While we were celebrating the New Hampshire Senate's approval of a same-sex marriage bill in a 13-11 vote yesterday, there was some upsetting news that marred the joy: Those same senators shot down an anti-discrimination bill that would have protected transgender folks.
And it was unanimous.
Voting 24-0, the entire Senate nixed the bill, which was set to add sexuality identity as a protected class right up there with race, religion, and yes, even sexual orientation. (A Senate committee recommended last week 5-0 to kill the bill.)
What's being blamed for the bill's defeat? It's nickname: "the bathroom bill." It's the same nickname we've seen attached to similar legislation in other states, where fearmongering about men going in to women's bathrooms and praying on young children was enough to sway opinions. Not only did opponents scream the nickname, but so did the media, which Democrats say didn't help matters.
Now, if someone could explain to us why the bill received zero votes, even though Democrats supported it, and folks like Sen. Martha Fuller Clark (D) co-sponsored it.
This, after the House's hard-fought battle to pass the bill, which was approved by a single vote in a 188-187 decision on April 8.
Without New Hampshire, it leaves the tally of states with transgender protections at 13, plus Washington D.C.
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Shamefull…as gay people we cannot leave our trans brothers and sisters behind they need protection just as much if not more than we do.
i think the bill passed the house with a 7 vote margin actually.
i too think that it's really crazy that politician need to use trans folks as "human shields"… this makes me just more cynical about the whole democratic process. i do have hope though. a little hope. one way, or another, we'll get there in time.
my bad… i thought you were referring to the marriage bill. but you are correct, the protection bill literally squeezed by…
'preying', not 'praying'
You can bet Gov. Lynch will veto it.
what is so scary about gender neutral bathrooms??
@Robert, NYC: Marriage, trans anti-discrimination, or both?
@MadProfessah: Nothing. It's just another "catch phrase" the radical right is using to try to keep "teh culchur warzzzz!" alive.
@MadProfessah: it's not about gender neutral bathrooms; it's about protecting a transgender person's right to use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender they identify as.
crap…bitter sweet
trans girls always choose my clothes…and i look more masculine for it..they deserve egual rights just for that!! thanks harlow and jessie!!
No, Emily (#9), it's really not about bathrooms at all. Transgender people already use the bathrooms corresponding to the gender they live in. These laws are really about jobs, housing, access to credit (mortgages, auto loans, etc.).
And Stephen (#1), do you have a gender identity? Do you sometimes dress as a man or as a woman? Then these laws protect you. They aren't just about your "trans brothers and sisters."
These laws protect anyone from being discriminated against because they aren't as masculine or as feminine as someone else thinks they should be.