For our full statement, please visit www.masstpc.org/category/blog/

Thank you to everybody who helped pass this law:
@jocomerford.bsky.social
@sabadosama.bsky.social
Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis
Sen. Lydia Edwards
Rep. Michael Day

MassEquality
@gladlaw.bsky.social
MA GLBTQ Political Caucus
Cappelli Law, LLC
Jane Doe Inc.
The Network/La Red

With the passage of this law, MA has repealed these requirements, reducing unnecessary costs and barriers for transgender people while also ensuring their privacy and safety!

Previously, when people legally changed their name in MA, they were required to publish notice of the change in a local newspaper. Additionally, a public record of name changes was available for anyone who requested it from the court.

Once the new process for name changes has been updated and finalized we'll share an FAQ about the new law. We'll also be able to help you navigate the process at one of our upcoming name change clinics.

Governor Healey signed an end-of-year Fiscal Year 2025 supplemental budget that includes this amendment. With this signature, the new law takes effect immediately!

After you have completed your testimony email it to: [email protected] by Tuesday, July 29, at 1 pm.

Please send a copy to MTPC for our records to: [email protected]

You can read a summary of the bill on our fact sheet: drive.google.com/file/d/1u5BL...

This bill will remove the publication requirement for all people seeking name changes in MA and keep name changes private if the court finds that there may be a threat to safety.

Additionally, a public record of name changes is currently available for anyone who requests it from the court.

When people legally change their name in Massachsuetts they’re required to publish notice of the change in a local newspaper. This is not only a privacy concern for anyone who changes their name, it is also an outdated and unnecessary process.

It is for these reasons that we condemn the Skrmetti ruling and worry that this decision will embolden those who seek to harm us and deprive us of our dignity—and our very lives.

Read our full statement at masstpc.org/skrmetti

"But no court can define who we are or diminish the truth of our existence. We remain steadfast in our commitment to trans youth and their right to thrive—unapologetically, joyfully, and with dignity," concludes Tre'Andre.

"It ignores medical consensus, undermines the rights of families, and fuels a dangerous political agenda that targets the most vulnerable among us," Tre'Andre continues.

“This ruling is a betrayal of our youth and a stark reminder that legality is not the same as justice,” says Tre’Andre Valentine, MTPC’s Exec. Director. “The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth is a devastating act of state-sanctioned erasure."

We reassure you all that despite this court decision, gender affirming healthcare for youth remains legal in Massachusetts and we will do everything in our power to make sure it always stays that way—now and always!

In a partisan 6-3 decision, the Court ruled in favor of Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth under 18. The Court has allowed systemic bigotry and a woeful misunderstanding of the needs of transgender youth to push them toward taking Tennessee’s side.

This morning the Supreme Court handed down a dangerously politicized decision in US v. Skrmetti, one of the most important cases the Court has ever heard on the rights of transgender Americans.