Attorney General Martha Coakley comes out for civil rights protections for transgender community

EdgeBoston.com – by Laura Kiritsy – Bay Windows

In a move that will likely give momentum to the nascent effort to amend the state’s civil rights laws to provide protections based on gender identity and expression, Attorney General Martha Coakley is supporting House Bill 1722, a proposal to put those protections on the books. Coakley will give testimony supporting the bill to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, which will hold a public hearing at the State House on March 4.

Coakley spokeswoman Emily LaGrassa confirmed today that Coakley will submit written testimony in support of the bill. But LaGrassa declined to elaborate on why Coakley is supporting the bill or to release a copy of her testimony in advance of the hearing. “We generally don’t comment on testimony until it’s actually been submitted,” said LaGrassa.