The bill was already passed by the Connecticut House on a 77-62 vote on May 19, so it now goes to the desk of Gov. Dan Malloy (D), who has said he will sign the bill.
Governor Malloy called the passage of HB 6599 a "step forward in the fight for equal rights for all of Connecticut's citizens and it’s the right thing to do."
During the evening's contentious debate surrounding HB 6599 several Senators rose in opposition to hostile amendments and comments and of course the GOP haters deployed the bathroom meme again.
Their fellow senators called them on it.
Senator Williams said, "It's a matter of civil rights. It's a matter of human rights."
Senator Looney said, "It's really about civil rights. It's really about discrimination. It's really about inclusion."
Sen. Cassano said, "I am going to support this bill, because I cannot support discrimination." and "It's an absolute shame that it's been called 'a bathroom bill.'"
Sen. Beth Bye said, "It always starts with workplace protections...it's always the first step in understanding."
Sen. Coleman said, "I have never seen the degree of mean spiritedness that that I have seen on this [HB 6599] civil rights bill."
Sen. Meyer calls "bathroom" issue a red herring, cites his "marvelous lifelong friend," transsexual Renee Richards.
HB 6599, called “An Act Concerning Discrimination,” adds the words “gender identity or expression” to other groups that may not be discriminated against in jobs, housing and other areas. The law now includes, among other classes, race, age, sex, marital status and mental or physical disability.
The bill defines gender identity or expression as “a person’s gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth.”
This language in the bill concerns me in terms of setting up the potential for the po-po's intent on harassing POC transpeople of color setting up 'papers please' situations.
person must be able to provide evidence of his or her gender identity, such as medical history, “consistent and uniform assertion, or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held, part of a person’s core identity or not being asserted for an improper purpose,”
Nevertheless, despite my concerns about that section of the law, it's a another legislative win for the trans community just days after Nevada passed three trans rights bills through their legislature.
Congratulations Connecticut. Now if we could get Massachusetts to do the right thing.
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