http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/9828-massachusetts-makes-transgender-a-protected-class
The state legislature of Massachusetts passed a measure on November 15 to extend discrimination protection for transgender people in matters related to housing, credit, and employment. Further, the billwill include such individuals in the definition of a “hate crime.”
After a nearly party line vote of 115-37 (the Democratic party is currently in the majority in the Massachusetts House by a split of 127 to 33 Republicans), the legislation, known as the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, was passed by the House and sent on to the state senate. Upon being passed by the upper house, the bill was sent to the state’s Democratic Governor, Deval Patrick (left), and he signed the measure making it state law.
Said the Governor: “I think we have hate crimes on the books today,” he said. “They, in the case of transgender people, don’t go far enough.” He continued, calling the matter a “question of human and civil rights.”