MassEquality adds support for trans bill to endorsement criteria

With the marriage battle in Massachusetts behind it, MassEquality is raising the bar for lawmakers and political candidates seeking its endorsement.

Since the organization began electoral work in 2004 the only criteria for MassEquality's endorsement has been opposition to a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. But Beginning in 2009, the organization's endorsement criteria will expand to reflect MassEquality's broader mission, which includes safeguarding LGBT rights beyond marriage equality.

"Specifically on the transgender non-discrimination bill legislators will be scored based on whether or not they are original cosponsors of the bill and, if it comes to a vote, whether or not they vote in favor of the bill," said MassEquality Executive Director Marc Solomon, who called passing the bill MassEquality's "top priority in 2009 in Massachusetts." The bill died in committee at the close of this year's legislative session.

"We also will be working our full equality agenda into a full scorecard," Solomon added. In addition to the trans rights bill, that agenda includes securing state funding for a range of LGBT and HIV/AIDS programs.

Solomon said he expects the new endorsement rules to help MassEquality build support for the trans rights bill.

"I think legislators know what MassEquality's track record is with respect to electoral work, and they also know we are a very strong voice with respect to how a legislator stands with respect to LGBT equality issues, and they also know of the membership base we have in their districts, and together all of that means legislators will want a MassEquality endorsement and as a result are more likely to sign on to the trans bill," said Solomon.

Openly gay state Rep. Liz Malia (D-Jamaica Plain) expects much of the next legislative session to focus on economic issues, but she believes MassEquality's new endorsement rules will help put a spotlight on the issue among her colleagues.

"I think it helps to ratchet up the focus. And again, that's one of the things that around legislative issue and policy issues, there's so many pieces of legislation filed every year, and a lot of them are good ideas, but there's only so much you can process. ... MassEquality is basically underlining [the transgender rights bill] and putting an asterisk under it," said Malia.

Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), praised MassEquality for making the trans rights bill its top priority in its endorsement process. He noted it joins a growing chorus of other organizations that have made support for the bill part of their endorsement criteria, including Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, and Mass Alliance. MTPC is the lead organization in the coalition to pass the trans rights bill.

"I think that MassEquality, by doing this, are showing their commitment to standing for LGBT equality and not just same-sex marriage, and it makes them a more flexible organization," said Scott.

Scott said it is unclear whether or not MassEquality's new endorsement rules will convince legislators on the fence to back the bill, since it will be another two years before they face re-election. Should the bill come up later in the session and closer to the elections it could have a greater impact, he said. The new rules send a message both to incumbents and new candidates courting MassEquality's endorsement that "we're looking for full LGBT equality and not just gay and lesbian [rights]," said Scott.

Solomon said MassEquality felt that after 2008 it had fulfilled its initial promise to lawmakers to stand by everyone who voted against the marriage amendment in 2007. He said the marriage amendment vote would still be a major factor in determining endorsements going forward. MassEquality has successfully helped every pro-equality lawmaker win re-election since 2004 with the exception of Woburn state Rep. Patrick Natale and state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson of Boston, both of whom lost to primary challengers in September.

Solomon said MassEquality is still working out the details of its endorsement process going forward. Solomon said it is not yet clear whether a failure to support the trans rights bill will be a deal-breaker for MassEquality.

"It will be a significant factor, but we haven't come close to finalizing what would lead to an endorsement, what would not lead to an endorsement. That will take some time. We need to put some real thought into this and make sure we have a clear understandable process," said Solomon.