Trans-Rights Bill Looking Good

I just got this email from Gunner Scott, Director of the Mass Transgender Political Coalition:

Today, there is a majority of legislators in both the House and Senate supporting this bill, supporting non-discrimination for transgender people of Massachusetts. Our lead sponsors, Representatives Carl Sciortino and Byron Rushing on the House side, with Senator Ben Downing in the lead in the Senate have helped to build support and momentum for equality. Through MTPC's community organizing efforts over the last three years of the transgender and allied communities we have been able to educate and advocate with legislators and policy makers across the state. Today, we are beginning to see the fruits of those labors.

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition applauds the many policy makers who support "An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes" including:

• Governor Deval Patrick
  
• State Attorney General Martha Coakley
  
• Congressman Barney Frank
  
• Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral
  
• Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino
  
• Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons
  
• Northampton Mayor Clare Higgins
  
• Boston City Council
  
• and today... 104 Legislative Co-Sponsors

I'm not going to count the chickens before the eggs hatch, but this is definitely looking promising. It was disappointing last year when this bill was buried, but the MTPC took things in stride, didn't give up and went after getting more and more co-sponsors for this year's version of the bill. When you get a majority of both houses to Co-Sponsor your bill, you're doing a pretty damn good job. Kudos to all that have worked so hard on this bill, especially Gunner Scott, who's proven to be a new political force in this state.