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My name is Sabrina Renaud and I am asking the residents of Reading to vote YES on Question 3 this November. This ballot question aims to repeal a transgender nondiscrimination law that the Massachusetts Senate and House passed with bipartisan super-majority and was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in 2016.
I am an Early Childhood Educator, a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, homeowner, and the primary caregiver to two young siblings. Like many people, I’m busy and always on the go. Every place I go I know that I am protected from discrimination under the law. I strongly believe this is something that should not be a privilege but a right for all people, regardless of their gender identity. One of the children I care for is transgender. The fact that he could be discriminated against and he would not be protected everywhere in Massachusetts if the law were to be repealed is disheartening and terrifying. All people, but children especially, need to feel validated and supported in order to thrive and it worries me to think of the message that will be sent if the current law is not upheld when voters go to the ballot this November. Having these protections in place makes for a safer and more welcoming community for everyone. It helps to open dialogue, to learn, and to understand. I feel proud -and safe- knowing that the state I was born and raised in has a nondiscrimination law that fully protects transgender people.
The Yes On 3 campaign has the support of nearly 1,500 organizations, including the League Of Women Voters, the Union of Minority Neighbors, the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association, and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. A small but vocal group of anti-LGBTQ activists collected the low threshold of signatures necessary to put transgender nondiscrimination protections to a popular vote on the November 2018 ballot. Therefore, it is important that everyone works together to protect transgender rights and votes “Yes” on 3.
Sabrina Renaud
Reading, Ma
