We are in a terrifying time in our country right now. Our democracy is under attack. The separation of powers has never been more blurred and the checks and balances outlined in our Constitution weaken by the day. The Trump administration is taking illegal action to threaten, coerce and silence those who disagree with them, and is directly attacking members of our LGBTQ+, immigrant and low-income communities. For those who attended my March 25 community meeting, you will know that LGBTQ+ rights was one of the three issues I focused on.
I was deeply concerned to learn that Finley Foster (“Despite this scary moment for rights of LGBTQ+, legislators needlessly OK’d antitrans amendment,” April 25) and others may have been disappointed by a recent vote in the House. I want to provide further context. A few weeks ago, the House took up an amendment targeting trans youth in sports that was filed by a Republican who ran on a Maga platform. The House responded with a further amendment, calling for a study on the impact on children and families – effectively killing the measure. While Foster’s letter may lead you to believe that I was an outlier in supporting the further amendment, every Democrat in the House voted in the affirmative. I absolutely understand why this vote felt disappointing and confusing, which is why I sent an email trying to explain what happened – not in an attempt to gloss over the event, but in an effort to proactively keep my constituents and other subscribers informed. I have worked hard to be transparent so that people know how I spend my time and what issues I prioritize.
This antitrans sentiment has emerged not only in this amendment to the supplemental budget, but also in several fiscal year 2026 budget amendments aimed at harming members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans youth. The voice vote on the amendment calling for a study was not a secret vote, but a procedural vote designed to kill the antitrans amendment within the context of right-wing Republicans trying to target members in purple districts and weaponize votes against them. I certainly appreciate that people believe voting the amendment down would have sent a clearer message, and I agree; I too would have preferred a direct vote and voiced that to House leadership in the moment and after the fact.
My commitment to the LGBTQ+ community is rooted in my long record not only of words, but also of actions. To start with some of my most recent work: Over the past several months, I have been closely partnering with the commissioner of the Department of Public Health and providers at Fenway Health, as well as community health centers and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, and having discussions about how to ensure that we continue providing gender-affirming care as a state knowing that 26 states have banned access to this care due to federal threats to withhold funding. I’m proud to say that those discussions culminated in my filing an amendment to the fiscal year 2026 state budget with Rep. Sam Montaño, working with Sen. Julian Cyr, to create a first-in-the-nation public health trust with $1 million to ensure that gender-affirming care will continue as a state service. Our amendment passed this week, and once it is passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, it will be a groundbreaking initiative.
I have never wavered in my commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, from my work over the past decades with Youth on Fire to ensure that its doors stayed open; to my leadership working closely with the ACLU, MassEquality and the office of then-attorney general Maura Healey to ensure we had the votes to pass the trans public accommodations bill; to my securing new and ongoing funding for the state Alliance of YWCAs based in large part on the fact that the Cambridge YWCA is one of most important places for local LGBTQ+ youth to access programming. As House chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health for the past four years, I have consistently centered the LGBTQ+ community in my work and in my remarks on the floor every time I address budget priorities.
This is not news to those of you who have worked alongside me on advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights in Cambridge or statewide. My record speaks for itself and, most importantly, so do members of the community I’ve worked closely with. For those of you who weren’t able to join my community meeting or would like to know more about my work, I’m happy to meet with you or to connect you with organizations that provide legal, health care and other services to the LGBTQ+ community so that you can ask them directly.
Below, you’ll find resources that I’ve shared in previous newsletters and want to uplift again. Please know that I am available anytime to answer questions – about my votes, about what the state can do to counteract federal actions, and more – or be a resource. You can reach me at (617) 722-2130 or marjorie.decker@mahouse.gov.
Glad Law (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders). Information about marriage and relationship protections, family protections, health care access, schools, identity documents and name changes, other protections and online safety.
Fenway Health – Trans and Gender Diverse Resource Library. Resources for gender-diverse individuals, including those related to behavioral health, community and peer support for adults and children, gender-affirming gear, health information, provider resources and more.
Trans Lifeline (877) 565-8860. This is a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support and resources they need to survive and thrive.
State Rep. Marjorie Decker
Marjorie Decker is serving her seventh term representing the 25th Middlesex District of Cambridge. She is also the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
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I am not familiar with the political legerdemain of the Massachusetts legislature, but simply knowing that an anti-trans amendment was passed on Beacon Hill sends a tremendous shock-wave through the community. You admit that simply voting the amendment down would have been the best thing to do, but don’t give a reasonable explanation as to why that didn’t happen. I can assure you that one little bit of bad news for an already traumatized community can have dire consequences. And conversely, one small victory for the other side can ripple through alt-right social media and set the stage for further attacks.
Sadly, the referral to Fenway Health is no help for families of trans youth since the health center no longer provides important, time-sensitive treatments for trans youth.
We need to hear more than defensive rhetoric about one’s supposed allyship in the past. We need public apologies and sworn commitment to insure this doesn’t happen again.