Mass., NH and RI lawmakers debate transgender rights bills
by Joe Siegel
EDGE New England Editor
Friday Apr 10, 2009
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc&sc2=features&sc3&id=89500 (http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc&sc2=features&sc3&id=89500)
Massachusetts lawmakers are among those across the region that continue to debate legislation that would add transgender-specific protections to their states' anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws.
Massachusetts lawmakers are among those across the region that continue to debate legislation that would add transgender-specific protections to their states' anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws.
Amid the hoopla over the Iowa Supreme Court decision and marriage legislation in Vermont, activists in several New England states have been lobbying lawmakers to add transgender-specific protections to existing non-discrimination bills.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 188-187 on Wednesday to pass House Bill 415, which would add gender identity and gender expression protections to the state's anti-discrimination and hate crime statutes. The bill now goes before the state Senate.
"We applaud the New Hampshire's House of Representatives for voting to update existing anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws to include protections for gender identity or expression," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said.