Yes on Question 3

In our family we often talk about the way that our children look like my wife, myself and other family members. While we love seeing the individuality of both of our children, there is also something wonderful in seeing the way that they look like us and various other relatives. It’s a reminder of the family connection that we all share and characteristics that we have in common. And while there are physical elements that are specific to our family, there are also characteristics that stretch across all people.

At the core of my religious belief is the understanding that all people are created in the image of God. This is the foundational idea at the heart of the Biblical story of creation. God says: “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness…” This idea is central to both Jewish and Christian faiths: every single human being is created in God’s image. No distinctions are made about race, religion, gender, or sexuality; all of us share that divine spark from the very beginning of creation. Moreover, the Biblical creation story teaches that we share a common ancestral heritage, as descendants of Adam and Eve.

 Rabbis who interpreted this story wrote that if a human ruler mints many coins from one mold, they all carry the same image and they all look the same. The amazing thing about God’s creation is that all human beings are in the Divine Image, and yet no two humans are exactly the same. We celebrate the differences between us as part of the wonderful, sacred diversity that we have in the world.

Unfortunately, all too often we focus on difference rather than those things that unite us. Our leaders spend too much time separating people and groups into “them” and “us”, suggesting that enmity should exist between us.

Here in Massachusetts, it is the transgender community under threat of being discriminated against for their differences. Question 3 on the ballot for November’s election seeks to repeal rights which were only recently afforded to members of the transgender community.

In 2016, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Transgender Public Accommodations Nondiscrimination Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was then signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker. This bill ensured that transgender individuals were entitled to the same rights as everyone else and could be free from discrimination in public places. A “yes” vote on Question 3 preserves this important law and protects the rights of the transgender community.

All of us are created in the image of God. This idea challenges us all to look at another person, especially those we disagree with or those who may be different from us, and recognize that they are just like us, made in the Divine Image. We have a responsibility to protect the rights of all people, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexuality. On November 6 there is an opportunity to actively do this by voting “yes” on Question 3.