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From YouTube: Gender Equality Announcement - 8/29/23
Description
City officials announce new guidelines and standards to ensure equality in access to City services for residents whose gender and sexual identities have been historically marginalized by government agencies.
A
Good
morning
to
everyone
good
morning
to
the
Press
good
morning
to
our
colleagues
across
City
Hall,
our
community
members
who
are
joining
us
here
today,
and
anybody
watching
online
and
I
would
like
to
dedicate
a
special
appreciation
to
our
office
of
lgbtq
advancement
for
going
through
ongoing
work
that
they're
doing
to
ensure
that,
at
all
moments
of
this
particular
initiative
that
we'll
be
announcing
today,
we
have
had
the
community
at
the
Forefront
leading
us
along
the
way.
My
name
is
marianjali
Solis,
Rivera,
I
use
she
her
pronouns
and
I'm.
A
I'm
so
proud
of
the
team
for
the
cross-departmental
collaboration
and
for
ensuring
that
all
throughout
the
process,
like
I
said
we
were
being
led
by
Community
input.
You'll
hear
some
stories
today
about
why
this
work
is
so
important.
But
I
want
to
remind
us
that
language
matters
in
that
language,
inclusion
and
gender
inclusion
in
the
way
that
we
collect
data,
promotes
health
and
wellness
and
reduces
bias,
and
it
is
our
responsibility,
as
City
officials
and
as
elected
officials,
to
ensure
that
in
every
program,
Service
practice
policy.
A
B
When
we
approach
this
initiative,
we
recognize
the
opportunity
to
put
our
residents
at
the
center
of
our
work
and
develop
standards
and
guidelines
based
on
the
experiences
that
our
residents
are
having
today
with
the
city
of
Boston
and
that
they
want
to
have
in
the
future
moving
forward
with
the
city
of
Boston.
The
first
step
we
did
was
do
our
homework.
The
staff
who
led
this
effort
educated
themselves
on
gender,
sexual
orientation
and
data
collection
practices
to
help
ensure
that
we
minimized
any
harm
caused
by
this
research.
B
With
that
initial
knowledge,
we
conducted
a
series
of
research
activities
to
better
understand
how
our
constituents
experienced
gendered
language
and
gendered
processes
in
city
services.
We
organized
focus
groups
with
members
of
the
transgender
and
non-binary
community
and
one-on-one
interviews
with
residents
that
were
planning
to,
or
had
recently
gotten
married
at
the
city
of
Boston.
B
We
incorporated
our
findings
into
established
research
on
how
to
ask
about
gender
and
sought
feedback
from
experts
in
this
field.
So
what
are
the
guidelines
and
standards?
The
guidelines
can
be
broken
into
two
parts.
The
first
piece
is
when
to
ask
about
gender
identity,
pronouns
and
chosen
names,
and
the
second
one
is
how
to
go
about
asking
that
the
first
part
of
these
guidelines
offer
direction
for
city
employees,
for
when
it's
appropriate
to
ask
about
gender
and
encourage
data
minimization.
That
is
only
asking
when
it's
absolutely
necessary.
B
This
will
take
time
we're
committed
to
ensuring
that
all
of
the
affected
city,
employees
and
departments
get
the
proper
support
to
embed
gender,
inclusive
language
and
practices
into
the
way
they
engage
with
residents
and
ask
for
personal
information.
We
greatly
appreciate
your
patience
as
we
make
this
change
across
Boston
city
government.
C
C
C
I
want
to
thank
all
our
partners
in
the
city
of
Boston
and
my
predecessor,
who
is
not
here
today,
but
Patty
McMahon,
the
previous
registrar,
who
initiated
some
of
this
work
and
I
also
want
to
thank
our
partners
at
the
state
and
the
Department
of
Vital
Statistics
I
know
that
they
have
been
working
diligently
for
several
months
and
to
remove
the
sex
field
from
the
state.
Marriage
intention,
forms
and
I
really
look
forward
to
this
important
Equity
work
continuing
at
the
state
level.
C
D
D
Our
marriage
certificates
no
longer
constrain
us
and
can
now
reflect
the
love
we
hold
without
disrespecting,
who
we've
grown
into,
and
our
new
pronouns
with
threats
against
the
lgbtq
community.
Unfortunately
intensifying
across
the
country,
Boston
has
thankfully
sent
a
different
message:
a
message
of
inclusion,
equality
and
respect
for
all
by
creating
an
adopting
gender
aware
guidelines
for
All
City
Services,
the
city
is
respecting
all
residents
regardless
of
gender
identity.
This
is
not
just
a
win
for
the
queer
Community.
D
It's
a
win
for
everyone
who
believes
in
the
principles
of
fairness,
equality
and
equal
access
to
our
city
services.
It's
a
win
for
Boston
I
want
to
thank
the
city,
officials,
activists,
community
members
and
everyone
who
is
behind
me
who
have
worked
tirelessly
to
make
this
happen.
Your
efforts
have
not
only
changed
a
piece
of
paper.
You
have
changed
lives.
D
You've
made
it
easier
for
people
like
me
to
live
authentically
and
love
openly
as
we
celebrate
this
Milestone.
However,
let's
also
remember
that
the
journey
is
far
from
over.
There
are
so
many
battles
to
be
fought
in
one
and
the
Quest
for
full
relationship,
marriage
and
gender
equality,
including
recognition
of
chosen
families,
something
that
I
hope
we
see,
but
today,
let's
take
a
moment
to
appreciate
how
far
we've
come
and
to
look
forward
to
a
future
where
everyone
is
free
to
be
themselves.
D
E
E
We
are
actually
partnered
with
the
mola
office
and
I'm
so
grateful
to
be
here
on
for
help
partnered
with
with
the
office.
So
with
my
organization,
we
have
two
programs,
and
one
of
those
is
a
tire
for
change
now,
with
the
tire
for
change.
It's
a
community
closet
that
has
zero
restrictions,
so
there's
no
anything
that
feels
truly
authentically.
You
is
yours
for
you
to
take.
There
are
no
restrictions
on
gender
size
style,
nothing,
anything
that
literally
fits
in
the
bags
that
we
give
you
and
feels
authentically.
E
Unfortunately,
it
was
only
skirts
and
dresses
when
I
needed,
pants
and
I
don't
know
about
you,
guys,
I'm,
not
quite
comfortable
with
that
so
long
story,
short
I
ended
up
deciding
to
give
back
to
those
who
felt
just
like
me
and
with
our
community
closet
everybody's
open
to
come
here.
It
doesn't
matter
who
you
are
where
you
come
from.
You
need
clothes,
especially
that
feel
really.
E
All
you
see
is
a
human
and
with
my
organization,
I'm
really
dedicated
to
making
sure
that
everybody
that
we
come
in
contact
with
feel
seen,
heard
and
cared
for
and
know
that
they're
going
to
be
accepted
and
supported
as
the
human
they
are
and
getting
the
support
and
love
that
they
deserve
that
we
all
deserve.
So
I'm
really
grateful
to
be
here
and
be
part
of
this
and
I'm
really
looking
forward
to
everything
that
comes
to
come.
Thank
you.
A
Thank
you,
Antonio
for
leading
the
way
in
so
much
of
the
work
that
we
as
an
office
and
as
an
Administration
are
committed
to
following
and
helping
you
with
and
Kimberly.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
beautiful
story
and,
as
you
said,
the
work
is
not
over,
and
so
now
I
want
to
invite
counselor
Coletta,
who
has
been
an
incredible
partner
from
the
city
council
in
ensuring
that
we
are
not
only
looking
at
the
mayor's
Vision
then
counselor
in
2020,
but
also
looking
beyond
that
and
ensuring
that
we
are
expanding.
A
F
Thank
you
so
much
Chief,
Solis
service,
I
I,
did
not
expect
to
be
up
here
so
I'm
going
to
keep
this
brief,
but
I'm
grateful
to
be
here
to
talk
about
the
amendment,
but
first
of
all
just
want
to
recognize
how
beautiful
this
moment
is
and
how
wonderful
it
is
to
be
up
here
to
be
announcing.
This
I
think
all
of
us,
maybe
20
years
ago,
30
years
ago.
F
We
would
not
expect
this
sort
of
news
coming
out
of
government
out
of
city
government,
so
this
is
a
very
important
step
forward
for
a
more
accessible
inclusive
and
welcoming
City
Hall
municipal
government
and
hopefully
it'll
reverberate
to
the
state
and
hopefully
throughout
the
country,
given
everything
that's
going
on,
but
I
am
so
just
so
grateful
again
for
the
leadership
that's
been
shown
through
the
chief
and
also
mayor
Wu,
to
make
it
so
intentional
and
thoughtful
and
led
by
the
community
informed
by
the
community.
A
community,
the
lgbtq
lgbtq
community
is
so
important.
F
He
does
identify
as
trans
and
during
the
process
in
which
we
were
trying
to
hire
him.
The
only
thing
that
was
available
for
him
at
the
time
on
City
employment
forms
was
an
option
to
put
forth
his
legal
name,
his
dead
name
that
he
no
longer
identifies
with,
and
it's
a
small
thing
to
some
folks.
But
it
is
a
huge
thing
to
folks
going
through
their
own
journey
and
how
they
identify,
and
so
it
was
traumatizing.
F
Let's
be
real,
it
was
traumatizing
to
have
to
live
through
that
and
in
the
process
of
trying
to
get
his
emails,
his
dead
name
emerged
as
well
and
so
trying
to
rectify.
That
was
a
whole
other
issue,
so
immediately
with
my
staff
members
and
with
Jack
and
with
those
in
leadership
here
in
mayor
Michelle
Wu,
we
put
forth
an
amendment
to
that
ordinance
and
it
was
unanimous
unanimously
passed
in
the
city
council
and
then
signed
by
mayor
mashaw,
so
I'm
very
proud
of
that.
F
But
that
is
just
indicative
and
representative
of
the
steps
that
we
continuously
take
and
that
we
need
to
take
I
see
this
as
a
huge
deal
and
so
so
important
to
many
folks
coming
through
the
doors
of
City
Hall.
So
I
want
to
say
thank
you
again,
I'm
so
excited.
Thank
you
all
for
your
work
and
I
look
forward
to
continue
working
with
you.
Thank
you.
A
C
C
Kimberly,
it
was
such
a
privilege
to
marry
you
and
Jacob
at
City
Hall,
your
love
mix
the
world
a
better
place.
It
makes
this
city
a
better
place
and
your
gender
is
not
required
to
be
collected
by
law
and
in
fact,
under
our
new
standards,
we're
not
collecting
it
and
we
are
now
no
longer
printing
it
on
the
marriage
certificates.
This
is
the
first
marriage
certificate
and
I
think
it's
fitting
because
you
are
such
an
important
part
of
making
these
changes
happen.
So
it's
my
privilege
to
present
this
to
you.