Gov. Baker’s administration has taken a further step in supporting transgender servicemembers in the MA National Guard.

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) issued a letter saying:

“The Massachusetts National Guard and the Baker-Polito Administration will continue to support transgender Soldiers and Airmen in serving our Commonwealth with dignity and respect,” and “will continue to assist in the endorsement of waivers and exceptions in accordance with federal policy in order to support accession and retention of the best qualified individuals in our military force regardless of their gender identity.”

This is great news and is the result of efforts from several MA legislators, as well as GLAD. We thank the hard work of Senators Eric P. Lesser and Julian Cyr, as well as Representative Mindy Domb for all their hard work.

“We applaud Governor Baker for recognizing that excluding qualified transgender servicemembers from the National Guard weakens our military and demeans the Commonwealth’s core values of fairness and equal treatment. We appreciate the commitment of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to ensuring that transgender individuals who meet military standards have every possible opportunity to serve their country and the Commonwealth. Citizens of the birthplace of the National Guard deserve no less,” said Jennifer L. Levi, Director of the Transgender Rights Project at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and one of the leading attorneys challenging the transgender military ban in court.

You can read the full press release from Sen. Lesser’s office here.