City Council support of Freedom for All Massachusetts’ Yes on 3 campaign to uphold the law preventing gender identity based forms of discrimination

City of Cambridge O-5 ORIGINAL ORDER IN CITY COUNCIL September 24, 2018 MAYOR MCGOVERN VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI WHEREAS: Cambridge has long been at the forefront in protecting against discrimination; the City Council first enacted protections against gender-based discrimination on February 24, 1999, when it passed the Human Rights Ordinance with unanimous support; and WHEREAS: In 2016, the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law was updated to protect against discrimination based on gender identity statewide; and WHEREAS: The November 6, 2018, statewide ballot includes a question seeking to strip away the provision in the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity in places of public accommodation; and WHEREAS: Such “public accommodations” where protections for transgender and gender- nonconforming people would be withdrawn should this regressive, discriminatory ballot referendum succeed encompasses “any place, whether licensed or unlicensed, which is open to and accepts or solicits the patronage of the general public,” to include not only public restrooms, but also hotels, stores, restaurants, hospitals, banks, museums, public swimming pools, and homeless shelters; and WHEREAS: Repeal of this law would be devastating for transgender and gender-nonconforming people across the Commonwealth, and would be antithetical to the core values our city proudly upholds and affirms; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record as standing in vigorous support of Freedom for All Massachusetts’ Yes on 3 campaign to uphold the law protecting gender identity based forms of discrimination; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to the Massachusetts Legislative Delegation and the Freedom for All (Yes on 3) campaign on behalf of the entire City Council.