The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has added its name to the list of business and organizations urging the state legislature to take a favorable vote on legislation that prohibits discrimination against transgender people.

The letter has also been signed by Google, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Suffolk Construction, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and MassBIO, among others.

The public accommodations bill (Senate Bill 735 and House Bill 1577) also has the support of Attorney General Maura Healy and broad, bipartisan support from educators, faith leaders, police chiefs, mayors, all our professional Boston sports teams, and many others in state and federal government.

In 2012, Massachusetts adopted a transgender rights law that prohibits certain types of discrimination based on an individual's gender identity, including discrimination in employment, education and housing. The law, however, does not explicitly address the obligations of businesses and other public places when interacting with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

According to the letter, widespread national outrage in response to the discriminatory laws signed recently in North Carolina and Mississippi, as well as a legislative proposal passed in Georgia, demonstrates the strong support for full LGBT equality among both the business community and the broader public.

The Newton-Needham Chamber's board of directors voted unanimously to add its name to the letter at its April 20 meeting.

To add your business to the letter, please e-mail Margie.pullo@state.ma.us.

More information is available here.