Citizens angered at marathon public hearing

July 29, 2009

The day started out with the Boston Globe publishing a splashy pro-transgender article ("Discovering, and protecting, their true selves") in the morning paper. You never really get used to men being called "her". But that was just the beginning of a long day of an upside-down world where normalcy is abnormal.

Scene inside as the hearing began:

Outside the entrance to the State House:

At 7:15 pm it was still going strong:

The July 14 "transgender bill" hearing brought out the Massachusetts homosexual & transgender movement in force, along with MassResistance and other pro-family advocates. From moonbat state reps to lesbian lawyers "explaining' the law, they were there to testify. There was also a small army of men in dresses and a few women with beards who came to give the committee "personal" stories.

As expected, there was emotion, charges of hatred, bigotry, discrimination, and their latest epithet, "transparent transphobia".

MassResistance and others were there to counter the propaganda machine. The committee members blanched when we showed them the photos of what's already happening - and the fines and jail time that could go to anyone criticizing it. And we brought them individual copies of medical literature on "gender identity disorder", and more. And we were interviewed by Fox TV, WBZ radio, WGBH TV, the Associated Press, and others.

COMING UP : Our full report with photos and videos.
Fighting against you at the hearing: Radical public officials (including the Attorney General), transgender activists, labor unions, left-wing groups, moonbat "mental health" experts and more. Plus MassResistance testimony.

Tidal wave of people to testify on other bills

But there was also a tidal wave of people wanting give their testimony on one or more of the other 237 bills that day. Here's the list of bills heard that day. Many of those bills, if passed, would affect them, their families, or their jobs personally. Here are some of the bills we think are critical.

It was a disaster waiting to happen and a lot of people were angry at the format. As we predicted, the 3-minute rule (and 2-minute rule for people on a panel) was never really enforced. The nature of much of the testimony made it impractical to even attempt it. But near the end, unfortunately, the committee started rushing the people who had stayed for hours and hours for a chance to speak.

Angry citizens from all over

Most of the people who came never got a chance to testify. Even though the hearing "officially" started at noon, by 5:00 pm only a few dozen people (who weren't public officials) had been called up. And it didn't speed up much after that. As the afternoon and evening wore on, people simply left. By the time the hearing adjourned at 10:45 pm, only the diehards (i.e., transgender advocates and pro-life activists) were there to battle it out.

The members of the Judiciary Committee who were there at least did not run out early. They listened attentively to the testimony. But they should have never made the public go through this insulting charade.

Wednesday morning's State House News report captured the mood of a lot of people, including public officials, who showed up.

ANGER, FRUSTRATION AS PACKED JUDICIARY HEARING FORCES RUSHED REMARKS
By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JULY 14, 2009.....Outraged attendees of a Tuesday Judiciary Committee hearing are fuming over the committee's decision to hear 227 bills - many of them controversial - in a single day, forcing committee leaders to cut off testimony from speakers on a range of topics, from gun violence, to sexual assault and a bill to add gender identity to the state's non-discrimination statute.

More than a few eyebrows were raised during a marathon hearing Tuesday when the Senate chair of the committee, Cynthia Creem (D-Newton), cut off Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke and asked him to hurry his testimony on an administration-backed bill aimed at preventing gun violence.

"It's an old-school M.O. that has no place in a modern legislature," said Brian Condron, director of public affairs at the Home for Little Wanderers. "It's crazy and they do this every year ... It really has no place in a modern legislature in an age of transparency."

Frustration was visible throughout usually spacious Gardner Auditorium, which was packed to capacity, with an overflow crowd into the hallway. A state trooper and two park rangers stood watch at the door. Advocates for various bills privately questioned why the committee would schedule so many contentious bills for one hearing, and some said they would have to leave without testifying because of the long waits. . .

Read the entire article HERE

Committee vote on bills comes later

The Judiciary Committee did not vote Tuesday night on the transgender bill or any of the other bills -- to advance any of them the full legislature or "kill" them. That happens later. It will happen anytime between now and the end of next year. And although it's supposed to be done in a public "executive session" we probably won't know about it until after the fact. And after that, it could slither through the House and Senate in an "informal session" or with a voice vote. We will be vigilant on that, though it won't be easy!