Last night more than 1,000 LGBT professionals turned out for Boston Spirit magazine’s 10th annual LGBT Executive Networking Night at the Copley Marriott Hotel. Many in the audience were there to hear from our featured speaker Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.
When I invited Governor Baker to speak at the event several months ago I did so for two reasons. First, while this was an LGBT event, it was also an event that focused on the topic of business and doing business in the state of Massachusetts. Recently Governor Baker spearheaded an initiative to make Massachusetts the very first state in the nation to include LGBT in the supplier diversity program. This was, and is, a tremendous distinction for the state and an important benefit for LGBT business owners in Massachusetts.
As the largest LGBT professional event in the state, I believe this was the appropriate place to recognize these accomplishments.
The second reason I invited the governor to speak is a bit more controversial. Anyone who has read the news recently has seen what has been happening in North Carolina, Mississippi, and some other southern states. It is hard to find the words to describe how disgusting, hurtful, and dangerous these so-called “religious freedom” bills are.
While a bit different from many of the bills down South, there is currently a bill sitting on Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s desk—the Public Accommodations Bill. The bill would offer very important protections to our transgender brothers and sisters. For months many in the LGBT community have asked the governor to step forward and comment on the pending legislation. I felt as though it was the responsibility of Boston Spirit, as a voice of the community, to try and make that happen.
While the governor did speak, briefly, about the state’s supplier diversity program, I am disappointed that he did not use this opportunity to advance the discussion regarding the Public Accommodations Bill and instead chose to speak, at length, about improvements in the state’s transit system and his accomplishments with regard to the current opioid crisis. These are both very important issues and the governor’s work on these issues is to be commended. However in the days leading up to the event it was made clear that the conversation surrounding the Public Accommodation Bill would need to be a priority in the governor’s remarks. It was also made clear that repeating the same message that has been repeated for months would not satisfy the crowd at this particular event.
Prior to the event I was firm in my conviction that inviting the governor to meet and speak to the LGBT community was the right thing to do. Looking back, I remain just as firm in my conviction that it was the right thing to do. This is a scary time for many in the LGBT community and we, along with our allies, must do all that we can to try to engage and educate our politicians. I am proud that Boston Spirit tried to do that last night and we will continue to do that moving forward.
