Over 500 Massachusetts residents flooded Copley Square Sunday to support the upholding of statewide protections for transgender individuals in the Commonwealth.
The “Yes on 3: 50 Days to Election Day” rally was hosted by Freedom for All Massachusetts and aimed to garner support to vote “yes” on the third ballot question in the Massachusetts general election Nov. 6.
The third ballot question prompts voters to decide whether they support a law that protects individuals from discrimination based on gender identity in public places, such as bathrooms, restaurants and businesses. The law has been completely in effect in the Commonwealth since July 8.
By voting “yes” on the question, voters would be deciding that they want the current law protecting transgender residents to remain unchanged. A “no” vote would repeal the provision.
Angela Dallara, the director of external communications at Freedom for All Americans, which oversees Freedom for All Massachusetts, said she was proud to have a diverse array of speakers present at the rally.
“We know that the more voters hear about who transgender people are, the greater their support is,” Dallara said in an interview.
Dallara said she is confident Massachusetts voters will “do the right thing” and vote “yes” on the third ballot question.
“I hope that people who haven’t thought too much about this yet see how much support there is among safety advocates, experts on working with women and children, businesses, faith leaders and just learn about this themselves if they haven’t thought about it yet and do their homework and make the right choice to support the transgender community,” Dallara said.
Kasey Suffredini, president of strategy at Freedom for All Americans, said this ballot question is not about politics or policy, but about transgender people like himself.
“[Question 3 is] about whether people like me are still welcome in the place we are so lucky and proud to call our home,” Suffredini said in his speech.
Rep. Joe Kennedy III, the U.S. representative for District 4 in Massachusetts, spoke at the rally and said the upcoming vote is a chance to show the rest of the country that, in the Commonwealth, everyone counts.
“What is on the ballot in November is a simple question,” Kennedy said in his speech. “Do people in our Commonwealth count? Do we celebrate differences and diversity? Do we lift that up but still see through those differences a common thread of humanity?”
Kennedy also said anti-transgender rights activists chose to target Massachusetts because as a progressive state, if opponents can succeed in overturning transgender rights, then they can succeed in doing so all over the country.
“Will we, as Massachusetts, live up to that challenge and see this as an opportunity to show the rest of the country that here, everyone counts?” Kennedy asked. “We see you, we hear you, we will fight for you day in, day out and here, you are welcome.”
Christopher Anderson, 26, of Franklin, said he thinks it is important to uphold transgender rights, especially since Massachusetts is known as a state of accepting people.
“I think this referendum is super important because if it doesn’t pass here, then all the other states that might not be as tolerant as we are, are going to use us as an example,” Anderson said.
Carmen Paulino, mother of a young transgender son and an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community, spoke at the rally about her concerns for her son’s safety and well-being after he came out to her as transgender.
“Transgender people face rampant discrimination, and the rates are even higher for transgender people of color,” Paulino said. “No one ever wants that for their child. Defending these basic protections means supporting youth like my son so he could focus on education, having fun and just being a kid.”
Paulino’s son, Ashton, 14, spoke about his experience coming out as transgender and how the current protections for transgender people in Massachusetts have enabled him to live a happy, safe life.
“I’ve been free to be me, to be respected for who I am, to use the name and pronouns that match who I am and live my life,” he said in his speech. “Voting yes on Question 3 is about basic rights for children and adults like me. If this law is not upheld, my right to exist goes away. Please don’t let that happen.”
Rachael Rollins, the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County district attorney, said at the rally that as someone who knows the law, she could say without hesitation that the current law in place to protect transgender people has made Massachusetts safer for everyone.
“Fact: there has been no increase in public safety incidents in [public] spaces since this law went into effect,” Rollins said in her speech. “Fact: cities like Boston have had these protections in place for more than a decade without issue.”
Rollins also said transgender people, specifically transgender people of color, are routinely the target of hate crimes, going against the narrative many anti-transgender rights activists perpetuate that transgender people are a danger to others.
“I want you to know, when I am elected in November, and I will be elected in November, you will have a seat at the table, and this office will protect you,” Rollins said.
Susan Francis, 45, of Framingham, said she attended the rally because she has two daughters: a 13-year-old who is transgender, and an 8-year-old who is cisgender. Francis said she treats her two daughters the same at home and thinks the state should as well.
“We want to vote ‘yes’ to preserve the law,” Francis said, “so I feel like it’s important to come and help people understand that we want to vote yes for everyone in Massachusetts to have the same rights.”
