Tout jèn nan Maine ta dwe an sekirite lekòl, menm jèn LGBTQ+ yo. Sa ta dwe evidan. Se poutèt sa, nou tout pwofondman desi lè nou wè ke liv estrateji yo itilize nan lòt eta ki simen laperèz sou jèn transganr nan kominote nou yo rive nan Maine. Li vrèman douloure pou wè lavi jèn yo vin sijè piblisite atak ak kontwovès ki deranje lavi yo ak lavi fanmi yo.
Kit ou se yon paran, yon pwofesè oswa yon manm kominote a, nou tout konnen ke jèn yo fè pi byen lè yo wè yo, lè yo renmen yo epi lè yo sipòte yo. Nou tout vle timoun yo santi sipò ak swen sa a, epi pou yo reyisi nan lekòl ak nan lavi. Jèn LGBTQ+ yo, ki gen ladan jèn transganr yo, bezwen e merite menm sipò ak swen sa a.
Nou konprann se pa tout moun ki konnen yon moun transganr epi yo ka gen kesyon. Nou tout la pou nou pale avè w sou kesyon sa yo. Gen kèk nan nou ki transganr epi ki te grandi isit la. Nou tout konnen ke jèn LGBTQ+ yo, ki gen ladan jèn transganr yo, fè pati kominote nou yo epi avèk sipò, y ap reyisi nan fason ki ta fè nenpòt moun fyè.
Depatman Edikasyon an merite felisitasyon pou pozisyon li sou sipòte tout elèv, fanmi ak anplwaye LGBTQ+ yo, epi pou rekonesans li ke chak elèv merite yon anviwònman lekòl ki an sekirite e ki ekitab. Nou rekonèt e apresye tou ke pwofesè yo fè travay di pou ede jèn yo aprann nan fason ki apwopriye pou laj yo ak edikasyon yo. Depatman an ka fè plis pou ranfòse angajman li epi pou sipòte lekòl yo ak pwofesè yo nan travay sa a. Òganizasyon tankou pa nou an ap defann paran ak fanmi k ap chèche lekòl ki an sekirite, ki bay sipò e ki reyisi atravè Maine.
Gen yon bezwen pou plis konvèsasyon ak aksyon pou asire chak timoun jwenn sipò ak edikasyon yo bezwen pou reyisi. Men, ann pa fè tankou se apre yon atak anons ki moman oswa kote pou sa.
Siyen,
ACLU Maine
Egalite Maine
Avoka ak Defansè Legal GLBTQ (GLAD)
Lobi Fanm Maine
Soti Maine
Pou premye fwa, LD 1539 pral egzije konpayi asirans prive nan Maine pou kouvri swen fètilite.
Gouvènè Janet Mills te siyen LD 1539, Yon Lwa pou Bay Aksè a Swen Fètilite, nan dat 2 me 2022, epi jodi a li pral òganize yon seremoni siyati pou lwa a nan Augusta. Lwa a egzije pou polis asirans sante prive nan Maine bay pwoteksyon pou entèvansyon medikal tankou swen dyagnostik fètilite, tretman fètilite, ak prezèvasyon fètilite ki nesesè medikalman.
Rezoud Nouvèl Angletè (RNE), yon òganizasyon san bi likratif ki bay sipò, edikasyon ak defans pou pasyan ki gen pwoblèm fètilite, te dirije kowalisyon an pou sipòte LD 1539, ki te gen ladan l òganizasyon defans legal LGBTQ. Avoka ak defansè legal GLBTQ yo (GLAD). RNE ak GLAD te pibliye deklarasyon sa yo pou fè lwanj Gouvènè Mills paske li te siyen pwojè lwa a: “Chak jou nou tande pale de moun atravè New England k ap lite ak pwoblèm fètilite ak bati fanmi. San asirans, anpil moun ak koup nan Maine ap antre nan gwo dèt pou yo eseye reyalize rèv yo pou yo vin paran, si yo menm kapab peye eseye ditou.” te di Kate Weldon LeBlanc, Direktè Egzekitif Resolve New England. “Nou kontan anpil pou nou wè Gouvènè Mills siyen lejislasyon enpòtan sa a ki an favè fanmi an. Nouvo lwa sa a pral amelyore anpil aksè a swen fètilite pou tout moun nan Maine ki espere grandi fanmi yo, tankou koup ki pa ka fè pitit, moun LGBTQ+, moun ki sivivan kansè ak plis ankò.” “Swen fètilite se yon swen enpòtan pou anpil moun, tankou moun LGBTQ+. Men, san asirans, anpil moun pa ka jwenn li akòz pri a.” te di Polly Crozier, Avoka Senior nan GLAD, ki te akonpaye pa EqualityMaine nan temwayaj li a. "Nou rekonesan anvè Lejislati a ak Gouvènè Mills pou aksyon yo ki asire yon asirans pou fètilite ki enklizif e ki respekte pi bon pratik yo."
Avoka GLAD Mary Bonauto te ajoute, "Fetilite se yon pwoblèm pou anpil moun, epi swen sa a pral pèmèt moun yo pote timoun nan lavi yo lè yo pa kapab fè sa otreman. Lwa sa a pral sipòte moun Maine yo yon fason ki pi ekitab nan bati fanmi yo epi li pral bay plis fanmi aksè a swen kalite siperyè, alè." Dat efektif pwojè lwa a se 1/1/24 epi li bay Biwo Asirans lan tan pou adrese "limit rezonab" sou pwoteksyon an. Avèk promulgasyon LD 1539 la, Maine rantre nan eta atravè peyi a ki te rekonèt li se yon politik piblik ki solid pou ede moun bati fanmi yo epi pèmèt yo renmen ak nouri pwochen jenerasyon Mainers nou yo. New Hampshire te pase yon pwojè lwa sou pwoteksyon an 2019, epi lwa swen fètilite nan Connecticut, Massachusetts, ak Rhode Island te an plas pandan plizyè dizèn ane epi yo te vin tounen yon pati nan twal sistèm swen sante eta yo. Avèk LD 1539, 20 eta atravè peyi a kounye a gen lwa asirans fètilite, ki gen ladan tout eta New England yo eksepte Vermont.
The Maine Human Rights Commission by a 3-2 vote today issued a finding of reasonable grounds that an assisted living facility violated state nondiscrimination law by turning away a transgender woman. The Commission’s action followed an investigation in the discrimination complaint filed by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) on behalf of Marie King, a 79-year-old woman who was denied a room by Sunrise Assisted Living because she is transgender. It is the first known discrimination complaint filed in the U.S. by a transgender older adult against a long-term care facility.
Marie King
“Being turned away because I’m transgender was wrong and it hurt,” Madanm King te di. “It’s a relief to have the Commission recognize that. I know I’m not the only person this has happened to and I hope my case leads to better understanding.”
“This is a significant finding for Ms. King and for other transgender older adults who face similar barriers when seeking the care many of us need as we age,” said GLAD Staff Attorney Chris Erchull. “The Commission’s action sends a clear message both to transgender people and to long-term care facilities that turning someone away because they are transgender violates the legal protections meant to ensure equal treatment for everyone.”
In the spring of 2021, a social worker at Pen Bay Medical Center contacted Sunrise on behalf of Ms. King, who was a patient at the hospital. The facility initially said there was a room available, but upon learning that Ms. King is transgender Sunrise informed the hospital they would not admit her because they were concerned she wanted to reside in a room with a female roommate.
The Commission made a finding of reasonable grounds that Sunrise discriminated against her on the basis of her gender identity, transgender status, and her sex, all protected under the Maine Human Rights Act. The Commission will now bring the parties together to attempt to resolve the matter and, failing that, Ms. King’s case may proceed to court.
“We have nondiscrimination protections in our laws to ensure we are all treated equally and to address the profound harm people experience when they are not,” said GLAD Senior Attorney Ben Klein. “When Marie was denied a room at Sunrise because she is a transgender woman it was dehumanizing and it impacted her health, forcing her to stay in the hospital longer than was recommended by her medical team. The outcome we are all working toward is long-term care facilities where everyone who needs them is welcomed with courtesy and respect.”
Research indicates that transgender older adults are as likely as or even more likely than other older adults to require long-term care, including assisted living, due to the adverse health consequences of long histories of anti-transgender stigma and bias. Yet, as Ms. King’s case shows, transgender adults face systemic and widespread barriers when seeking care and support as they age.
“Today’s finding presents an opportunity to reinforce a core value shared by those who provide long-term care: that all of us are entitled to dignity and respect as we age,” te ajoute Direktè Pwojè Dwa Sivil GLAD ak Avoka Maine Mary Bonauto. “That is all Marie and other transgender older adults are asking for and it is what the Commission has confirmed the law requires.”
On March 3, 2022, Mary L. Bonauto submitted testimony on behalf of GLAD, MaineTrans.Net, and Equality Maine in support of LD 1479, An Act to Make Certain Traffic Infractions Secondary Offenses.
LD 1479 lists certain offenses as not a justification for a traffic stop: littering, failing to register or display a registration, failing to display an inspection sticker, and some equipment issues. This bill would provide one way to proactively address harms and build equity into a law enforcement area that often involves racial profiling and can lead to escalation. Traffic stops are the most common form of law enforcement interaction with the American public, and officers disproportionately stop and cite Black, Brown, and Indigenous drivers.
Limiting traffic infraction stops that too often serve as pretext for searches and arrests is one of many necessary steps to disrupt patterns of oppression and violence in policing to historically marginalized people.
Yon Lwa pou Bay Konsistans nan Lwa yo Konsènan Patnè Domestik OTP
Nan dat 14 janvye, GLAD te soumèt temwayaj an sipò pou Maine LD 1804 la, Yon Lwa pou Bay Konsistans nan Lwa yo Konsènan Patnè Domestik yo, ansanm ak MaineTrans.Net, Equality Maine, ACLU of Maine, ak Maine Women's Lobby.
Direktè Pwojè Dwa Sivil la, Mary L Bonauto, eksplike nan temwayaj sa a:
Pwojè lwa sa a ta senplifye definisyon "patnè domestik" nan lalwa Maine pou konsantre sou definisyon Kòd Pwobasyon an pou "patnè domestik". Sa ta mete lalwa a ajou epi debarase li de dezòd lè li retire plizyè seksyon oswa kloz definisyon, epi itilize definisyon ke tèm "patnè domestik... vle di youn nan 2 granmoun ki pa marye ki domisilye ansanm anba akò alontèm ki pwouve yon angajman pou rete responsab pou byennèt youn lòt endefiniman."
Pèsonn pa ta dwe oblije chwazi ant yon chèk salè ak pran swen yon moun yo renmen. Règleman sou konje familyal ak medikal peye yo ta dwe enkli tout kalite fanmi.
GLAD, ansanm ak EqualityMaine, MaineTransNet, ACLU of Maine, ak Maine Women's Lobby, ap ankouraje... Komisyon pou Devlope yon Pwogram Benefis Konje Peye pou Fanmi ak Maladi pou adopte yon definisyon enklizif pou fanmi pou asire tout kalite fanmi gen kapasite pou pran swen youn lòt lè sa nesesè.
Yon ankèt Sant pou Lwa ak Règleman pou Timoun (CCLP) te fè sou rapò sou itilizasyon fòs nan Long Creek ete sa a konfime ke jèn yo te sibi trangleman ak kontrent kouche atè, an vyolasyon règleman prizon pou jèn yo.
Rapò a souliye gwo enpèfeksyon tankou
mank pèsonèl kwonik,
règleman ki pa klè sou dezeskalasyon ak itilizasyon fòs, epi
yon repons ki te gen anpil defo anvè dezòd ki te fèt nan prizon pou jèn yo — ki pèmèt itilizasyon ajan chimik tankou gaz pwav ak entèvansyon pa yon ekip taktik ekstèn. "Repons sa yo ka apwopriye oswa pa apwopriye nan prizon leta yo, men yo pa apwopriye, yo pa pwodiktif, epi yo danjere nan etablisman pou jèn yo," otè rapò yo ekri.
Sa a se twazyèm fwa CCLP evalye kondisyon nan Long Creek, epi rezilta li yo konsistan avèk konklizyon li yo. premye rapò a an 2017.
Sa gen katran, CCLP te jwenn ke Long Creek pa fèt pou satisfè oswa jere bezwen sante mantal grav jèn ki nan prizon la.
Long Creek kontinye pa gen ase pèsonèl, epi règleman sou diminye tansyon ak itilizasyon fòs rete flou. Nan dènye ankèt li a, CCLP te jwenn ke Long Creek toujou pèmèt itilizasyon sa yo rele kontrent "terapik" pou kouche sou do - menm si òganizasyon byennèt timoun nan te di itilizasyon kontrent kouche sou do bezwen sispann nan rapò 2017 li a.
"Anplwaye yo pa ta dwe itilize kontrent kouche plat atè a, pwen final, epi règleman MDOC a ta dwe di sa," envestigatè CCLP yo ekri nan dènye rapò yo a.
Finalman, Long Creek kontinye pa kapab satisfè bezwen sante mantal jèn yo: pa gen ase klinisyen sante mantal, epi anplwaye yo pa ka kreye oswa aplike Plan Jesyon Konpòtman Entansif yo byen.
Long Creek ap mete 25 jèn moun nan prizon pou yon pri prèske 1TP420 milyon dola chak ane.
Nan kòmansman ane sa a, jèn ki te nan prizon anvan, dirije pa Maine Youth Justice, ak alye yo, te plede pou yon pwojè lwa pou fèmen Long Creek. Pwojè lwa a, LD 1668, te pase nan Chanm Reprezantan an ak Sena a, men Gouvènè Mills te mete veto sou li.
“Dènye rapò ki soti nan Sant pou Lwa ak Règleman sou Timoun konsènan pwoblèm ki kontinye ap dewoule nan Long Creek la sèlman pwouve sa nou deja konnen: Long Creek rete yon sant neglijans, echèk, ak pwomès kase pou jèn yo,” te di. Leyla Hashi, Kowòdonatris Kominikasyon, Jistis pou Jèn Maine. "Aplike sèlman ti chanjman nan yon sistèm prizon ki pa fonksyone byen pa pral chanje lefèt ke yo rapòte ke anplwaye ki responsab swen yo a 'trete jèn yo tankou bèt'."
"Anfen, timoun ak adolesan Maine yo fè pati lakay yo ak nan katye yo, avèk sante mantal ak sipò sosyal yo bezwen pou yo vin moun ki an sante e ki gen kè kontan. Lè yon moun fèmen nan yon selil epi lwen fanmi li, sa twomatize anpil jèn yo. Yo merite swen ak konpreyansyon pandan y ap devlope jèn ki gen yon avni ki depase erè yo fè."
"Maine Youth Justice ap kontinye goumen pou yon avni kote Long Creek fèmen epi tout timoun Maine yo lib anba enpak devastatè prizon an," Hashi konkli.
“Rezilta CCLP pibliye yo pa etonan oswa nouvo, men yo wont. Yo ajoute nan prèv ki genyen depi plizyè ane sou echèk Long Creek yo ak kijan li te fè jèn moun mal. Mete jèn moun nan prizon se yon vyolans ireparab, ni pou jèn ki nan prizon yo ni pou granmoun ki oblije mete yo nan prizon. Pa gen okenn refòm ki ka ranje yon bagay ki pa ka repare. Yo bezwen fèmen Long Creek,” te di. Michael Kebede, Konseye Politik, ACLU nan Maine. “Nou ankouraje Gouvènè a ak Lejislati a pou yo koute defansè jèn yo – anpil ladan yo se sivivan Long Creek – epi pou yo fè fas ak pil prèv ki montre echèk Long Creek yo. Li lè depi lontan pou Gouvènè a ak Lejislati a fèmen dènye prizon pou jèn nan Maine epi envesti nan sèvis kominotè ke jèn yo bezwen pou yo an sante epi pou yo pwospere.”
“Dènye rapò CCLP a dokimante, yon lòt fwa ankò, ke Maine kontinye ap mete anpil jèn ki gen bezwen sante mantal nan Long Creek akòz mank sèvis sante mantal apwopriye nan kominote a. Maine kontinye ap mande Long Creek pou fè sa li pa kapab fè. Sa dwe fini. Anprizònman se pa tretman,” te di. Atlee Reilly, Direktè Legal, Dwa Moun Andikape Maine.
"Plis enstitisyon pa yon repons apwopriye pou yon enstitisyon ki echwe. Jèn Maine yo merite sèvis endividyèl ak solid ki baze sou kominote a pou sipòte yo lakay yo ak nan kominote yo," te di. Mary L. Bonauto, Direktè Pwojè Dwa Sivil, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). “Nou gen plizyè ane nouvèl ak rapò konsiltan sou Long Creek ansanm ak plizyè efò san siksè pou refòme li. Li lè pou nou vire paj la sou Long Creek. Modèl prizon an tou senpleman pa mache ni pou jèn yo ni pou kominote nou yo, e se poutèt sa anpil eta vire do ba li. Nou ka reyaji a konpòtman ki pa apwopriye nan fason ki ede jèn yo vin an sante epi kenbe kominote yo an sekirite, tankou nan lòt eta yo e jan yo te dekri sa nan rapò anvan yo. Etandone jèn yo k ap antre nan sistèm nan ak konpòtman ki lye ak chòk reyèl ak bezwen sante mantal ki pa satisfè, eta nou an ta dwe detounen resous yo nan swen ki nesesè yo.”
Making Change Outside of the Courts: Advancing LGBTQ+, Racial, and Economic Justice
Rep. Jeff Currey, Lisa Rosenthall, Professor Doug NeJaime, advocates Stephanie and Denise, and GLAD Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier
GLAD has long relied on the whole mix of legal, policy, and advocacy tools to build a just society free from discrimination. To advance racial, economic, and LGBTQ+ justice and ensure the greatest possible impact for our communities, GLAD engages in the courts and at policy tables, nan statehouses with legislators and advocates, and in community coalitions across New England and beyond.
In 2021 we worked in partnership with others to advance bills that will make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ families, adults, and youth. Some of these policies target harms individuals face because of poverty, racial inequities, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, or discriminatory laws, while others lay the groundwork for broader changes.
Nondiscrimination Laws: Fair Access toHousing and Public Spaces
KONTAN advocated this year with partners to pass The Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act, signed into law in June.Access to housing is a basic necessity and critical to a person or family’s health, stability and wellbeing. Still, too often, discrimination gets in the way of attaining a safe place to live. The Act repeals LGBTQ-only exemptions in Rhode Island law that allowed discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression for smaller housing units, which make up a large percentage of housing stock in the state.
KONTAN also worked in coalition to pass An Act Relating to Health and Safety – State Building Code, which requires single-use bathrooms in places of public accommodation to be labeled “restroom“ rather than restricted by gender. Not only does this protect transgender and nonbinary people from harm when using public restrooms, but it also improves accessibility for disabled Rhode Islanders and young children with differently gendered caretakers and helps everyone by reducing wait times.
Protecting Our Families: Expansion of Parantajand Adoption Laws
We Care Coalition members Stephanie and Denise, and their kids
As a complement to litigation, GLAD also seeks to pass updated, comprehensive laws to secure parent-child relationships regardless of whether the parents are married or how that child came into the world. These protectionsyocritical to children’s well-being and address the vulnerability families face from outdated laws and financial barriers in our existing system.GLAD’s work to update parentage and other family-related laws is both an LGBTQ+ equality and a priority for access to justice.
The passage this spring of the Lwa sou Parante Connecticut(CPA) teyon victory years in the making. GLAD co-led la Kowalisyon Nou Pran Swen with Yale Law School Professor Douglas NeJaime, working closely with bill sponsors Representative Jeff Currey and Senator Alex Kasserand other stakeholders on the bill’s text. Our coalition advocated by sharing the stories of impacted children and families in the Constitution state and organizing the effort to secure passage. Families and advocates celebrated what Professor NeJaimecalled“the most comprehensive parentage bill to pass to date,“ at a signing ceremony in Hartford on the first day of Pride Month. The CPA, which goes into effect January 1, 2022, fills gaps in Connecticut law that left children of LGBTQ, unmarried, or de facto parents vulnerable.
GLAD and our partners also successfully advocated for a critical update to the Lwa sou Parante nan Maine of 2015 to expand access to the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Parentage for LGBTQ parents and others. This acknowledgment form provides a clear, fair, and simple way for parents to establish their legal connection to the child as soon as they are born and protects the family’s integrity and security. Governor Mills signed LD 222, An Act to Update the Maine Parentage Act, in June.
Massachusetts parent and MPA Coalition member J. and her child
With these two successful bills and updates in Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire over the past few years, nearly every state in New England has updated laws recognizing the diversity of how the LGBTQ community forms our families. We are working hard right now to pass the Masachousèt Parentage Act this year.In partnership with Resolve New England, we are leading a coalition of over 50 partner organizations and families to pass An Act Relative to Parentage to Promote Children’s Sekirite (S 1133/H 1714). Learn more, share your family’s story, and get involved at www.massparentage.com.
Other important pending legislation to support families includes An Act To Promote Efficiency in Co-Parent Adoption (S 1124/H 1712) which would ensure a more streamlined process for
Massachusetts co-parent adoptions by LGBTQ couples who petition to adopt their own children, and An Act to Provide Access to Fertility Care (LD 1539), which would make forming families in Maine more attainable for LGBTQ+ couples, and all couples experiencing infertility, by increasing comprehensive medical insurance coverage for fertility diagnostic issues epi treatment.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: Schools, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice Systems
In June,justice-involved youth in Maine gained the right to counsel and petition foralternatives to incarceration when Governor Mills signed into law LD 320, An Act to Provide the Right to Counsel for Juveniles and Improve Due Process for Juveniles into law. GLAD worked with bill sponsor Rep. Victoria Morales, whose district includes the Long Creek juvenile facility, and advocacy partners sou this 3-year effort pou make necessaryreforms to the juvenile justice system. The bill:
Sets a minimum age of twelve for commitment to a juvenile correctional facility and provides that younger children may be detained no more than seven days unless the parties agree
Ends the mandatory one-year minimum commitment to juvenile correctional facilities
Requires judges to consider both the age of a young person and whether the offense committed would be regarded as a misdemeanor if committed by an adult when deciding whether incarceration is appropriate
Creates opportunities for judicial reviews of commitments; andappoints lawyers for both committed and detained young people
Keeping young people with supportive families, connected to resources, and out of correctional facilities is crucial to their opportunities for accountability and development for healthy adulthood.GLAD also supported a Maine Youth Justice–led bill to begin a process to close Long Creek, Maine’s one remaining juvenile prison. While thnan bòdwo did not become law this session, nouapplaudMYJ’s leadership on the issue. GLAD will continue to work in partnership with themand others on structural changes to our juvenile justice systems, including efforts to close Long Creek.
Also becoming law this June was An Act Regarding School Discipline for Maine’s Youngest Children, which essentiallyprohibits suspensions and expulsions for children in grade 5 or lower and bars the withholding of recess except for restorative justice interventions. Under the leadership of Rep. Victoria Morales and with la collaboration of Disability Rights Maine, the Maine Children’s Alliance, GLAD, and others, this revision of punitive disciplinary measures can keep children engaged in school and prevent issues of the school-to-prison pipeline, outcomes which disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities, including those who are LGBTQ+.
GLAD and partner organization OUT Maine collaborated with the Maine Department of Education on its first-ever LGBTQI+ website for the Department, launched in August. The site includes resources on student action groups, student rights, medical and mental health information, and much more, supporting and sustaining inclusive learning environments and contributing to student success at school and over a lifetime.
GLAD is co-leading a Racial and Equity Committee of the Maine Law Court’s Justice for Children Task Force to develop accurate information and support sound policy and interventions. With funding and leadership from the Maine Judicial Branch,the Task Force has commenced a multi-agency demographic data study about what data is collected in the Judicial Branch epi la child welfare, education, public safety, and corrections systems, with a final report completed by November 2022.
Nan Masachousèt, KONTAN sipò Citizens for Juvenile Justice in their efforts to pass An Act Improving Juvenile Justice Data Collection (S 1558/H 1795). This billrequirescollecting critical demographic data at all stages of the juvenile justice system, including age, race, ethnicity, primary language, gender identity, and sexual orientation. S 1558/H 1795alsorequires an annual report overseen by the Child Advocate to ensure that the state uses resources efficiently to protect public safety and improve outcomes for youth.
Togetherwith other LGBTQ+ and youth advocacy organizations, KONTAN is also advancing structural reforms in our child welfare systems epi seeking to improve conditions for youth affected by these systems.
Respect for Our Humanity: Criminal Justice Reform and Reducing Prison Brutality
Transgender people face particular levels of brutality and harassment when incarcerated. GLAD has worked to address these harms through litigation and policy in prison systems across New England and the country. This year, GLAD worked with Maine Trans Net, legislative leaders, and corrections and law enforcement to craft a bill to improve health and safety conditions for transgender people when incarcerated in jails and prisons. LD 1044, which became law this summer, explicitly requires Maine DOC to respect and acknowledge an incarcerated person’s consistently held gender identity for placement irrespective of anatomy or physique, except for significant management, security, or safety reasons. The new law also requires Maine DOC to provide the programming and commissary items consistent with a person’s gender identity.
GLAD also supported and commends our partners in successfully passing bills to decriminalize homelessness and ban face recognition surveillance in Maine (similar legislation, S 47/H 135, is pending in Massachusetts). We are supporting partners in Massachusetts seeking to ensure cost-free phone calls for incarcerated people (Mass. S 1559), stop police profiling of transgender and low-income women by removing “common nightwalkers” and “common streetwalkers” from MA law (S 992/H 1800), move toward full decriminalization of sex work (H 1867) and pass comprehensive health and safety reforms for incarcerated LGBTQI people (S 1566/H 2484). GLAD also supported a bill in Maine, now law, to provide a defense to prostitution for reasons of economic hardship, preventing injury, or threats.
Living Life: Ensuring Access to Accurate Identification
All of us need accurate ID, and for transgender and non-binary people, it is essential for their safety and security.GLAD continues to work across New England to ensure everyone can access ID that reflects who they are, without barriers.
In August, we supported Rho, a non-binary Granite Stater, in successfully advocating for the New Hampshire DMV to remove barriers in choosing an “X” gender marker on their state-issued driver’s license or ID. Now people do not have to get a medical provider to attest to their non-binary gender identity, which can be a significant barrier to updating their ID. This policy change also applies to anyone changing their gender marker to X, M, or F and means that New Hampshire joins the rest of New England, as well as other states and municipalities, in having a straightforward process for people to have accurate state ID that affirms who they are.
Nan Maine sesyon sa a, GLAD consulted on the substance of and sipòte LD 209 – An Act Concerning Name Changes for Minors, which clarifies and streamlines the process by which a parent or guardian can request a name change for a minor child by filing a petition in Probate court. The law drops the requirement to publish notice of the name change, allowing for confidentiality. It sets forth factors for judicial consideration, including the minor’s expressed preference and la child’s best interest. We also worked with community partners to pass LD 855 – An Act Regarding the Issuance of a Birth Certificate Following a Gender Marker Change, pou ensure that new birth certificates issued following a name or gender marker change are not marked as amended, a crucial consideration to protect privacy and safety pou transgender individuals.
In Massachusetts, we are working with coalition partners to advocate for An Act Relative to Gender Identity on Massachusetts Identification (S 2282/H 3521) epi An Act Providing for a Gender-Neutral Designation on State Documents and Identifications (H 3126), bills that would codify a gender-neutral (“X”) designation for all Massachusetts forms and identification documents, including birth certificates.
Racial Impact Statements
A landmark achievement in the Maine 2021 legislative session with the potential to impact the lawmaking process and across systems is the enactment of LD 2,An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process. Conceived and sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, the law provides that any legislation considered in Maine may be evaluated for its racial impact at the request of any legislator or committee. GLAD provided LGBTQ-community testimony in support of LD 2. With the guidance of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other leaders epi communities of color, looks forward pou supporting la use of this important and innovative tool.
LGBTQ+ youth e patikilyèman Nwa, Mawon, ak Endijèn (BIPOC) jèn yo twò reprezante nan sistèm byennèt timoun yo, epi jèn ki afekte pa sistèm sa yo fè fas ak plis risk pou yo pa gen travay, vin san kay, ak entèraksyon ak sistèm legal kriminèl la.
Povrete, rasis estriktirèl, ak prejije anti-LGBTQ tout jwe yon wòl nan detèmine ki timoun ak Leta afekte epi separe fanmi yo. GLAD ap travay pou asire sistèm byennèt timoun nou yo kapab satisfè bezwen jèn LGBTQ+ BIPOC ki anba swen yo epi pou yo chanje apwòch Leta yo pou yo pa limite separasyon fanmi an. e nan direksyon sipò fanmi yo.
Nan Maine sesyon sa a, GLAD sipòte yon bòdwo pou egzije Depatman Sante ak Sèvis Sosyal pou bay fanmi ki nan bezwen asistans pou satisfè nesesite debaz yopou anpeche timoun yo retire lakay yos. Pwopozisyon sa a rekonèt sa ki souvan make kòm "neglijans" e poutèt sa, se yon kòz pou separasyon fanmi an senpleman povrete epi li egzije pou Leta a adrese kòz fondamantal la anvan ou retire yon timoun. Pandan LD 396, malerezman, pa t pase sesyon sa a, nou kontinyeing pou pouse pou chanjman sa yo pou resous yo konsantre sou sipòte timoun ak fanmi olye pou yo separe yo.
Nan Masachousèt,defansè byennèt timoun, ki gen ladan GLAD, gen plizyè ane depi n ap mande chanjman nan Depatman Timoun ak Fanmi (DCF) nan Massachusetts. an repons pou gwo pwofilensidan katastwofikepiechèk chak jou jèn ki anba gad DCF yo.
Nan mwa Out, avèk kontribisyon ak angajman GLAD, Komisyon Massachusetts sou LGBTQ+ Jèn yo pibliye yon rapò sou tretman ak rezilta maladi ki enplike DCF yo timoun yo sa tire yon konklizyon klè: Jèn LGBTQ+ ki anba gad DCF yo nan kriz.. Ansanm ak alarmant rezilta yo,rapò a ofri klè apèsi nan amelyore lavi jèn yo ki deja la sistèm nan, bay plis sipò pou fanmi yo orijin ak fanmi akèy, epi fòmasyon anplwaye yo ak lòt pwofesyonèl yo sou la espesifik ak alè bezwen LGB yoTQ+ jènès.
"Lavi nan swen rezidansyèl te vin pi difisil toujou apre m te kòmanse idantifye tèt mwen kòm yon fanm transganr pandan m te nan yon pwogram pou gason sèlman. Anplwaye yo te konn pale de mwen kòm yon fanm transganr pi fò nan tan an. DCF te refize m [pwogram ki afime sèks mwen]. swen]… Rezon yo se te ke yo pa t kapab"riske li."An reyalite, yo te riske lavi m lè yo pa t ban m swen sante mwen te bezwen an."–Wisid ak yon istwa patisipasyon DCF
Kòm Komisyon an Prezidan an di nan la entwodiksyon nan rapò a, "Sitiyasyon aktyèl la pou jèn LGBTQ nan DCF se yon ijans."Eksperyans pou jèn LGBTQ+ yo konsekans yo nan lamank yon politik ajans klè ak konplè ki afime idantite yo, yonn rezèv ensifizan de sipòtif plasman, fòmasyon ki pa apwopriye pou anplwaye yo ak fanmi akèy yo, ak gwo reta e menm refi aksè pou swen sante nesesèDefo sa yo twò souvan mennen nan move rezilta sante ak edikasyon, vyolans, arasman, entimidasyon, oto-mutilation, ak lòt devastatè enpakEpi sa yo Souvan, enpak yo pi rèd sou jèn LGBTQ nwa ak metis ansanm ak jèn transganr yo, ki fè fas ak plizyè prejije ak baryè estriktirèl.
"Kòm yon paran adoptif pou jèn transganr, mwen pa wè DCF kapab angaje yo nan travay sipò familyal konsènan pwoblèm LGBTQ yo. Yo toujou ap mete aksan sou sa paran yo pa fè, olye de kijan pou ede yo. pa fè sa konnen kijan DCF panse yo pral janm reyini fanmi yo si yo pa fè sa gen anpati oswa konpasyon epi si yo pa ye vle edike epi sipòte paran an. San sa, travay yo se kraze fanmi yo."–Paran adoptif
GLAD ak nou an Alyans Byennèt Timoun LGBTQ+ patnè yo ap rele sou moun ki fè politik yo ak lejislatè yo pou aji imedyatman pou amelyore sistèm byennèt timoun yo avèk sa ki annapre yo mezi:
Koleksyon ak rapò sou cdone konplè ak entèseksyonèl ki pèmèt DCF ak lòt antite responsab yo swiv rezilta pou LGBTQ+ jèn yo epi pou konprann epi satisfè bezwen yo pi bon. Lejislati a ta dwe pbourik Yon Lwa ki gen Rapò ak Responsabilite pou Timoun ak Fanmi Vilnerab yo (H.239/S.32) avèk yon egzijans pou DCF toujou kolekte epi rapò done sou oryantasyon seksyèl ak idantite seksyèl entèseksyonèl.
Devlopeman epi aplikeasyon nan yon LGBTQ konplè+ politik ak fòmasyon pou tout granmoun OMS antre an kontak ak LGBTQ+ jèn yo, ki gen ladan anplwaye yo, fanmi akèy yo, ak founisè yo. Eta vwazen yo tankou Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vèmont, ak sè eta ajans tankou DYS yo genyen konsa règleman yo.
Lejislati a ta dwe pPwojè Lwa H.211/S.88 pou kreye yon Biwo Revizyon Swen Adoptif endepandan pou amelyore responsablite, transparans, ak sipèvizyon pwosesis revizyon swen adoptif la, pou ranfòse pwoteksyon pou jèn ki anba swen ak gad DCF yo.
Ogmante ak swivi plasman ki konfime pou LGBTQ+ jèn yo tou de nan kay akèy ak nan anviwònman gwoup.
Amelyore, aksè pi rapid a swen sante ki afimasyon sèks pou jèn transganr yo.
Kreyeyon nan yon deklarasyon legal sou dwa timoun ki nan adopsyon avèk pwoteksyon eksplisit pou LGBTQ+ jèn yo, ki gen ladan aksè a swen medikal ki afime idantite seksyèl li.
"Finalman, li te pran prèske dezan pou m te jwenn pitit mwen an swen li te bezwen an. Prejije ak transfobi ki soti nan plizyè pwofesyonèl ki enplike nan sistèm byennèt timoun nan te antrave pwosesis la. Paran akèy yo pa resevwa fòmasyon sou sa. Èske ou ka imajine sa k rive yon timoun ki rive nan yon kay kote paran akèy la pa deja konnen tout bagay sa yo?" – Paran adoptif
Rezilta yo nan la Komisyon an rapò yo terib, men defans nou an ap travayLa momantòm ap bati, ak yon nouvo afimasyon sèks politik swen ale an efè sou 30 septanm. Pita nan otòn nan, Patience Crozier, Avoka Senior GLAD la, pral modere yon seri fòmasyon an kolaborasyon avèk Pwoteksyon Timoun ak Sèvis pou Timoun sou pi bon sèvis jèn transganr ak lòt moun LGBTQ+. Gen anpil bagay pou nou fè, men n ap travay pi rèd pase tout tan dirèkteman enpak sou jèn yo pèp la tretman ak lavi anba gad leta. Pou patisipe, vizite GLAD.org/mass-alliance.
MIZAJOU: Marie King ak Sunrise Assisted Living genyen rive nan yon règleman istorik nan yon ka nan Komisyon Dwa Moun Maine. “Mwen kontan anpil pou wè rezilta pozitif sa a,” Madan King te di. Aprann plis.
Nou tout merite pou yo trete nou avèk diyite ak respè pandan n ap vyeyi. Men, granmoun transganr yo, tankou kliyan nou an Marie King, fè eksperyans gwo pousantaj diskriminasyon ak vilnerabilite nan sant swen alontèm yo.
Nan dat 21 oktòb 2021 an, GLAD te depoze yon plent pou diskriminasyon avèk Komisyon Dwa Moun Maine nan non Marie King, yon dam 78 an ki te refize yon chanm nan men Sunrise Assisted Living nan Jonesport, Maine paske li se yon moun transganr. Se premye plent diskriminasyon ke yo konnen ki te depoze Ozetazini pa yon granmoun transganr kont yon etablisman swen alontèm. Li dokiman an.
Nan prentan 2021 an, yo te entène Marie King, ki te pote plent lan, nan Sant Medikal Pen Bay pou yon ijans medikal egi. Yon fwa sante Madanm King te estabilize, pèsonèl medikal la te detèmine ke li pa t bezwen swen entène epi li te bezwen plasman nan yon etablisman pou moun ki asistans. Yon travayè sosyal lopital la te kontakte Sunrise Assisted Living pou Madanm King epi yo te di l ke yo te gen chanm disponib. Sepandan, lè yo te aprann ke Madanm King se yon moun transjèn, Administratè Sunrise la te enfòme lopital la ke yo pa t ap admèt Madanm King paske yo te enkyete ke li te vle rete nan yon chanm ak yon kòlokatè fi, malgre lefèt ke Sunrise regilyèman mete fanm nan chanm semi-prive ak lòt fanm.
Reklamasyon GLAD te depoze sou non Marie King lan afime ke Sunrise te diskrimine kont Madan King akoz idantite seksyèl li, estati transjèn li, ak sèks li, tout bagay sa yo pwoteje eksplisitman anba Lwa sou Dwa Moun nan Maine.
Mizajou: Nan dat 14 mas 2022, Komisyon Dwa Moun Maine lan, avèk yon vòt 3-2, te jwenn prèv ki montre Sunrise Assisted Living te vyole pwoteksyon kont diskriminasyon leta a lè li te refize Marie yon chanm paske li se yon fanm transganr. Dekouvèt enpòtan nan ka Marie a se yon gwo pa nan direksyon pou asire ke nenpòt moun ki bezwen aksè nan yon etablisman swen alontèm resevwa avèk koutwazi ak respè.
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