IIRC, the proposed hate crimes bill takes things that are already illegal anyway, and if the victim falls into certain categories, makes the penalty stronger.
This wiki pagediscusses current state law as relates to gender. "Gender" is in there, and "Gender identity is encompassed in the terms "sex" and "disability," according to two October 2001 Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination rulings. Millett V. Luttco, MCAD No. 98-BEM-3695 (Oct. 11, 2001) and Jette v. Honey Farino Mini Market, MCAD No. 95-SEM-0421 (Oct. 11, 2001). " However, gender expression is not in the current statues. Also, gender identity would be put in explicitly, not implicitly.
IIRC, there are studies showing that longer jail terms don't actually deter crime at all.
I am not sure if "more people in jail" and/or "more jail time" is ever a good way to stop a problem in the long term, esp. given the incredible incarceration rates in our country. I am also going to try to reasearch alternate penalties other than jail time, and, where possible, push those. However, it seems to me that waiting to pass antidiscrimination laws until we have worked out something more just/equitable than our current jail system is going to take a while, and I would personally like to feel safer in the grocery store before 2050.
...no prosecutor was ever going to prosecute under that [gang] law, because it required proving that several different things were happening together, and it was just easier to prosecute any one of those things, which were each already illegal by themselves. It would be interesting to know whether unfortunate circumstances you've experienced already count as harassment and are therefore already illegal.
As I understand it, I was being harassed because of my presentation/clothing--my gender expression--rather than my gender identity (which was invisible at the time, as my tshirt did not say "I'm genderqueer!") So, as I understand the law that I have read, what I experienced was not, and is still not, technically considered harassment or illegal.
I also wrote my state senator, and the governor (about the SANE program) but did not post that letter here.
I believe that the nurses would of course likely continue to work in healthcare, and even possibly in an ER, but the rapid-response of the SANE program and the 4-hour-solid forensic exam to get evidence wouldn't necessarily be done by the same person throughout, and those someone(s) may not be trained in the care of sexual assault victims or in the latest forensic technique. As I understand it, this is crucial in getting forensic evidence that is both time-sensitive and accurate.
no subject
This wiki pagediscusses current state law as relates to gender. "Gender" is in there, and "Gender identity is encompassed in the terms "sex" and "disability," according to two October 2001 Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination rulings. Millett V. Luttco, MCAD No. 98-BEM-3695 (Oct. 11, 2001) and Jette v. Honey Farino Mini Market, MCAD No. 95-SEM-0421 (Oct. 11, 2001). " However, gender expression is not in the current statues. Also, gender identity would be put in explicitly, not implicitly.
The full text of the house bill is here. The full text of the senate bill is here.
IIRC, there are studies showing that longer jail terms don't actually deter crime at all.
I am not sure if "more people in jail" and/or "more jail time" is ever a good way to stop a problem in the long term, esp. given the incredible incarceration rates in our country. I am also going to try to reasearch alternate penalties other than jail time, and, where possible, push those. However, it seems to me that waiting to pass antidiscrimination laws until we have worked out something more just/equitable than our current jail system is going to take a while, and I would personally like to feel safer in the grocery store before 2050.
...no prosecutor was ever going to prosecute under that [gang] law, because it required proving that several different things were happening together, and it was just easier to prosecute any one of those things, which were each already illegal by themselves.
It would be interesting to know whether unfortunate circumstances you've experienced already count as harassment and are therefore already illegal.
As I understand it, I was being harassed because of my presentation/clothing--my gender expression--rather than my gender identity (which was invisible at the time, as my tshirt did not say "I'm genderqueer!") So, as I understand the law that I have read, what I experienced was not, and is still not, technically considered harassment or illegal.
I also wrote my state senator, and the governor (about the SANE program) but did not post that letter here.
As for the lack of SANE funding/programming:
Here is an overview from the MA dept of Health & Human Services of what the SANE nurses actually do.
I believe that the nurses would of course likely continue to work in healthcare, and even possibly in an ER, but the rapid-response of the SANE program and the 4-hour-solid forensic exam to get evidence wouldn't necessarily be done by the same person throughout, and those someone(s) may not be trained in the care of sexual assault victims or in the latest forensic technique. As I understand it, this is crucial in getting forensic evidence that is both time-sensitive and accurate.
An '08 Boston Globe Interview with a SANE nurse