Massachusetts Family Institute | News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:   Lena Wakim | lena@mafamily.org | 781.569.0400

 

Governor Fails to Protect MA Women and Children

In his decision to sign the Bathroom Bill, Governor Charlie Baker has opened the door for predators to enter public bathrooms, locker rooms and showers and to abuse this vague legislation.  Even in the absence of outright abuse, this bill violates fundamental rights of privacy by enforcing a new “right” for men to shower with women against their will.

Friday, July 8, 2016

WOBURN — Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) is extremely disappointed that Governor Baker has broken his original campaign promise to veto this bill.  This law will violate the fundamental rights to privacy and safety for all citizens of the Commonwealth, particularly women and children.  Women will be forced to undress and shower in the presence of men.  Any sane person recognizes that anatomy matters, and that requiring girls to share a locker room with anatomical boys is a bad idea, regardless of how those boys sexually identify or express themselves.

Thousands of concerned citizens have contacted the governor’s office over the past month, urging him to do the right thing and veto the bill.  Instead, Governor Baker ignored them and gave in to a radical and aggressive agenda of sexual expression and a denial of basic biological truth.  What we have today is the sacrifice of common sense and the abdication of responsibility by both houses of the legislature and now the governor.

What is equally disturbing is that, under this new law, parents will face criminal prosecution for trying to protect their children, and business owners could be fined or even jailed just for putting up a sign deemed offensive to transgender activists.  This, despite the fact that the definition of gender identity used by the bill, is extremely broad and ripe for abuse.  It would even allow a registered sex offender to use the law to gain access to the locker room or showers of the opposite sex. The people of Massachusetts deserve better from their government.

Massachusetts Family Institute is a non-profit research, education and public policy organization dedicated to strengthening the institution of the family and affirming the Judeo-Christian values upon which the family is based.

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