Massachusetts Governor Patrick Signs Orders Protections for Transgender State Employees Through Executive Order
It was shocking news to say the least when I received a bulletin update in my email from Gunner Scott at MTPC with the amazing headline, “Governor Deval Patrick Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Discrimination for Transgender State Employees“ If you click to the link you’ll see local hero’s Gunner, Nancy and Gordene all present for the signing – I can’t even imagine how much joy the three of them felt being right there for this. They have worked very hard on behalf of our community. And yes we have a long way to go in Massachusetts for transgender rights for all our citizens, but, this is a really great leap forward.
What does this mean for the rest of us? Well a few things. One, I think it sends a message from the Governor to the legislature that he would sign the same bill for the average John and Jane Doe should said bill, “An Act Relative to Transgender Rights” come to his desk. It might also mean that specific transgender medical needs will be covered for MA state workers, possibly adding to the precedent set by major firms in MA such as EMC. In case my last statement is alarming given today’s climate of budget cuts, the actual premium cost per person, is about .64 cents per person and claims are much lower than most expected. That figure is from a study done my Dr. Mary Ann Chase, Ph. D, for JP Morgan Chase in 2004. You can download a copy form this link here: JP Morgan Study on Medical Costs and I am pretty sure this is the Powerpoint of that study
I think the signing also gives our cause momentum. How so? Because we have here a very public, very clear, support. Yes, there are many public MA firms that are supportive of their transgender employees (such as EMC, Bank of America, Best Buy, Raytheon, and many others) but, by and large, they dont’ trumpet it, except as it relates to many of these firms concerns for being rated as high as possible by the HRC in their Corporate Equality Index.
So good news! Oh, and here’s the press release (courtesy of Mass Equality):
Massachusetts Becomes 21st State Offering Employment Non-Discrimination Protection For Transgender State Workers
BOSTON, February 17, 2011—Today, Governor Deval Patrick signed an historic Executive Order prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression in state employment. It applies to all state agencies in the Executive Branch, as well as businesses and organizations that contract with the Executive Branch.
“Governor Patrick is a true champion for the LGBT community, and we applaud the critical first step he has taken with this order toward creating a Commonwealth where all hardworking people, including transgender people, have the opportunity to make a living and provide for themselves and their families,” said MassEquality Executive Director Kara Suffredini.
A national survey of 6,450 transgender people released earlier this month by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality found that respondents had twice the rate of unemployment as the general population; 90 percent of those surveyed reported that they had been harassed on the job; and 47 percent said they believed they had been fired, not hired, or denied a promotion because of being transgender. Meanwhile, 26 percent said that they had lost a job due to being transgender. Of the 283 respondents from Massachusetts, 76 percent reported experiencing harassment or mistreatment on the job; 20 percent said they’d lost a job; 17 percent said they had been denied a promotion; and 39 percent said they had not been hired for a job because of their gender identity.
“These statistics show the stark need for a statewide bill to prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity,” said state Rep. Carl Sciortino, a lead sponsor of the Transgender Equal Rights Bill along with state Rep. Byron Rushing and state Sens. Ben Downing and Sonia Chang Díaz. “No one should work in fear of being fired from their job for reasons that have nothing to do with job performance.”
The Executive Orders are available for viewing in PDF below:
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About MassEquality
MassEquality works to ensure that every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender person in Massachusetts is protected from cradle to grave—with equal rights and opportunities in school, in marriage and family life, at work and in retirement.
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