MA Height and Weight bill--hearing and legislative briefing

[mattfromnossa]

Hello All:

Thank you for your ongoing support and advocacy for H. 1844, An Act to Eliminate Discrimination on the Basis of Weight and Height, in Massachusetts sponsored by Rep. Byron Rushing.

I am writing to let you know that we have a hearing date for the bill: March 25, 2008. Please contact me individually if you are interested in testifying before the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and/or organizing others to testify and speak to legislators following the hearing.

In addition, we would like to organize an informational briefing for legislators and staff about what the bill will do and the need for the legal protections it seeks to provide prior to the hearing. Ideally, we would like a panel of 4-5 experts to speak about the legal aspects of the bill, what is being done in other jurisdictions, related medical and scientific data, and employment discrimination experienced by individuals based upon height and/or weight. We would like to hold this briefing at the MA State House the week of March 10. We can arrange a specific date based upon the availability of those willing to attend.

Please contact me if you would like to continue to work with us on this important legislation!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Fay


Fay Sliger
Deputy Chief of Staff
Second Assistant Majority Leader
Representative Byron Rushing
State House Room 481
Boston, MA 02133
p-617.722.2180
f-617.722.2881

[Chrisof BK]

Everyone:

This is an important piece of legislation! You don't necessarily have to be a NOSSA member to testify, of course.

The State of Massachusetts is a political hotbed and if this bill passes, it could definitely spill over into other states. Michigan is the only state that
bans height and weight discrimination, along with Santa Cruz/San Francisco, and Washington D.C..

If you experience height discrimination in your workplace, check with your HR representative to see the policy on height discrimination (Most workplaces don't specifically forbid it in writing). If you can't get justice, perhaps you can bring this issue up to your state legislature, stressing the need for a bill to be passed.

I experienced it recently, a comment was made that "Short people have personalities" and when I brought it up to my employer, I was asked not to return to the client. We did send a letter to the company, letting them know the comment was inappropriate and offensive. Don't know what disciplinary action was taken; doubtful if any. Had a racist comment been made, the offending party would have been out of work.

We need our equality! This bill will be the beginning of our demand for it!

Chris

[mattfromnossa]

If you cannot attend please contact the following politicians and express your support for the bill. Remember to be respectful and keep the text brief and to the point.

JOINT COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

STATE SENATOR
THOMAS M. MCGEE (Committee Chair)
State House
Room 112
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1350
Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us (Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us)

STATE SENATOR
PAMELA P. RESOR (Committee Vice-Chair)
State House
Room 410
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1120
Fax: (617) 722-1089
Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us (Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us)

STATE SENATOR
PATRICIA D. JEHLEN
State House Room 513 State House Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-1578 Facsimile: 617-722-1117 E-Mail: Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us (Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us)

STATE SENATOR
EDWARD M. AUGUSTUS, JR.
State House
Room 218
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1485
Fax: 617-722-1066

Edward.Augustus@state.ma.us (Edward.Augustus@state.ma.us)

STATE SENATOR
STEPHEN J. BUONICONTI
State House
District Office Room 309 150-B Bridge StreetBoston, MA 02133Springfield, MA 01103617-722-1660413-733-9991 Fax: 413-733-9998
Stephen.Buoniconti@state.ma.us (Stephen.Buoniconti@state.ma.us)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
DAVID M. TORRISI
State House
District OfficeRoom 3967 Settlers Ridge RoadState HouseNorth Andover, MA 01845Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2014978-682-5644E-Mail: Rep.DavidTorrisi@hou.state.ma.us (Rep.DavidTorrisi@hou.state.ma.us)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
JOHN W. SCIBAKState HouseDistrict OfficeRoom 39 State HouseP.O. Box 136Boston, MA 02133South Hadley, MA 01075Telephone: 617-722-2014413-539-6566Facsimile: 413-539-5855Email: Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us (Rep.JohnScibak@hou.state.ma.us)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
PAUL C. CASEYState HouseDistrict OfficeRoom 238585A Main St.State HouseWinchester, MA 01890Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2380781-721-7285Facsimile: E-Mail: Rep.PaulCasey@hou.state.ma.us (Rep.PaulCasey@hou.state.ma.us)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
COLLEEN M. GARRYState HouseDistrict OfficeRoom 2381105 Lakeview AvenueState HouseDracut, MA 01826Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2380978-957-8139Facsimile: 978-957-7829E-Mail: Rep.ColleenGarry@hou.state.ma.us (Rep.ColleenGarry@hou.state.ma.us)
RepColleenGarry@aol.com (RepColleenGarry@aol.com)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
DEMETRIUS J. ATSALISState HouseRoom 26State HouseBoston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2080Facsimile: E-Mail: Rep.DemetriusAtsalis@hou.state.ma.us (Rep.DemetriusAtsalis@hou.state.ma.us)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
BARBARA A. L'ITALIENState House Room 26 State House Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2080
Fax: 617-722-2339
Email: Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
SEAN CURRANState HouseDistrict OfficeRoom 473BState House430 Springfield StreetBoston, MA 02133Springfield, MA 01107Telephone: 617-722-2263(413) - 746-2728Facsimile: E-Mail: Rep.SeanCurran@Hou.State.MA.US (Rep.SeanCurran@Hou.State.MA.US)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
MARTHA M. WALZ

State HouseRoom 443State HouseBoston, MA 02133 Telephone: 617-722-2460Facsimile: 617-626-0699E-Mail: Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US (Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
THOMAS J. CALTERState HouseRoom 237Boston, MA 02133Telephone: 617-722-2425Facsimile:E-Mail: Rep.ThomasCalter@Hou.State.MA.US (Rep.ThomasCalter@Hou.State.MA.US)

[Mr. Fantasy]

This sounds like a ground-breaking bill!!!!

Go NOSSA!

[mattfromnossa]

We received this e-mail from Ellen today:

Hi all,

A friend of mine is running for State Representative of our district in Massachusetts (She is truly an awesome woman!) This evening our governor, Deval Patrick, came to a nearby restaurant to speak on her behalf. It was the first time I met him, and I loved what he talked about in his speech. anyway, afterwards, I figured, "What have I got to lose?" On March 5th, I will be on a panel of experts at the Massachusetts State House to talk to legislators about the upcoming height/weight bill that will come to the floor on March 25th, and that is sponsored by Rep. Byron Rushing.

So, I wondered if he knew about the bill, and what he thought about it, and I said to myself: Go for it!

As he was hanging around after his speech, I went up to him, reintroduced myself, and asked him if I could talk to him about a policy issue. He was very kind and we talked for about five minutes. I told him about the bill (which he had never heard of), and the main points about why the bill is needed. I told him about Michigan passing the bill in 1979, and how Massachusetts has always been on the forefront of social issues, etc. why this bill is so important...
we talked about height/weight discrimination as it effects income, health coverage, etc.

Anyway, we had a nice talk, and he said that he has a meeting with Rep. Rushing tomorrow morning, and that he would talk with him about the bill. I was so glad that I brought the subject to his attention, and so pleased with the timing of his meeting with Rep. Rushing tomorrow...

Let's all keep our fingers crossed!!

Take good care,
Ellen
www.beyondmeasureamemoir.com

[Chrisof BK]

Hearing on Massachusetts Height/Weight Discrimination Bill, Mar. 25


Everyone:

This isn't just about overweight people! We need people of short stature to get in there and speak up! We need to be just as big a voice, if not bigger than those who are overweight.


It’s time to make history and get some fat civil rights in Massachusetts. (Actually, civil rights for people of all sizes.)

So I invite you to come testify in Boston, and to spread the word to other people who might come testify.

Here’s the important info for people who will testify at the public hearing before the labor committee:

H. 1844 public hearing
Tuesday, March 25, 2pm
Massachusetts State House in Boston
Room A-2

Our legislation is the only item on the agenda for this hearing, so there’ll be no waiting around. People should be prepared to speak for a few minutes, two or three minutes, no more than 5 minutes, I imagine.

The labor committee’s recommendation can make or break this legislation.

A little background: The sponsor of this bill, state rep Byron Rushing, has introduced height/weight anti-discrimination legislation every year he’s been in office. This year, however, is the first year
he’s had staff time to move the legislation at all. So this year is the good time for fat pride community to show up and speak up.

And if you can’t testify…

Here’s a phone number for the State House in Massachusetts, where the operator can direct state residents to the voicemail of their specific state representative.

It will be very helpful in getting the height/weight anti-discrimination bill (H. 1844) passed to have people make quick calls to their reps.

Here’s the number: (617) 722-2000

They should say the bill is very important to them. They should ask how the Rep. is voting on it. (Asking how they’ll vote means they have to get back to the person, which increases attention for the bill.)


NOSSA Members: If you can't make it to Boston, please pick up the phone and call. We need
this legislation!
Chris

[mattfromnossa]

NOSSA Vice-President Christopher Hamre will testify before the Massachusetts Committee on Labor & Workforce Development in support of H. 1844, a bill to eliminate height and weight discrimination. The event will take place Tuesday March 25, 2008 in Boston.

WAY TO GO CHRIS!!!! WE ARE ALL BEHIND YOU 100%

- Matt

[mattfromnossa]

Latest News on the Bill:

06/10/08 H Discharged from committee and recommitted to the committee on House Rules -HJ 1565.

[Chrisof BK]

Height/Weight Bill Update!!!

I was contacted by Marilyn Wann of NAAFA and was told that Representative Byron Rushing withdrew the bill. I am guessing/hoping he will reintroduce it at a later date and we will have to testify again. This time, I am more optimistic that we will have a larger representation of shorter people
than this past time.

[mattfromnossa]

Guys and Girls,

We knew this was going to be a difficult. Bills like this are feared by conservatives and they will vehemently fight against this. Even the liberal majority in Mass had a hard time drumming up enough support for this one. Alot of folks were not in support of this bill at all. It may not seem like it, but we are gaining ground with the heightism issue in that more and more people are now beginning to acknowledge that heightism exists. The issue is now, what can we do about it? Many believe that legislation is not the answer.

We favor a society were such laws are completely unnecessary because no such discrimination is occurring. Unfortunately, it is occurring and it seems for some people, it takes statutory persuasion in order for the problem to receive any attention at all. NOSSA encourages organizations to voluntarily prohibit height discrimination within their organizations.

Everyone keep your head up. The fight has only just begun....

[InvincibleOne]

why am i not suprised? :rolleyes:

[Chrisof BK]

Massachusetts Transgender Rights Bill Fuels Bathroom Debate
The bill is stirring fierce opposition from critics who say it would lead to a breakdown in privacy in restrooms, locker rooms and other single-gender facilities.


BOSTON -- When Ethan St. Pierre decided in 2001 to begin a public transformation from woman to man, he said the security company he worked for at first supported his decision.

Then his features began looking more like a man's.

"Once they saw the changes that my body was making they decided that I could no longer do my job," said St. Pierre, 47, a transgender man living in Haverhill, Mass. "They started taking my responsibilities away from me one at a time until finally they told me that I was no longer welcome."

Supporters of a transgender rights bill making its way through the Massachusetts Statehouse say their goal is to give transgender people like St. Pierre legal protections at work, in public accommodations and in housing.

The bill would accomplish that by adding "gender identity or expression" to a list of protected categories in the state's civil rights and hate crime laws. "Gender identity" refers to an inner sense of being male or female. "Gender expression" refers to the expression of that feeling in clothing, make-up and speech.

The bill is stirring fierce opposition from critics who say it would lead to a breakdown in privacy in restrooms, locker rooms and other single-gender facilities. They also content it would open women's bathrooms to sexual predators.

The Massachusetts Family Institute has begun running radio ads warning mothers that they may no longer want to let their young daughters use public restrooms because "Beacon Hill is about to make it legal for men to use women's bathrooms."

Kris Mineau, president of the institute, said the bill would open up all gyms, showers, restrooms and shelters to anyone of any gender because there's no clear way to determine if an individual is transgender.

"There's no restrictions in this bill as to what opposite gender can use the facility. We're not going to be able to police this," he said. "There's no pre-requirement of surgery or appearance or anything else."

Mineau said the bill would make it easier for the thousands of registered sex offenders in Massachusetts to gain access to children and women in public restrooms by claiming they are transgender.

He said transgender people suffer from a mental disorder and need psychiatric help, not new laws.

"These people need treatment. They need help, we agree. But we don't need to establish public policy that just accentuates this issue, this malady," he said.

Gov. Deval Patrick supports the bill, calling it a "a very straightforward question of human and civil rights."

He also dismissed arguments that the bill might make it easier for sex offenders to lurk in women's bathrooms.

"Somehow we manage at home with bathrooms that don't have 'men' and 'women' on them. And we can probably figure that out on public spaces, too," Patrick said.

More than half of the state's lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.

Hundreds of supporters and opponents of the measure packed a Statehouse auditorium Tuesday to offer testimony on the bill.

Timothy Tracey, a lawyer with the conservative Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, told members of the Committee on the Judiciary that the bill infringes on the religious rights of those who believe that men and women are different.

"The First Amendment mandates that no individual should be required to affirm, in act, word, or deed, that a man is a woman, or a woman is a man, against their sincerely held religious beliefs," Tracey said. "Yet this is precisely what (the bill) will do."

Massachusetts Rep. Carl Sciortino, the bill's sponsor along with state Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, said the bill is designed to expand the state's civil rights laws and is not a threat to public safety.

"What it allows for is that every person, including transgender people, can use facilities that are consistent with their gender identity in a safe and private manner," the Medford Democrat said.

"Anyone that uses a facility to commit a crime or does something indecent can be prosecuted under current laws and this bill does nothing to change that," he added.

Sciortino said he anticipates a debate and vote on the bill in the Legislature by the end of the year. He said a dozen states already prohibit discrimination against people based on whether they identify themselves as male or female.

[Chrisof BK]

More than half of the state's lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.



This bill got alot more support than the height/weight bill...I am so livid about this!

[mattfromnossa]

Gov. Deval Patrick supports the bill, calling it a "a very straightforward question of human and civil rights."



And the height/weight bill wasn't? :confused:

[Chrisof BK]

Does anyone get the feeling that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is pandering to certain groups?


The bill would accomplish that by adding "gender identity or expression" to a list of protected categories in the state's civil rights and hate crime laws. "Gender identity" refers to an inner sense of being male or female. "Gender expression" refers to the expression of that feeling in clothing, make-up and speech.

So, they want to add this group on as a protected class but it was too burdensome or impractical for them to add the short and overweight to their constitution? Wouldn't the transgendered fall under the classification of gender? Why add another class to be protected?

[Chrisof BK]

MTPC Commends Rep. Frank and Federal Lawmakers for ENDA Introduction
June 24th, 2009

Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) applauded lawmakers today for introducing an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees from workplace discrimination. The bill, which enjoys bi-partisan support in Congress, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing
federal employment non-discrimination laws.

“Transgender people continue to face employment discrimination even in states like Massachusetts and the effect of this type of discrimination not only impacts the transgender individual, but also their family for whom they are trying to provide for” said MTPC’s Executive Director Gunner Scott.

Currently, 12 states and more than 100 localities have LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination protections, covering nearly 40 percent of Americans. And, according to numerous surveys, large majorities of likely voters in the U.S. support federal employment non-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people. Polling data from 2006 shows that voters are more likely to support a candidate who votes for LGBT discrimination laws than they are to vote against.

Here in Massachusetts, there have been many notable instances of discrimination against LGBT employees. For instance, Ethan St. Pierre, a transgender man and a former police officer, was removed from his position in the security staff of Sun Microsystems in 2003 – despite multiple positive performance reviews and raises – because the security manager felt that his gender transition made him no longer
capable of performing the job. “This experience has resulted in financial and personal losses that continue to be devastating to me,” says St. Pierre.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has protected gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens from discrimination based on their sexual orientation since 1989, and the Massachusetts legislature is currently considering a bill to protect transgender citizens from discrimination based on their gender identities and expressions. “An Act Relative To
Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” H 1728/S 1687 has been co-sponsored by over a hundred legislators, and will have a hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on July 14th.

In 2007, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition coordinated organizing efforts in Massachusetts in support of a gender identity inclusive ENDA as well as sending a number of transgender people to Washington, DC to lobby their legislators. Former MTPC co-chair, Diego Sanchez, now works as a legislative aide to Representative Barney Frank, who introduced both the previous and current versions of ENDA.

MTPC Steering Committee chair Nancy Nangeroni says that employment discrimination is “one of the ways that people who can’t or won’t accept our existence try to exterminate us from their lives. Freedom from employment discrimination is a fundamental right whose denial has cost too many transgender people too much for too long.”




Okay, maybe if we change our genders, we will get protected. Obviously, Massachusetts doesn't give a crap about the rights of the short or overweight.

[Chrisof BK]

Here is what the ACLU has to say about the Employment Non Discrimnation Act which would protect the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered from discrimination:

Employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers is pervasive and harmful. It violates core American values of fairness and equality by discriminating against qualified individuals based on characteristics unrelated to the job.



That's great ACLU,,so why not back legilslation for the short and overweight?

[masterjaytsun]

Keep trying, this gay, lesbo, tranny thing have been going on for awhile, keep fighting, hope is not lost! We obviously need more short people to testify!

"There is always light at the end of the tunnel." ~ don't who said that, but I've heard it, LOL.

[mattfromnossa]

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