In an 11-0 vote (councilors Flaherty and Zakim were absent), the city council said today it supports passage of Question 3 on the November ballot, which would enshrine transgender people's rights in places of public accommodation - from restrooms to hospitals.
At-large Councilor Ayanna Pressley said the issue is really simple: "Love and acceptance" vs. "Hate and discrimination." She noted that "there has been zero increase of public-safety incidents in restrooms in our state," since the passage of a law (which would be repealed with a majority "no" vote) to protect transgender people's rights in 2016.
"We are all safe when we are all treated with dignity," she added.
The City Council first passed a measure to protect those rights in 2002 - which then Mayor Tom Menino signed.
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Where are former Boston City Councilors?
By theszak
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 2:18pm
At least one former Boston City Councilor turned up observing the Proceedings at Boston City Council Weekly Public Meeting. Where are former Boston City Councilors? https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/9h6q57/li...
I'm really shocked that
By anon
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 3:35pm
I'm really shocked that Question 3 even made it to the ballot.
Who would sign a petition to do that?
It doesn't take that many...
By mseskin
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 4:30pm
It's a pretty low bar to get on the ballot, though I also suspect many of the signers were at least to some degree misled about what they were signing.
What I don't understand is how it was permitted to be so confusingly worded. Vote yes to leave everything the same? wtf?
60,000 raw signatures.
By anon
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 6:39pm
60,000 raw signatures.
Massachusetts isn't very
By anon
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 4:41pm
Massachusetts isn't very liberal. It's liberal in the sense that a LOT OF PEOPLE support "liberal" policies. Like 80-20 in favor of abortion. Settled law.
But when it comes to pushing for new progressive legislation MA is nowhere near actually liberal. MA is very Democratic, they support mostly Democrats and the policies proposed by Democrats. But the Democratic party, globally speaking, is a Center-Right/Right party.
worse yet
By Ryan Hatcher
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 6:20pm
Barely 50% are saying they'll vote "Yes" in the little amount of polling that's occurred so far...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_3_(2018,_Massachusetts)
Out of date there
By adamg
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 6:39pm
See the latest results from a Suffolk/Globe poll: 73 yes, 17 no.
No on 3's first ad
By anon
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 6:10pm
http://www.keepmasafe.org/no-on-3-keep-ma-safe-rel...
Queer venues around Cambridge/Somerville and in Waltham!
By theszak
Wed, 09/19/2018 - 10:39pm
Commercialized gay culture locales NOT the same as queer venues for example around Cambridge/Somerville and in Waltham!... Queer Resource Center Brandeis https://qrcbrandeis.weebly.com/ The future Cambridge Queer Cultural Center to be modeled after http://queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/MainMenu/Abou...
Mainstream gay culture addressed by the Gay Shame Movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Shame
Good god, Don
By lbb
Thu, 09/20/2018 - 9:49am
There are some militant hetros here who are still wrapping their pointed heads around the basic idea of gay people. Don't go confusing them with the nuances of "commercialized gay culture".
Absent?
By Residente
Thu, 09/20/2018 - 8:38am
Sounds like a political move to me. I knew there was a reason I didn't vote for Zakim for secretary. Besides being absent for this important vote, he never asked for union endorsements when running for city council. I think he needs a challenger in the next election.
Yom Kippur
By JonT
Thu, 09/20/2018 - 2:39pm
Assuming the vote was taken on Sept. 19, that was Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. If Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax can skip the World Series for YK, Josh Zakim can skip a city council meeting.
[EDITED] Shame on Zakim for missing this vote...
By CopleyScott17
Thu, 09/20/2018 - 5:46pm
...or ANY vote, for that matter. Ayana Pressley showed up for work, even though she's on her way out the door.
Speaking of which, it's interesting that this particular issue came up before Pressley's replacement joins the Council. I do realize the resolution had to be addressed before November, but I wonder how the newly constituted group would have handled it.
[EDITED TO ADD: If this meeting took place on Yom Kippur, my apologies to Mr. Zakim. And shame on the City Council for convening this meeting before sundown! [Though one would think there would be some mechanism for proxy voting, no?]
Roll Call Votes Data of Public Meetings of Boston City Council.
By theszak
Tue, 09/25/2018 - 10:35am
Roll Call Votes Data of Public Meetings of Boston City Council can be online sortable by Topic, sortable by Councilor. Data listed only by Date at https://www.cityofboston.gov/cityclerk/rollcall/De...
Data and Records Management at the Office of Boston City Council President and Boston City Clerks Legislative Support Program are in great need of updating with better technology and better software, page 317 at https://budget.boston.gov/img/pdfs/13-Non-Mayoral-... New, more knowledgeable, more welcoming to civic engagement Staff are needed in the City Council Central Office and Boston City Clerks Offices rather than the corrupted current gatekeeper resistive mentality limiting civic engagement, page 324 at https://budget.boston.gov/img/pdfs/13-Non-Mayoral-...
Budget Hearings a while back weren't held or even listed for a Public Hearing on City Council Budget !
No roll call votes at City Council meeting September 19, 2018
By theszak
Thu, 09/27/2018 - 11:00am
No roll call votes at the City Council meeting held on September 19, 2018 according to City Council Central Staff Office.
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