RE: Violence against Transwomen and Transwomen of Color and the safety of Commissioner Byrd

Over the weekend, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW), an independent state agency committed to advancing the rights and equal opportunities for all women and girls in the Commonwealth, and specifically one of our Commissioners, Giselle Byrd, was the subject of a particularly vicious online attack that incited hateful language and violent rhetoric against one of our own. We stand in outrage with our fellow Commissioner Byrd and remain committed to protecting the safety of not only our state and regional commissioners, but of every marginalized individual threatened by violence both online and in person.

On November 14, 2025, an article with the headline “Massachusetts Governor appoints male trans person to women’s commission” was published and has since proliferated widely throughout the right-wing media pundit circle.

We are first and foremost concerned with the safety of our Commissioner, who has received overt death threats and violent threats against her person as a result of this hateful and factually incorrect article. We condemn violence and threats against women and girls in all forms. Commissioner Giselle Byrd is a member of this Commission and we will not stand for any hatred or violence directed at one of our own.

“Giselle Byrd is a highly respected leader in the Boston Arts community who is committed to the advancement of women,” said Governor Healey. “The Commission has a bipartisan history of having LGBT representation, as Governor Baker appointed the first transgender woman to the Commission in 2016,” said the Governor. Here at the MCSW, we stand in full support of Governor Healey’s appointment of Giselle Byrd, a highly-qualified individual with a long history of community activism and leadership.

Commissioner Byrd is not the first transgender woman to be appointed to this commission. Sara Schnorr was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker in 2016. Commissioner Byrd is the first African-American transgender woman to serve and the rhetoric regarding her appointment is both transphobic and racist.

Our commission exists to protect women and girls, no matter what gender identity they were provided at birth. We have a strong track record of fighting for the women and girls here in Massachusetts, and we have proven that we won’t back down when it comes to codifying anti-discrimination and other protections to laws and policies for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Transphobia, misogyny, and racism are central to this proliferating hate speech that we universally condemn.

It is the mission of the Commission to advance women and girls toward full equality in all areas of life, promoting rights and opportunities for all. Since our creation in 1998, the Commission has focused on advancing key policy issues that impact all women and girls. First formed by the United Nations, we do not think it is a coincidence – and are particularly struck by the irony – of this hateful attack occurring the day after International Day of Tolerance and during Trans Visibility Week. Our mission statement is clear, to promote fundamental freedoms, basic human rights, and the full enjoyment of life for ALL.

We have a duty to defend inclusivity. We stand together to say clearly – we will not be threatened or attacked by organizations and individuals with bad intentions that are out there attacking our transgender women and youth. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a long and storied history – more than 250 years – of fighting for basic human rights for all, and as the Commonwealth’s leading agency for women and girls, we will not back down now. Massachusetts is a place where we believe that fundamental human rights are for everyone.

First, we must acknowledge that the wellbeing of our Commissioner and other members of both our Commission as well as the trans community’s safety is paramount to us.

Second, we must address the alarming pattern of murders of trans women, particularly of trans women of color, to rail against and speak out forcefully about these killings of a vulnerable population at the intersection of so many marginalized identities. This issue is bigger than just us at this moment – we condemn violence and hate speech in all forms. We will not be a part of that, so we stand here today to say hands off.

Third, as a campaign of hateful anti-trans legislation continues to sweep the nation, we commit to support the trans community here in the Commonwealth in bringing awareness, stopping the violence intimated against them, and of codifying their human rights as undisputed law.

Finally, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women encourages feedback from members of the trans community as to how we can provide better and more robust support going forward, by contacting masscsw.org.

###

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) is an independent state agency created in 1998 to provide a permanent, effective voice for women of the Commonwealth and to promote their rights, opportunities, and equality for all. Follow MCSW on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn to learn more.