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Mass. Governor issues Executive Order mandating acceptance of transgenderism by all state agencies, employees, contractors

Requires affirmative action for cross-dressers and immediate diversity training for all state employees!

POSTED: Feb 21, 2011

Late Wednesday afternoon, without advance notice and without fanfare, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed an Executive Order mandating the acceptance of "gender identity and expression" -- including transsexuality, cross-dressing, and related behaviors - throughout state government. The order also requires affirmative action in the hiring of transsexuals and diversity training for all state employees.

Radical from the start. During his campaign for Governor, Deval Patrick (right) participated in this homosexual and transgender forum at Harvard University.

We believe it's the most extreme executive order ever issued in the U.S.  Among the provisions of the executive order:

  • The order affects all state agencies and employees, and also contractors and sub-contractors doing business with the state. However, it will technically only apply to contractors when new contracts containing this requirement are signed.
  • "Gender identity or expression" will now cover a protected class of people similar to race, religion, sex, etc. However, that new term is not defined, which will likely lead to more abuse of the system by activists.
  • Affirmative action for cross-dressers, etc. The order directs all state agencies to "develop and implement affirmative action and diversity plans" to "identify, recruit, hire, develop, promote and retain" cross-dressers and other members of "under-represented" groups.
  • Mandatory diversity training on transgenderism, etc. The order states that "all agency heads, managers, supervisors, and employees shall attend mandatory diversity training within one year of the effective date of this Order. For future hires, such training shall be part of the standardized orientation provided to new employees."
     

    ABOVE: Likely transgender "diversity training" instructors. From left: "Ms." Lee Swislow, transgender specialist and Executive Director at Gay Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD); Jennifer Levi, transgender legal counsel at GLAD; Gunner Scott, head of Mass. Transgender Political Caucus.

  • Tribunals to enforce the order. The order outlines various Orwellian-sounding tribunals set up to take an active role in enforcing the order and punishing those who don't go along. These include an Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, the Massachusetts Office on Disability, as well as the Governor's Non-discrimination, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Advisory Council. In addition, the order states that each Secretariat shall have a "Diversity Director" and each agency shall have a "Diversity Officer" to interact with the tribunals.
  • Illegal attempts to include public schools, other businesses. The order states at the beginning that it only affects state employees and contractors. But one section (Section IV) goes on to state that all programs, activities, and services which are licensed, chartered, funded, or regulated by the state, including public schools, are also covered by to this order. This would affect businesses licensed or regulated by the state, or activities that get state funding, such as schools and institutions, and including state-funded activities run by religious organizations.
  • However, the Massachusetts Constitution only gives the Governor direct power over state agencies and employees (and contractors via the contracts they sign with the state). Only the Legislature can exert control beyond that, particularly regarding requirements attached to funding. (That's why they are gearing up to pass the Transgender Rights bill again this year.) We suspect that this clause was put in by an over-zealous staffer and that the state would not attempt to enforce it to that extent . . . yet.

          See text of the Governor's Executive Order here.

Signed quietly by Governor, without notice

The Governor's move appears to have been closely coordinated with the homosexual and transgender lobby to coincide with the recent re-filing of a Transgender Rights and Hate Crimes bill in the Legislature. But it was also done without public notice, apparently keep photos and video of the event and those in attendance from circulating.

According to the Boston Globe, Patrick signed the order in a private ceremony "in his office attended by advocates and several transgender state employees." He did not list the event on his public schedule nor send out a press release afterwards. State House News reported that after the signing "advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights roamed the capitol hallways hailing the decision, saying it would lay the groundwork for adopting legislation to expand protections for all transgender residents of Massachusetts." Patrick told the Globe that he signed the order "after being asked to do so by advocates."

Almost immediately, the Mass. Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, MassEquality, and the ACLU blasted out emails to their lists celebrating their "victory."

This problem started with Mitt Romney in 2003

It was former Gov. Mitt Romney who opened the door to this madness.

In 1970, Gov. Francis Sargent issued an Executive Order with provisions to create equal opportunity in state jobs on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, age, and sex. It was then updated several times by Gov. Michael Dukakis, including the addition of veterans and disabled people. Dukakis also added some requirements of diversity training, diversity "officers", and some affirmative action.

In 1989 the Legislature added "sexual orientation" to the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, which affected all public and public and private-sector housing, employment, education, and credit (with a few weak exemptions for some religious-affiliated groups and owner-occupied 2-family houses). But sexual orientation was not included in the mandated "diversity" requirements of state government.

Then in 2003, just months after taking office, Gov. Mitt Romney shocked the pro-family community by issuing Executive Order #452, which added "sexual orientation" to the list of protected classes in state employment and all of the diversity requirements. Romney also expanded those diversity and tribunal requirements. It was apparently done as a reward for the support he got in his election from major homosexual groups.

In the order, Romney created the Governor's Diversity and Equal Opportunity Council as a tribunal to enforce his order more effectively. That council was chaired by the state's "Chief Diversity Officer" and included "members of public and private organizations" - presumably includng homosexual activist groups.

          Read Romney's Executive Order #452 here

          See all Mass. governors' Executive Orders here

Once the door was opened to including the behaviors associated with homosexuality in the state's official "protected classes"  in all its diversity requirements, it was only a matter of time before they expanded the term "sexual orientation" (which was never defined) to include "gender identity and expression" (which is also not defined). And despite the fact that "gender identity disorder" continues to be recognized by the nation's mental health profession as disordered and possibly destructive behavior -- and not a "civil right" -- the politicians will continue to ignore that and submit to the homosexual/transgender lobby unless there is sufficient pubic outrage.

Prelude to newly re-filed Transgender Bill

This is unabashedly a prelude to passing the new version of the new Transgender Rights and Hate Crimes bill, which has just been introduced in the Legislature and is extremely radical. (Watch for our analysis of that bill, coming up.) It's a strategic move to begin slowly immersing us into the transgender/cross-dressing culture. The homosexual and transgender lobby has made it their top priority to push this agenda into the force of law this session. We've beat this the last two times, and it's going to be another big fight this time. (And if you don't live in Massachusetts, it will be coming to your state soon.)

The madness that state operations have become

Even in the context of current "political correctness" dogma, the Governor's Executive Order makes for a frightening read.

(Warning: Don't read it after eating or before going to sleep.) Between the weird, bizarre employment rules, diversity training, and requirements that contractors do business with politically-correct vendors, the document is a virtual house of mirrors of what's happened to our government. No serious business could operate that way. And beyond that, it's a zealous totalitarian-like attempt to force citizens to abandon their religious and moral beliefs in favor of the liberal secular creed. This is what our (newly raised) taxes will pay for.

IRONIC NOTE: At the bottom of all executive orders is the phrase "God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."  We couldn't agree more with that plea.

What can you do now?

It's necessary now more than ever to stand up and be counted. If you want to volunteer to help confront the Legislature to stop the Transgender Bill (and pass good bills), contact us right away.

View our video [bathroom at Marriott] and report [Capone's] on recent events in Massachusetts illustrating the reality of transgender behaviors in public places.