by Elliott Kozuch •
Washington — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced its endorsement of a number of pro-equality candidates in Massachusetts, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, U.S. Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1), James P. McGovern (D-MA-2), Joseph Kennedy (D-MA-4), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5), Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), Michael E. Capuano (D-MA-7), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8), and Bill Keating (D-MA-9). As part of the Freedom for All Massachusetts coalition, HRC is also working to turn out millions of pro-equality voters to uphold the Commonwealth’s transgender non-discrimination law at the ballot in November.
“We are proud to endorse Senator Elizabeth Warren and these leaders in Massachusetts who are standing up for fairness and equality,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “For nearly two years, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have launched relentless attacks on the LGBTQ community. HRC is working harder than ever to ensure we elect leaders up and down the ballot who will hold this administration accountable. From upholding Massachusetts’ non-discrimination law protecting transgender people, to ensuring we have a majority in Congress able to pull the emergency brake on the Trump-Pence agenda, it’s absolutely crucial that fair-minded Bay Staters turn out to vote this November.”
HRC has worked closely with Senator Warren and Representatives Neal, McGovern, Kennedy, Clark, Moulton, Capuano, Lynch, and Keating for years in Congress. Each Member of Congress has earned high scores on the HRC Congressional Scorecard — a key tool measuring their support for LGBTQ equality. Attorney General Healey has been a vocal supporter of legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in public accommodations and has also been a leader in suing the federal government over discriminatory Trump-Pence administration policies, including the transgender military ban, contraceptive regulations, and the Muslim ban.
HRC is also working to ensure Bay Staters turn out to vote “yes on 3” to uphold the Commonwealth’s non-discrimination law protecting transgender people from discrimination in public spaces, such as restaurants, stores, and doctors’ offices. In 2016, the Massachusetts legislature passed – with a bipartisan, supermajority vote – the historic non-discrimination protections for transgender people, and Republican Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill into law in July 2016. Shortly after it went into effect in October 2016, a small group of opponents gathered the minimum number of signatures required to place the law on the ballot for repeal this November. A “yes” vote on Question 3 keeps the current law in place.
In Massachusetts, HRC has identified more than 2.1 million voters as likely “Equality Voters,” meaning they are strong supporters of progressive LGBTQ policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign to mobilize voters for the midterm elections called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.
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