SALEM, Mass. – The Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Coalition (MATERC) is pleased to report the passage of a transgender inclusive non-discrimination ordinance in Salem, Massachusetts. The ordinance passed the Salem City Council unanimously on Thursday evening.
“Local ordinances like these are a fantastic achievement for local advocates, and push the state of transgender rights forward across the Commonwealth,” said Mason Dunn, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and a member of MATERC. “The Salem City Council and the entire community should be immensely proud of this ordinance.” [pullquote]“This ordinance is particularly important because it protects transgender people in places of public accommodation,” said Kara Coredini, Executive Director of MassEquality and a member of MATERC.[/pullquote]
Among the most vocal champions for this ordinance were Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll and Salem LGBT Liaison in the Mayor’s Office Kristian Hoysradt. Together, Driscoll and Hoysradt have been working with members of the Salem No Place for Hate Committee to make the city more inclusive of LGBT identities, through local laws, policies, and services.
“This ordinance is particularly important because it protects transgender people in places of public accommodation,” said Kara Coredini, Executive Director of MassEquality and a member of MATERC. “Although the state nondiscrimination laws do not yet provide protections from discrimination for transgender people in public places, local ordinances like those in Boston, Cambridge, Amherst, Northampton and now Salem fill that gap and provide these essential protections.”
“We hope to see ordinances like these continue to appear in towns and cities across Massachusetts,” continued Dunn of MTPC.
This Monday, March 3rd, there will be an ordinance signing ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in Mayor Driscoll’s office located at 93 Washington Street in Salem.
The Massachusetts Equal Rights Coalition (MATERC) succeeded on November 16, 2011, in securing passage of An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights thanks to lead sponsors Representatives Carl Sciortino and Byron Rushing, and Senators Ben Downing and Sonia Chang-Diaz. MATERC will continue to work towards passage of non-discrimination protections in public accommodations.
[From a News Release]
