Mass. Gov. Signs Historic Transgender Equal Rights Bill

On Thursday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick hosted a ceremonial signing of the state's historic Transgender Equal Rights Bill. Signed into law by Gov. Patrick on November 23, 2011, the bill offers protections against discrimination in employment, housing, credit and hate crimes law based on gender identity and expression. "This law is about affirming rights," said Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). "This law is for people who think they can deny us those rights... This piece of paper is not magic, but for many of us it is the result of hard work that will change our lives."