Mass. Clarifies Transgender Law to Protect Religious Freedom

The Massachusetts attorney general averted a lawsuit and satisfied a group of churches by clarifying its transgender law with the removal of three words – "houses of worship."

Four churches filed the lawsuit against AG Maura Healey, saying the state's language in an anti-discrimination law violated their religious freedom by mandating transgendered people could use the bathroom they relate to vs. the one dictated biologically, MassLive reported.

So the state narrowed the scope by amending the law to secular uses of the church – public events.

"We accomplished what we set out to do, to ensure pastors and churches across the state of Massachusetts were free to teach their religious beliefs and operate their houses of worship in a way consistent with those beliefs," Christiana Holcomb, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, the Christian advocacy group that filed on behalf of the churches.

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