Press Release  Massachusetts Businesses Urge Vote on Transgender Public Accommodations Bill

Boston — Rallying in support of the transgender community in Massachusetts, 43 businesses have joined Attorney General Maura Healey in urging the Legislature to take a favorable vote on legislation that prohibits discrimination against transgender people.

The letter, joined by businesses including Google, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Suffolk Construction, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and MassBIO, was sent today to the Legislature in support of an Act Relative to Transgender Anti-Discrimination.

“This is a simple bill that will make a significant impact on the lives of transgender people. The business community has long known that anti-discrimination policies aren’t just good for people, they’re good for business,” AG Healey said. “We thank these companies for making the message clear: transgender people deserve to feel safe and welcome in Massachusetts.”

The AG also thanked Senate President Stan Rosenberg for his commitment to advancing the legislation in the coming weeks.

In 2012, Massachusetts adopted a transgender rights law that prohibits certain types of discrimination based on an individual’s gender identity, including discrimination in employment, education and housing. The law, however, does not explicitly address the obligations of businesses and other public places when interacting with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

According to the letter, widespread national outrage in response to the discriminatory laws signed recently in North Carolina and Mississippi, as well as a legislative proposal passed in Georgia, demonstrates the strong support for full LGBT equality among both the business community and the broader public.

Today, the public accommodations bill (Senate Bill 735 and House Bill 1577) has broad, bipartisan support from the business community, educators, faith leaders, police chiefs, mayors, all our professional Boston sports teams, and many others in state and federal government.

AG Healey continues to work closely with advocates to garner support for the bill and build momentum for Massachusetts to join the ranks of 17 other states that already offer these protections.  According to a 2013 survey by the Fenway Institute at Fenway Health and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, in Massachusetts, 65 percent of transgender people report having experienced discrimination in a public place.

In October, AG Healey testified in support of the legislation and submitted a letter advocating for its passage. Last month, the AG’s Office launched the #EveryoneWelcome social media campaign, featuring short video messages from celebrity allies of the transgender community and families from across Massachusetts.

To add your business to the letter, please e-mail Margie.pullo@state.ma.us.

For more information on AG Healey’s efforts to promote transgender equality in Massachusetts, the #EveryoneWelcome campaign, and a full list of businesses that joined today’s letter, visit the AG’s website at www.mass.gov/ago/everyonewelcome.

###