Employment Law
E-ALERT
November 2011
Transgender Equal Rights Bill Passed by Massachusetts Legislature
On November 16, 2011, a bill was passed by the Massachusetts Legislature that would add protection to transgender people against employment, education, housing, and credit discrimination. The bill also amends existing hate crime laws to explicitly protect transgender individuals targeted because of their gender identity. The Transgender Equal Rights Bill defines gender identity and expression as "a gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individual's physiology or assigned sex at birth."
The bill was sent to Governor Patrick on November 16, 2011, and he has already announced his intent to sign it. The law will take effect on July 1, 2012.
You should review and modify your equal employment opportunity policy statement as well as workplace grievance and harassment policies to include this new protected class.
CONTACT
If you have any questions about this alert, please contact the author, Gary M. Feldman, at 
(617) 589-3874 or gfeldman@davismalm.com.
This article is provided as a courtesy and may not be relied upon as legal advice, or to avoid taxes and penalties. Distribution to promote, market, or recommend any arrangement or investment to avoid or evade taxes, including penalties, is expressly forbidden. Any communication with the author as to its contents, does not, of itself, create a lawyer-client relationship. Under the ethical rules applicable to lawyers in some jurisdictions, this may be considered advertising.
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