On Nov. 23, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Judiciary will hold a virtual hearing to consider a large range of bills, many of which are anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ.
There are five very worrisome bills: H 1534, H 1536, H 1628, H 1760 and H 3961. They range from allowing anti-LGBTQ discrimination to banning all abortions (unless a physician deems them to be “necessary”) to adjudicating the maturity of a young person seeking an abortion based on a host of factors, such as whether or not she “exercises self-control over her behavior, emotions, and anger.”
These bills are extraordinarily imposing and have clear religious motivations. Massachusetts lawmakers do not have the right to control the bodies of their constituents based on their personal beliefs and should not allow discrimination in the name of religion.
The committee has called for public testimony on these issues. Please take a moment to email the committee and urge the members to oppose these bills by pressing “Take Action”. You can use our suggested talking points below, or you can share your own story and thoughts. For best effect, be concise and polite.
This hearing is online, and you can also speak to the committee during the hearing if you register to testify. You can do so at this link by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 22. The hearing starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
Talking Points
As a resident of Massachusetts, I strongly urge you to oppose all bills before you that threaten abortion access or allow for LGBTQ discrimination, including H 1534, H 1536, H 1628, H 1760 and H 3961. These callous attacks on abortion rights will endanger the lives and safety of women in Massachusetts, and it is critical to me as a voter that you stop these in their tracks. With more than 70 percent of Americans opposing the overturn of Roe v. Wade, any bills aiming to restrict Roe are inconsistent with American values.
Especially with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing a case that may severely threaten access to safe reproductive health care, the state Legislature must take steps to expand access to that care, not restrict it.
I am also strongly opposed to allowing anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the name of religion. The law should never allow religious freedom to be used as an excuse for discrimination. Thank you for your time and for opposing these bad bills.
