MTPC Press Conference & Community Action Day

MTPC Press Conference & Community Action Day

Orly Jacobovits, Senior Organizer & Community Educator, Keshet; Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge and Mycroft Masada Holmes, Co-Chairs, ICTE; Joanna Ware, Community Organizer & Jewish Organizing Initiative Fellow, Keshet; Avi Schechter, Intern, Keshet; Aliza Krevolin.

The rest of the ICTE & Keshet group -- including Idit Klein, Executive Director of Keshet -- needed to leave before this was taken. Photo by M. Barusch.

The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) held a Press Conference & Community Action Day today at the Massachusetts Statehouse, calling for action towards the passage of An Act Relative To Gender Based Discrimination & Hate Crimes (House Bill 1728 / Senate Bill 1687) before the end of the legislative session on July 31st.

A standing room only crowd of 100 supporters attended, plus supportive legislators (State Representative Carl Sciortino, State Representative Byron Rushing, State Representative Denise Provost, and several aides from several other State Representatives' and Senators' offices) and press.

The speakers were Gunner Scott, Executive Director of MTPC; Christina Knowles, State Director and Lobbyist, Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass. NOW), Jennifer Springer, Vice President, MA chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (MA AFL-CIO); Rebekah Gewirtz, National Association of Social Workers, MA Chapter; DeeDee Edmondson, Political Director, MassEquality.

I was very proud to stand behind the speakers with Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge and Idit Klein; we represented ICTE (as Co-Chairs) and she Keshet (as Executive Director).

After the press conference, the community, led by Gunner and his staff, took action by visiting the offices of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House. We delivered constituents' letters urging action on the bill. Click here to read my letter.

Click here for MTPC's article about the Day -- including video! Which Cameron, Idit and I are in.

Thanks to everyone who attended and supported. If you haven't yet taken supportive action -- primarily writing a letter -- please do so as soon as you can! Click here for help.

: - ) Mycroft

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Mycroft Masada Holmes

Co-Chair, Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality

Member, Steering Committee, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

Emeritus Founding Chair, Transgender Working Group (TWiG), Keshet