b'EQUALITY WINSWITH MASSACHUSETTS VOTERSTransgenderindividualsexperienceheart- tocommitsignificant,long-termresourcesas wrenchingdiscrimination,eveningenerallycampaigncounsel,orriskalienatingpotential welcoming public places such as hotels, stores,clients or ending up on the losing side. restaurants,theaters,andsportsfacilities. ThebullyingandharassmentdirectedtowardWorkingwithformerMintzattorneysEricaElissa Flynn-Poppey children, in particular, can have tragic results,CorayandDanielJohnston,Elissahelped contributingtofactorsthatleadtransgenderthegroupfilefortax-exemptstatusandformand her Mintz youthtoattemptsuicidefarmorefrequentlyanonprofitorganization,FreedomforAllcolleagues were an than their peers.Massachusetts,Inc.,andassistedwiththeessential part of the creation of a separate ballot question committee. So when the Massachusetts legislature passed aMintzalsohelpedtheorganizationensureteam that allowed bill in 2016 protecting transgender people fromcompliance with election laws. Elissa drafted andus to win a historic discriminationinpublicplaces,andGovernorreviewed disclaimers for a wide range of media Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed it, residentsspots, from print ads to billboards, ads for radionational victory, across the state applauded the move as a long- andstreamingmusicservices,andtelevisionand we are grateful overduesteptowardensuringcivilrightsandcommercials.Thefledglingorganizationalso equalprotectionunderthelaw.Withinafewneeded advice to comply with campaign financefor their countless days,however,individualsopposedtothelawreporting regulations, Internal Revenue Servicehours, immediate started a petition to overturn it by a referendumreporting rules, FTC regulations, the state ethics vote. The group collected enough signatures tocommission laws regarding political activity, andresponse time, and have its proposal listed as Question 3 on the 2018nonprofit solicitation regulations.unmatched counsel.state election ballot, and the stage was set for a fight at the polls.ThefirmalsohelpedFreedomforAllKASEY SUFFREDINIMassachusettsdeveloplanguagetoexplainPresident of StrategyIt was a disheartening setback for transgenderits position on the voter ballot. One source ofFreedom for All people and their allies, but they quickly mobilizedconfusion for voters was that, counterintuitively,Americans / Freedom to stand up, once again, for equal rights. They thenfor All Americans aNovotewouldbeavotetorepealtheEducation Fundapproached the legal community for support inMassachusetts law, and a Yes vote would be a their campaign to uphold the Massachusetts law.vote to prohibit repeal of the law. Those who They went to multiple law firms in Boston, andwanted to repeal purposely did that to confuse everyfirmexceptMintzdeclinedtorepresentvoters, Elissa said. them pro bono on campaign finance complianceInaddition,Mintzprovidedtrainingfor and associated issues, said Mintz attorney Elissavolunteerstoensuretheydidntinadvertently Flynn-Poppy,wholedthefirmsworkontheengageinactivitythatmightbeconsidered project. WithpollingonQuestion3indicatingvoter suppression. Leading up to the election, voterswerebeingswayedbytheopponentsElissa was on call 24 hours a day to assist with distractingrhetoricincludingbathroombillanyElectionDayissues,andworkedwiththe argumentssuggestingthattheMassachusettsDepartmentofJustice,theSecretaryofthe law would infringe on non-LGBTQ peoples rightCommonwealths Office, and the FBI on potential to privacymany law firms may not have wantedvoter suppression matters. PERSPECTIVES // Mintz Pro Bono Journal 17'