GLAD issued the following statement by Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi after the Massachusetts State Senate passed the transgender accommodations bill (SB 735) by a vote of 33-4:

“Today we moved one giant step closer to securing full non-discrimination protections for transgender people in Massachusetts.

Our sincere thanks go out to Senate President Stan Rosenberg for his leadership, and to every senator who chose to stand for equality today. Many thanks as well to Senator Chang-Diaz for her leadership and support.

This is an incredible moment. And we got here through years of steadfast work by transgender people, family members, allies, businesses, faith leaders, and community organizations.

We have every chance to pass this bill this year, to ensure fair and long-overdue protections for transgender people, and to make Massachusetts a leader once again in achieving equality for all.

Together we have built up tremendous momentum, but we can’t stop now. The bill must next be taken up by the House, and I encourage supporters to contact their representatives and urge them to take a stand for equality.”