Tom Lang of KnowThyNeighbor Slams Charlie Baker, Massachusetts GOP Gubernatorial Nominee For His Anti-Transgender Rights Bill Sentiments In Press Conference at Republican Convention
It certainly did not take long for the GOP in Massachusetts to anger gay activists and this time coming from the Baker Committee just moments after its nomination of Charlie Baker for Governor and Richard Tisei for Lt. Governor. In a nut shell, electioneering at the Republican Convention on Saturday to persuade delegates to vote for Charlie Baker and knock out Christy Mihos resulted in flyers being circulated stating, "Charlie Baker Opposes 'The Bathroom Bill' and If It Came To His Desk He Would Veto It."
Now rumors are circulating that this may have been a last minute attempt by the anti-gays such as Kris Mineau of the Massachusetts Family Institute or one of many other anti-gay Republican activists on the Convention Floor to drive a wedge between Baker and openly gay Senator Richard Tisei. Tisei not only supports The Transgender Rights Bill but he is a co-sponsor. We know that the days leading up to the Convention where Tisei needed the votes to be nominated were not easy for the openly gay Republican prospect and sentiments among Republican activists may have indicated that they had wished Charlie Baker had chosen a more "straight" candidate.
And KnowThyNeighbor is also hearing that this may have been done by Christy Mihos reaching for votes but what is being thought a more likely reality that Tim Cahill's people did this to discredit Baker. But the flyers read also, "Paid for by the Baker Committee." So ownership or not, ownership is implied and finger pointing at this point when once again, members of the LGBT Community are attacked and treated with a "less than" status is not acceptable.
In terms of full disclosure and on a personal level, I was posturing to support the Baker/Tisei candidacy We had committed to a fundraiser at our house in Manchester-by-the-Sea. My Co-Director, Aaron Toleos, cautioned me last summer before Charlie Baker's announcement that he would seek the nomination and long before Baker considered Richard Tisei for a running mate, that a Director of KnowThyNeighbor could never support a candidate who may be excellent on "gay" issues but turns a blind eye to the issues faced by Transgendered People. Now let me make this perfectly clear to our LGBT Community, as early as last Fall I spoke with Charlie Baker and discussed with him my support based conditionally on his reaching out to the trans community. I was impressed with Baker's upfront and honest support for same sex marriage, his love for his own gay brother, and Baker's committment that he would NOT support any sort of anti-gay marriage ballot initiative seeking to Repeal or Restrict Goodridge.
On Sunday night just a little after Midnight and having received the disturbing news of a Boston Globe article written from the Convention Floor that stated Baker's opposition to the Transgender Rights Bill and Charlie Baker's reference to it as demeaningly, "The Bathroom Bill" (something the anti-gays use to belittle the messaging of the truth about what trans people face everyday), I emailed Richard Tisei on his cell phone. My message laid it out to Tisei that Charlie Baker's handling of the reporter's questions about the Transgender Rights Bill came off as "cocky, entitled and arrogant." And I told him that seeing Kris Mineau's name all over that Globe article put him a little too close for my personal comfort.
Monday, sparked multiple phone calls by me to Richard Tisei and Republicans as I was being asked to supply a quote to the press. For me this was unacceptable that anyone running for higher office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would dare address a group of people in the abstract. I made it perfectly clear that this is NOT about polls, this is NOT about the Transgender Rights Bill, this is NOT about a section of the Transgender Rights Bill, this is NOT about the steps necessary to secure a nomination. THIS is about a group of people who, just like the rest of us, want to be protected from being fired, from being thrown out of public accomodations and rental housing, from being attacked or worse, just because someone does not like who they are or what they look like. And this group of people, the Trans-Community deserves recognition and address by Charlie Baker as human beings and as citizens of the Commonwealth.
I do not want to hear or read some campaign press statement generated to cover Baker's ass on this one. If there is a problem with the Transgender Rights Bill, in how it was written, address that separately from the need of this group of people to expect the same protections that everyone else has. It seems Democrats are backing away from this bill too. Any wonder why, when haters and spoilers like Kris Mineau are still afforded an ear and given such undeserved access in the State House from BOTH SIDES of the aisle?
If Charlie Baker and Richard Tisei represent a new Massachusetts Republican Party, one that Gives a Damn about its fellow human beings, and one that drew me back in and gave me hope, then Charlie Baker needs to prove it. Every day waiting for his response, is a day of loss of countless votes and support that he needs for this Fall's election.
Tom Lang,
Director of KnowThyNeighbor.org