the bill. Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican who opposed such a measure during his failed 2010 run for governor, has not taken a position on it. Still, Baker has indicated he probably won’t veto it should the legislation be sent to his desk.
Senate leaders expect a lopsided vote in favor of the bill Thursday. Rosenberg has said the bill is in a “very strong” position in his chamber. …
DeLeo, the House speaker, supports the thrust of the legislation, but the House is likely to take up a different version than the one poised to be passed by the Senate. That vote is likely to happen in coming weeks.
Advocates say the bill is long overdue. They say 18 states and more than 200 cities across the country already protect transgender people from discrimination in public accommodations.
