Pages
Stay In Touch
More
© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen resolved to support “Yes on 3” coalition at its latest regular meeting last Thursday.
By Jim Clark
A resolution was put forward and approved at the latest Board of Aldermen meeting aimed at “supporting the “Yes on 3 Coalition” and re-affirming the Board’s commitment to equal protection under the laws for all people.”
The full text of the resolution reads as follows:
“WHEREAS: The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate approved the addition of gender identity to the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law (M.G.L c. 272, §§ 92A, 98 and 98A) on July 8, 2016; and
WHEREAS: Governor Charlie Baker signed this legislation, An Act Relative to Transgender Anti-Discrimination, into law on July 8, 2016; and
WHEREAS: The updated Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law has been in full effect since October 1, 2016; and
WHEREAS: The Somerville Board of Aldermen has long demonstrated leadership on the issue of transgender equality, amending, in May of 2014, the city’s non-discrimination ordinance (Somerville Code of Ordinances Part II, Chapter 2, Article V, Division 6, Sec. 2-237) to include gender identity and expression, ensuring that members of the transgender community have legal protection against discrimination in matters of housing, employment, education, contracts, purchasing or public accommodations and making Somerville only the sixth municipality in the Commonwealth to enact such legislation; and, on March 24, 2016 passing a unanimous Resolution in support of the expansion of Massachusetts non-discrimination laws to include gender identity and calling for the passage of the respective versions of the House and Senate bills; and
WHEREAS: The Massachusetts statewide election upcoming on November 6, 2018 includes a ballot question seeking to repeal the provision in the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity in places of public accommodation; and
WHEREAS: Repeal of those provisions of the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law would be contrary to the values and principles that the City of Somerville has long espoused and that we are sworn to uphold; NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED: That the Somerville Board of Aldermen does hereby reaffirm our commitment to equal protection under the laws for all people; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, That this Board opposes any effort to infringe on the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming members of our community; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, That we, the members of this Board do hereby pledge to sign on to the “Yes on 3 Coalition” organized by Freedom for All Massachusetts.”
The resolution, sponsored by Ward 6 Alderman Lance Davis and the entire Board, passed unanimously.
If you found this article of interest, please consider sharing it.
How do we decide whose flag we fly? Whose cause we rally around? We gather for this particular cause. But turn to a conversation Here about the Somerville Museum and people with disabilities who are fed up with being ignored and marginalized. Why is there no effort towards that? Disgusting how this city ignores some people. I just really want to know how are these decisions are made?
Stop trying to hijack the conversation. Question 3 is targeted at overturning An Act Relative to Transgender Anti-Discrimination which was signed by Governor Charlie Baker. This bathroom bill, similar to what we saw in North Carolina. (which was quickly overturned when the total cost to the state was identified – https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/27/521676772/ap-calculates-north-carolinas-bathroom-bill-will-cost-more-than-3-7-billion)
This is not they type of law we want in this state. First is it serves only to take away human dignity from people while providing no benefit to the commonwealth. Second the economic impact would be very significant.
“How?” The Somerville museum is not owned by the city, take your complaints up with them directly.
The only reason I’m glad to see this post is that now I know how to vote on Question 3………NO.
Matt is not helping the cause. The museum receives funding from Community Preservation money, as well as Mass Cultural funding. That means it’s required to respect the ADA, not spend years telling us theyre looking into it.
Not hijacking. Merely asking, in great frustration, why we embrace some cultures and not others. If you want to address that?
“How” needs to educate her/himself a bit before rattling off nonsense like that. The museum has had a design & funding to make the building HC accessible for several years now (not the city’s property, as Matt pointed out). The project has stalled because a neighbor is suing to stop the project – he wants to keep parking his car on the museum’s land, making the design impossible. Blame the self-centered neighbor.