"New England endures as a beacon of social justice."

Not so much from where some of us sit, Sue. I there anywhere in that whole history you note where you might have mentioned transgender people

It's now two decades since Massachusetts since Massachusetts passed a non-inclusive civil rights bill. And it's all about marriage.

I'm rather proud that Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont passed nondiscrimination legislation for every lgbt person before moving on towards including everyone in relationship equality.

Massachusetts still has a long way to go. Maybe Thomas Morton will stop rolling is his grave.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Morton_(colonist)
http://www.amazon.com/English-Canaan-Thomas-Morton-Merrymount/dp/1582181519

In 1989, Massachusetts becomes the second state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Trans people are still waiting for the same rights there too.

Just a little reminder, so we don't get completely forgotten. Again.

From The Curvature:

I wrote earlier that the main bill I am concerned about seeing pass is GENDA. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act would protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression in the areas of employment, housing, credit, and more. Right now, in New York, no such protections exist for trans or otherwise identifying gender variant people — despite the fact that such protections are in place (as they obviously should be) on the basis of sexual orientation.

Last year after Equality & Justice Day, I was surprised and pleased to see that GENDA, while it did not ever reach the Senate floor with Republicans in charge, was given seemingly equal attention to marriage equality and DASA (Dignity for All Students Act). It could be that I’m simply more aware of trans issues and their marginalization within supposedly LGBT communities than I was last year — though I was already aware of this issue last year, and for that reason made a specific point to watch out for its presence. But whatever the reason, I noticed a significant shift, and I feel obligated to mention it.

It started, or at least it became noticeable to me, when Governor Paterson came out to give his speech as the first official speaker. It was a great speech, it really was, and I was happy to see him there. Except. Well, it was a great speech if we were only there to talk about marriage equality. Because that’s all his speech was about. And that’s not the only reason we were there.

...

Because marriage equality, though on paper it was not supposed to be, was the focus of this day. While GENDA and DASA were often mentioned as sidelines, for a majority of the morning speakers, they were not the focus, and they were not even usually given equal treatment. In fact, I’d say that GENDA received the least treatment of the three issues in question. Because though I don’t remember who it was, I do specifically remember someone talking at decent length about bullying in schools. I also admittedly missed a chunk of the afternoon rally — but from what I saw, it was much of the same. It seemed from the program that there was only one speaker at the rally there to represent trans issues; and I saw her speak, and she only spoke for a minute or two.

I saw the same dynamic in my lobby visits. Now, I want to be clear that the Pride Agenda has no direct control over what goes on in the lobby visits. The lobby visit facilitators are volunteers who do not officially represent the organization. And I will also say that I like the facilitator from my group very much and spent a good deal of the day in his company.

But when we got to the meeting for our senator — and remember, GENDA has passed the Assembly, so the Senate is what matters — he had people in our group talk at length about marriage equality. Then he had people talk at length about DASA. (I personally said something about both bills.) And then, before I knew it, the meeting was over. When I realized what was happening I tried to catch my facilitator’s eye to say “What about GENDA?” but he didn’t look my way, and it was too late. When the one person in our group who had identified herself as trans questioned him on it after the meeting, the response was basically a fairly sheepish “yeah, well, I guess I only got to fit two in.”

It's been 20 years now. Has the MA GLBT movement been committing the overwhelming bulk of its effort into correcting the situation, just to make up for past neglect?

In view of the 24-0 vote by the NH senate to deny Trans people the same rights that gays have had for years there, and on the same day they voted in favour of gay marriage, one can be forgiven for seeing a pattern of behaviour here in the NE states.

Please show me evidence that I'm wrong, that the najority of the MA GLBT effort is now going into GLBT rather than GLB-only issues, just to balance past neglect. Or is it 25% at best? Because, you know, you only have time to fit two in?

That URL - http://thecurvature.com/2009/05/07/equality-and-justice-for-whom/

And this is not a complaint. No-one could justly criticise the MA GLB groups for doing such wonderful work, work that has inspired everyone else. Without the MA GLB efforts, there is no way we would have such great successes elsewhere.

It's a reminder. Of unfinished business that has waited 20 years, and is still waiting.

Hee-ah, hee-ah!

--a fellow New Englander

“I do not and will not accept or tolerate criticism”

Hey – I love the Task Force too. But maybe the high dudgeon patrician speaking to the great unwashed ‘tude isn’t the most effective way to persuade. It’s the internet – it’s not unreasonable to expect other viewpoints to be expressed.