Mass. transgender law takes effect

upi.com ^ | 07/03/2012 | n/a

[massmike]

It is now illegal in Massachusetts to discriminate against transgender people in employment, housing, education and lending.

The law, which took effect Sunday, makes Massachusetts the 16th state with protection for transgender residents' rights, The Boston Globe reported. Proponents first submitted the legislation five years ago and it was passe seven months ago.

Under the the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Act, prosecutors can also bring hate crime charges in attacks targeting someone for being transgender.

Proponents said the law would allow transgender residents to live more openly.

"This a tremendously historic and life-changing day for transgender people across the state, and really for anybody that values fairness," said Kara Suffredini, executive director of MassEquality, which lobbied for the law.

Opponents criticized lawmakers for stopping debate before those against the measure could introduce additional amendments.

"What this bill does, it not only reinforces it [transgenderism], but it uses the force of law to force society to integrate it into society as if it were normal," said Brian Camenker, director of MassResistance, which opposes the law.

Camenker calls transgender identity a disorder.

The Globe said about 33,000 Massachusetts residents identify as transgender.

[T Minus Four]

You rock!

[domeika]

So they got the law to recognize them. Wow, that's really magical.

Now back in the real world, that minority should foot the bill for re-printing every form that previously only had (or needed) checkboxes for male OR female.

[ronnie raygun]

The revolutionary war cemeteries in Mass. are experiencing seismic activity beyond the norm better known as flipping in thier graves Hard to believe this was the birth place of our republic

[madprof98]

Just because someone has mental illness, sexual disorientation, and severe body mutilation, that doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently from normal people.

Particularly not your child's kindergarten teacher.

[kearnyirish2]

“Now days a man over 50 is “lawed” out of the job market.”

Nowadays any white male 15 or over is lawed out of the job market, and often college admissions as well. As horrible as the ObamaRobertsCare ruling was, it really has much less of an impact than the legalized discrimination against white men that has been in place for years. It successfully destroyed many white families economically, making them a thing of the past; now many of those men neither marry nor breed, and the Hispanic proportion of the population continues to grow to replace them.

[Erasmus]

Scared me there for a moment. I didn’t notice the period in the title.

[SamAdams76]

It is getting to the point where boys will soon be made fun of in school for dressing or acting like boys. Already, it is common for boys to wear earrings and flip-flops to school just like the girls. I see them at the bus stops in the morning and can't tell the difference between boys and girls anymore.

I guess I'm turning into one of those crotchety old men who sit around lamenting on how things used to be "back in my day."

[Erasmus]

The first one will be held in San Fransicko, since they already have the perfect venue: The TransAmerica tower.

[JimRed]

Just because someone has mental illness, sexual disorientation, and severe body mutilation, that doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently from normal people. /s

If they'd keep it our of our faces they'd be treated like anyone else. They won't, so we won't. < /not sarc >

[JimRed]

Oh, and I forgot one thing; use of the word NORMAL is now hate speech!