Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly decided to say Yes to question 3 during Tuesday’s election. (File photograph)
Voters across the Commonwealth Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to uphold the existing law prohibiting discrimination of transgender people in public places, voting Yes on ballot question 3.
In doing so, Massachusetts became the first state to successfully defend rights of transgender people at the ballot box.
“We have aggressively debunked the myth once and for all that protecting transgender people from discrimination is a safety risk for anyone else. Today’s win will be felt nationwide and will have a domino effect on the movement for transgender rights everywhere,” Yes on 3 advocate and campaign Co-Chair Kasey Suffredini said after Tuesday’s ballot question was decided.
Suffredini said he worked alongside Co-Chair Mason Dunn and 4,000 volunteers who raised more than $5 million to increase awareness and encourage voter turnout.
The original law passed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016 “prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation, resort, or amusement,” according to the 2018 Massachusetts voter guide. A No vote would have repealed the provision of this law and impacted the daily lives of transgender people as they navigated hotels, stores, restaurants, theaters, sports facilities and hospitals.