BOSTON, Mass. — The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition’s 3rd Annual Lawyers for Transgender Rights event was held on Thursday, April 12th at The Estate in Boston. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo was awarded MTPC’s 2012 Transgender Ally Award.
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) has represented the 19th Suffolk District, including the Town of the Winthrop and a portion of the City of Revere, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 1991. DeLeo became Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on January 28, 2009. Speaker DeLeo was an early and vocal advocate for the passage of Massachusetts’ Transgender Equal Rights Bill and has co-sponsored the bill in previous legislative sessions.
Speaker DeLeo also successfully brought nationally heralded legislation cutting healthcare costs for cities and towns in Massachusetts. The same session, he spearheaded far-reaching judiciary reorganization legislation in concert with the chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Speaker DeLeo’s priorities include job creation, workforce development, strong fiscal management and government and economy reform.
Over 200 guests attended and sponsors included 23 law firms and legal organizations, including Ropes and Gray and Wilmer Hale, and 19 individuals, organizations, and corporations.
Lawyers for Transgender Rights is a cocktail reception and silent auction event that brings together lawyers, law students, law firms, legal organizations, bar associations and law schools to network and build support in the legal community for MTPC’s important work on behalf of transgender rights.
Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is a 501(c) 3 that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC educates the public, advocates with state, local, and federal government, engages in political activism, and encourages empowerment of community members through collective action.