In its Dec. 19 edition, “The Lowell Sun ran the following lyrics, meant to be sung to the tune of ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ as part of an article titled ‘Christmas carols — with a twist,’ written by columnist and copy editor Dan Phelps:”

Chaz Bono got turned into a man, dear.
Dancin’ with a woman on TV.
You might say there’s no such thing as Santa
Till you see what Chaz got ‘neath his tree. [...]

Now transgenders in the Bay State
Have a law that’s etched in black.
It says they can change their gender.
Then if they want, they can change it back.

Interestingly, the last line echoes the actual comments of Massachusetts Rep. Sheila Harrington (R), who asked two transgender witnesses if transgender people are able to change their genders on a “day-to-day basis” when the Judiciary Committee considered the legislation in June.

The Human Rights Campaign has condemned the lyrics, saying, “It is unacceptable for transgender Americans, and the very real challenges they face, to become comedic punch lines –- and we have an obligation to speak out against such dangerous stereotypes.”

Deval Patrick

The Transgender Equal Rights Bill passed in the Massachusetts House on Nov. 15 by a vote of 95-58 vote, and cleared the state’s Senate the following morning when Senators approved the measure on a voice vote and with no opposition.

The approved version of the bill adds “gender identity” to employment, education, housing, and credit non-discrimination law, as well as to hate crimes law. It did not address public accommodations, however.

Patrick said he signed the bill as a matter of “conscience” even though lawmakers had stripped a provision that would have required all “sex-segregated facilities” to grant admission to people based on their gender identity, rather than their biological gender.

The provision, viewed as a key component by advocates of the legislation, was removed to build consensus among lawmakers.

“It gave me pause, and it gave the advocates pause, and it gave transgender people pause,” Patrick said in an interview inside his State House office. “There’s a lot of good in this bill, and after consulting with them and my team and my own conscience, I wanted to sign this bill. And then, we’ll come back around to public accommodations.”

The Patriot Leader

The Governor said he did not want to risk sending the bill back to lawmakers with an amendment, particularly as they embark on a seven-week recess.

Patrick has been a vocal proponent of transgender rights. In February, he signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in state employment, a directive which reaches 43,500 executive branch employees and 13,500 state contractors.

“Gov. Patrick was a staunch advocate of the Transgender Equal Rights Bill from the earliest days of his administration,” said Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), in a statement.

“We are so grateful for his leadership in getting this bill passed and for his unwavering commitment to ensuring that all residents of the Commonwealth, including transgender people, are treated with dignity and respect under the laws of our state,” Scott said.

When the bill takes effect on July 1, 2012, Massachusetts will become the 16th state in the nation, along with Washington, D.C., to offer vital protections against discrimination to its transgender residents.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Democratic Governor Deval Patrick reaffirmed his promise to sign the measure.

Patrick told reporters, “I think we have hate crimes on the books today. They, in the case of transgender people, don’t go far enough.”

According to Gay and Lesbian Advocates, a New England LGBTQ equality rights organization, the bill would “provide essential protections for the transgender community in employment, education, and in situations where people face hate-based violence."

However, the bill does not provide protections in “public accommodations” such as public restrooms, a concession designed to bolster support among lawmakers.

GLA also noted that while Massachusetts was the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry in 2004, the transgender equality rights bill had languished in the legislature in various forms for six years.

The approved version added “gender identity” to employment, education, housing, and credit non-discrimination law, as well as to hate crimes law. It did not address public accommodations.

Speaking in support of the bill were lead sponsors Byron Rushing (D-Boston) and Carl Sciortino (D-Somerville), as well as Judiciary Committee Chair Eugene O’Flaherty (D-Chelsea).

Debate was limited to an hour, and during that time the only amendment offered for a vote – out of a stack offered by opponents – would have struck all but the Hate Crimes provisions.

It was defeated by nearly the same margin by which the bill eventually passed.

House Republicans claimed the bill is unnecessary and anti-business, but supporters said it's an important addition to the state's civil rights laws.

At a news conference earlier, opponents presented various scenarios which they claimed a small business such as a day care or grocery store might suffer if an employee suddenly began identifying with the opposite sex. Supporters of the bill say no one should be fired because of gender identity or expression.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat, said he would sign the bill if it reached his desk, and rejected opponents' claims that it might hurt small businesses.

"I don't think fairness is bad for anyone," Patrick said.

The state's Senate is expected to consider the bill for a vote as earlier as Wednesday.

Morse, who was a Victory Fund-endorsed candidate, was on the organization’s “10 Races to Watch” list this year. In winning this race, Morse ousted incumbent Elaine Pluta.

“Alex is a force of nature, and proof that young LGBT Americans are determined to live authentic lives as they build their careers. We’re incredibly proud of the campaign he ran,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.

All 10 U.S.House representatives from Massachusetts participated in the project, as did U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass). Republican Sen. Scott Brown's office said he declined an invitation to take part.

Watch:

The video promotes the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Youth, with Rep. Barney Frank, one of the few openly gay members of Congress, who says, "It will get better because you're helping it to become better, and this is going to be in the end the kind of world we all want to live in."

Brown was invited to participate in the video, which was organized by Kerry’s office, but declined to take part, said two congressional officials, reported the Boston Globe.

“Scott Brown has a strong record at the state and federal level against bullying and believes that all people regardless of sexual orientation should be treated with dignity and respect," said Colin Reed, a spokesman for Se. Brown. "His main focus right now is on creating jobs and getting our economy back on track."

The “It Gets Better Project,” which has since compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was launched by Seattle-based activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller, in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.

The study, published online Thursday, also found that 15 percent of bisexual, and 3 percent of heterosexual Massachusetts public high school students were homeless.

The author of the study, Dr. Heather Corliss, noted that sexual-minority males and females reportedly had a likelihood of a 4 to 13 times greater chance of experiencing homelessness than their exclusively heterosexual peers.

The study, published by the American Journal of Public Health, defines homelessness as having no fixed regular place to sleep with adequate care and or separation from parent/family units or guardians related to discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

The report concludes that overall youth homelessness is linked to numerous threats such as violence, substance use/abuse, and mental heath issues.

In an interview Friday afternoon, Corliss told LGBTQ Nation that the primary concern of Massachusetts health care professionals was that discrimination and victimization related to sexual orientation or gender identity seemed to be following a pattern, that various other studies have documented -- showing there are much higher risks based on familial maltreatment among LGBTQ individuals versus those suffered by heterosexual youths.

Dr. Heather Corliss

Corliss said that the study was based on
statistical data accumulated from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, which was provided to her team by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

She said Massachusetts is currently the only
state that includes core questions regarding LGBTQ youth on the survey in particular as related to sexual orientation/gender identity
and homelessness.

One of the drawbacks in accumulating the data and its presentation, Corliss told LGBTQ Nation, was that accurate data results were hampered by researcher’s inability to include students that weren't surveyed owing to truancy or chronic absenteeism, noting that those individuals are often separated from parents or guardians.

She added that since middle and high school environments are frequently non-supportive or even hostile towards LGBTQ youth, it was difficult to quantify the magnitude of the issue, based on reluctance by youth to disclose some details.

This particular issue, in light of societal and cultural attitudes, has produced a pandemic which in turn increases risks as LGBTQ youth are exposed to higher rates of sexual abuse, mental health issues in particular depression, victimization and physical violence as well as alarming increased rates of suicides among LGBTQ youth, she said.

Corliss said that she and her team were optimistic that the information collected would aid in the design of programs and public policies to reduce incidents of LGBTQ youth homelessness and associated ancillary problems.

When asked about efforts to address the issue on a national basis, Corliss told LGBTQ Nation that there were limitations of utilizing the data from study as it was solely focused on Massachusetts, where there is a broader acceptance by the state's educational system.

The entire report is available here (PDF).

Because they’re in a same-sex relationship, the value of coverage for spouses on their employer-provided health insurance is considered taxable income by the federal government.

But starting this month, Cambridge will become what is believed to be the first municipality in the country to pay its public employees a stipend in an attempt to defray the cost of the federal tax on health benefits for their same-sex spouses.

The city employees hit by the extra tax pay an additional $1,500 to $3,000 in taxes a year and officials estimate the stipends would cost the city an additional $33,000.

"This is about equality," said Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge city councilor. "This is a city that models what equality really means."

Associated Press, via Boston Herald

While same-sex couples can legally wed in Massachusetts, the Defense of Marriage Act does not recognize their unions in connection with federal benefits, so the added tax does not apply to their heterosexual colleagues.

The Red Sox become the third professional sports team -- after the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs -- to participate in the campaign aimed at providing encouragement for LGBT youth.

"Bullying is something that has touched many of our lives either personally or through someone we love,” said Red Sox senior vice president of public affairs/marketing Susan Goodenow.

“We are proud of dedicated Red Sox fans like 12-year-old Sam Maden who took the courageous step recently to publicly stand up against bullying of LGBT youth, and we are honored to join Sam and others throughout Red Sox Nation in support of the It Gets Better Project.”

The 60-second video features third baseman Kevin Youkilis; catcher and team captain Jason Varitek; and Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Also included are Eric Maitland, a Red Sox greeter and Wheelock College counselor; TJ Connelly, Fenway Park's DJ and member of the Red Sox Fan Services & Entertainment department; Kristen Rosa, Smith College student and Red Sox fan; and Alison Tippett, a student at Lexington High School and daughter of Red Sox Director of Baseball Information Services Tom Tippett.

The "It Gets Better Project," which has since compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was launched by Seattle-based activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller, in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.

The 30-year-old victim was attacked shortly after 3 a.m. on Tuesday in Springfield as he was walking home.

The victim and the people accused of attacking him all live in the same neighborhood.

While none of the suspects knew the victim by name, they were familiar with him from the neighborhood, police said.

The victim told police that a group of youths inside Barrows Park yelled and asked him to come inside the park, said Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

The victim kept walking and told police he was then attacked, knocked him to the ground, kicked him in the head and abdomen and punched him in the face with closed fists, Delaney said.

MassLive.com

Some of the attackers reportedly yelled, “That’s what we do to faggots.”

Investigators determined that the attack, Delaney said.

Police charged Shay Andre Edwards, 19, and eight juveniles with unarmed robbery and a civil rights violation with injury.

The victim was treated for head trauma.

Members of the Rainbow Ministry from the South End’s Saint Cecilia Church held a sidewalk prayer service at 6 p.m.

The parishioners were scheduled to have a mass inside the church themed “All Are Welcome” to celebrate Boston’s Gay Pride Month.

Earlier this month, the Archdiocese ordered the church to cancel the Mass, caving to criticism that the church was sanctioning a celebration of LGBT Pride month.

The Church said, “The theme of the liturgy, ‘All Are Welcome,’ honors Christ’s message of hope and salvation to all people. We will also celebrate the diverse community that finds its home at St. Cecilia.”

The archdiocese said they had no objection to the service, providing it was not held inside.

Saint Cecilia Church has rescheduled the Mass honoring Gay Pride for July 11. It’s unclear if the Archdiocese will cancel that one.

In its most recent bulletin, St. Cecilia Parish said that it had planned a “liturgy to commemorate Boston Pride 2011’’ for later this month.

"The Rainbow Ministry of St. Cecilia Parish invites all friends and supporters of the LGBT community to a Mass in celebration of Boston’s Pride Month," the bulletin said. "The theme of the liturgy, 'All Are Welcome,' honors Christ’s message of hope and salvation to all people. We will also celebrate the diverse community that finds its home at St. Cecilia."

Opposition to the Mass grew out of a post by a local blogger who writes under the pseudonym Joe Sacerdo, who questioned Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley’s commitment to church doctrine.

"Celebrating a 'Gay Pride' Mass isn’t expressing the moral teachings of the church with clarity and fidelity or telling people their behavior is unacceptable — it’s telling them their behavior is just fine," Sacerdo wrote.

"I find it hard to believe that Christians don’t believe the great variety of people as God made them is a lovely thing," said Susan Donnelly, a member of the parish council of St. Cecilia.

The announcements come just days after the World Series champion San Francisco Giants last week became the first major league sports team to join the project.

From WMAQ-TV:

The Chicago Cubs will take a stand against anti-gay bullying and homophobia when they produce an "It Gets Better" video once the team returns home from its current 10-game road trip. The Cubs' project has been in the works for more than a week, according to a release from the team.

The Cubs will be the second professional sports team to participate in the "It Gets Better" campaign.

The Red Sox' plan to participate in the campaign came in response to a petition started by a 12-year-old New Hampshire boy that garnered nearly 10,000 signatures in a matter of days.

The Boston Globe reports:

“The Red Sox organization takes the issue of bullying seriously,” the team said in a statement released by spokeswoman Leah Tobin.

“It is something that has touched many of us and those we love, and it is a growing problem in our community. We are proud of dedicated Red Sox fans like 12-year-old Sam Maden who have taken the courageous step of publicly standing up against bullying of LGBT youth.”

Seattle-based activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller launched the “It Gets Better Project” to provide support and encouragement to LGBT teens struggling with bullying and adversity.

The project, which has since compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.

Gov. Duval Patrick and Barbara Lenk

Lenk's confirmation comes after a contentious hearing in which critics charged that her appointment to the court would encourage the indoctrination of children into a lifestyle of homosexuality.

She was grilled about her ruling in a same-sex incest appellate case, and about whether she had avoided conflicts of interest when her wife had represented clients in front of the Appeals Court as a lawyer for the Massachusetts public defenders’ office.

Lenk had the full backing of the state’s legal establishment. Bar association leaders, former judges, and Lenk’s former clerks wrote letters to the Governor’s Council, and said critics inappropriately focused on her sexuality and ignored her legal credentials, the Boston Globe reported.

Lenk was nominated by Governor Deval L. Patrick (D), on April 4. Patrick called her "a brilliant and thoughtful jurist, with a deep sense of justice.”

Lenk is a veteran Appeals Court judge with 18 years experience on the bench. She married her partner, Debra Krupp, after the landmark 2003 Massachusetts high court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the Commonwealth.

GOVERNORS OFFICE PHOTO

Gov. Deval Patrick (left) and Justice Baraba Lenk

"I am honored to nominate Justice Lenk to the Supreme Judicial Court," Patrick said in a statement. "She is a brilliant and thoughtful jurist, with a deep sense of justice."

If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, Lenk would be the first openly gay judge on the state’s highest court, reports the Boston Globe.

She would also be the only justice who was married as a result of the court’s landmark 2003 ruling that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004.

"I will bring with me the sympathy and understanding of one who has experienced a full life from both inside and outside the mainstream," Lenk said at a news conference announcing her nomination.