It's Pride Month
And I'm angry, so very angry at the continued attacks against transgender and non-binary individuals. It's nothing short of bigotry all the way down. Trans and non-binary individuals have always existed and always will. So much of what is happening is manufactured drama over nothing to create a scapegoat for people to fear and hate. Trans people in bathrooms are not a threat. Trans people in sports are not a threat. And yet our government wants us to believe they are. They want to shut down all avenues of support for gender affirming care when all the available science PROVES that gender affirming care saves lives. No one can convince me that any of the hate makes sense.
For Massachusetts Residents Only (if you're a resident of Massachusetts you won't be able to do this part). The Massachusetts Trans Political Coalition (MTPC) is working on support of three bills that are currently with the Ways and Means Committee and we need to contact the members of the Senate and Hose Ways and Means Committee to move them forward. (The first two bills are with the Senate and the third is with the house).
S.2725 An Act Establishing a Commission on the Status of Transgender People
This bill establishes the MA Commission on the Status of Transgender People (MCSTP), an independent state agency that will monitor the lived experiences of transgender people in the Commonwealth, such as the implementation and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, access to gender-affirming healthcare and insurance coverage, and more.
The MCSTP will be made up of 21 commissioners from diverse backgrounds who have personal and/or professional experience serving or supporting trans people.
S.681 An Act Relative to Trans Inclusive Health Care Access
This bill makes minor regulatory changes to remove bureaucratic hurdles to receiving lifesaving gender-affirming care that will:
• Only allow insurers to require one eligibility letter from a mental health provider. • Prohibit insurers from setting arbitrary expiration dates for eligibility letters. • Expand the kinds of mental health providers who can provide eligibility letters.
H.2656 An Act to Promote Guaranteed Health, Treatment, and Safety for Incarcerated LGBTQI+ People
This bill requires safer housing for incarcerated LGBTQI+ and HIV+ people and opportunities to build community and access affirming and supportive media & resources. The bill will: • Create an LGBTQI+ Coordinator position to assist developing support groups and affirming activities • Prohibit LGBTQI+ people from being housed with people who express anti-LGBTQI+ views • Restrict the use of isolation for LGBTQI+ people • Require people experiencing gender dysphoria to be housed in single-occupancy cells (with capacity exceptions)
The MTPC has more information at this google document including letter templates and email address for the Senate and House committee members. The letter templates also provide more information about each of the bills.
As an additional step you should also contact your State Elected Representatives even if they are not Ways and Means committee members, to ask them to urge their colleagues to support and advance the bill and to prepare to vote YES once the bills head to the full legislature.
For NON-Massachusetts Residents: I urge you to find bills currently in progress through your State Legislature in support of trans and non-binary individuals and urge your representatives to support those bills. Or alternatively find the bills that are anti-Trans and tell them to vote NO to bigotry.
For EVERYONE: I'm currently doing a fundraiser for the MTPC please consider donating today!
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