Definitely, Maybe

To win in Massachusetts, trans activists have adopted a counterintuitive strategy: leaning into the worst things their opponents say about them.

— Dee Rogers (she/her) is a volunteer for the Yes on 3 campaign in Massachusetts.

— Kasey Suffredini (he/him) is a Yes on Three co-chair and president of strategy at the campaign's national parent organization, Freedom for All Americans.

— David Broockman (he/him) is an assistant professor of political economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is co-author of the paper "Durably reducing transphobia: A field experiment on door-to-door canvassing."

— Kelly Jenkins (she/her) is a teaching assistant in Wellesley, Mass. She hosts the series Kelly's Quest on the public access channel ActonTV.

— Keep Massachusetts Safe, the group seeking to repeal the state's public accommodations protections for transgender people, argues the existing law puts women at children at risk in places like public restrooms. However, a recent study by researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found bathroom crime has not increased since these protections became law in 2016. 

— Learn more about the 2018 Massachusetts Ballot Questions here, and find out what's on your ballot this November at Ballotpedia.

If you, or someone you know, are looking for resources (or for organizations to donate to), consider these ones:

— Trans Lifeline— Transgender Law Center— National Center for Transgender Equality— Lambda Legal— The Trevor Project

Special thanks to Fran Hutchins of the Equality Federation, Columbia University political science professor Donald P. Green, and Yes on 3 campaigners including Dee Moore, Karl Tonge, Pippin Stacks, and Leo Udell.

Episode scoring by Jeremy Bloom and Isaac Jones, with additional music by Rest You Sleeping Giant ("Light Lab") and Lee Rosevere ("Small Steps"). Theme by Alexander Overington.