Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on
Wednesday signed a bill into law that bars discrimination in the
workplace against transgender people, the AP reported.
The law, which also amends the state's
existing hate crime laws to include gender identity and expression,
makes Massachusetts the 16th state, along with the
District of Columbia, to enact such a measure.
Patrick said he signed the bill as a
matter of “conscience,” but added that he objected to last-minute
negotiations which resulted in proponents agreeing to drop a public
accommodations section of the bill in a bid to boost lawmaker
support.
“It gave me pause, and it gave the
advocates pause, and it gave transgender people pause,” Patrick
told the Patriot Ledger. “There's a lot of good in this
bill, and after consulting with them and my team and my own
conscience, I wanted to sign this bill. And then, we'll come back
around to public accommodations.”
Gay rights activists cheered Patrick
for his support.
“We applaud his unwavering leadership
in creating a Commonwealth where all hardworking people, including
transgender people, will have the opportunity to make a living, put a
roof over their heads, and get an education without fear of being
discriminated against simply because of who they are,” said
MassEquality Executive Director Kara Suffredini. “The governor has
long understood that this is a matter of basic fairness.”
Patrick signed the bill quietly without
much fanfare. A public signing ceremony is expected after the
holidays.
According to a 2011 study by the
Williams Institute, roughly 33,000 people in Massachusetts identify
as transgender.