In Massachusetts, there is legal protection for gay and lesbian people from being fired for reason of their sexual orientation. I was just asked by a respected associate to get involved in supporting Massachusetts legislation that would expand that protection to protect people from being fired for gender identity or gender expression. She notes, currently, "a person can be fired because they are transgendered (identity) or because they do not express their gender in a way that is pleasing to their employer (gender expression). " The bill would also expand the definition of hate crime to include if a person is physically attacked, beaten or killed because they are transgendered.
I have been strongly supportive of civil rights in the arena of GLBT rights, but it is a sign of my ignorance that I was not aware of this particular problem or how widespread it might be. As I evaluate how involved I want to get in this issue (yes, like others, CEOs have to decide where to put their political efforts among lots of worthwhile causes), it would be helpful to me if readers out there would submit stories of any experiences they might have had in Massachusetts that suggest how necessary this law is.
