As North Carolina, Mississippi and other Southern states introduce restrictive laws limiting the rights of transgender people, a different kind of bill is working its way through the Massachusetts Senate - one that would expand anti-discrimination laws rather than limit them.

Bill S.735, "An act relative to transgender anti-discrimination," would extend public accommodation protections to everybody regardless of gender identity, a move that transgender rights advocates say is a major step forward in the battle for equality. Current anti-discrimination laws in Massachusetts protect gender non-conforming people when it comes to housing, education, employment, credit and lending and hate crimes, but by leaving out public accommodation it renders people vulnerable to being denied service in restaurants, hospitals, parks and public restrooms.

Because public accommodations laws would afford transgender people the right to use public restrooms without discrimination, opponents in the South have worked to pass "Bathroom Bills," laws that require people to use gender-specific bathrooms that correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth. Some Southern lawmakers have said that by allowing transgender women to use women's bathrooms, it makes other women vulnerable to men who could enter the bathroom to commit sexual assault.

According to Mason Dunn, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, discriminatory legislation in states such as North Carolina has raised the profile of transgender rights in Massachusetts, but has also skewed the discussion toward the right to use public restrooms when that aspect is only a small part of a great need for protections. While still important, other issues such as access to healthcare and a right to service are just as pressing.

"Gender-neutral restrooms are a great option, but just because you have them does not mean transgender people should be forced to use them," Dunn said. "It robs people of their autonomy. If a trans woman wants to use the women's restroom she should be able to - because she is a woman."

Jack Lewis, executive director of Framingham-based non-profit OUT MetroWest, which works with LGBTQ youth and families, said he supports the legislation, but wants to see how anti-discrimination laws are put into action to effectively protect people.

"I think it's important with every step forward that we remember it is just one step forward," Lewis said. "Massachusetts should be leading the way on protecting freedoms, but we still have legislation on the books that allows for discrimination to occur."

Lewis said he worried that because of Massachusetts' reputation as a progressive state and because some laws are already in place to protect LGBTQ residents, people might assume there are universal protections, when there aren't.

"It's important to understand the difference between legal protections and equality," Dunn said. "We need to work on enforcement to ensure that trans people actually are equal."

According to Dunn, members of the Transgender Political Coalition work on fostering community engagement and empowerment. The coalition often works with people to change their names and gender markers on IDs, which can be a tricky process to navigate, and wants to increase education about transgender issues in communities.

Lewis also said he would like to see improvements to sex education curriculum to touch on transgender health as a way to help transgender and other students better understand themselves and their peers. However, he would be OK with parents being able to opt students out of classes if it meant including the lessons.

Despite legal holdups, one place the movement for equality is making great strides is in local public schools. Framingham Public Schools last year adopted official policy to protect students with non-conforming gender identities, including name change policies and an initiative to provide gender neutral restrooms.

"We recognize the importance of physical and emotional wellness of all students," said School Committee member Beverly Hugo. The push, she said, came after the results of the last MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey showed a significantly high number of transgender students who had thought about or attempted suicide.

According to teacher Cynthia Villaneuva, faculty adviser for the Framingham High School Gay Straight Alliance, more students have begun to come out as LGBTQ and the community in the school has become more accepting. More frequently, students in same-sex relationships are willing to hold hands in public and as many as 10 students have come out as transgender in recent years.

"I feel we have a lot more support now and it has a lot to do with students being more courageous and parents being supportive," Villaneuva said. "Kids are no longer afraid to put their pictures on the GSA website. We have kids who will go on (the student-run television program) Flyer News and talk about the things that we do. Last year was the first time we had a large group of kids who all wanted their picture in the yearbook as the GSA."

Gender neutral bathrooms have been something the GSA is working on, Villaneuva said. Framingham High School currently has two in the nurses office, a gender neutral changing room in the gym and several faculty bathrooms, but another set would be ideal for transgender students who would prefer them.

Despite their hometown being accepting, the anti-transgender laws in North Carolina and Mississippi have had an effect on the students, Villaneuva said.

"They take it personally, and with good reason," she said. "At meetings we talk about it and what they can do about it, especially once they're adults and can vote."

Lewis also praised Framingham Public Schools for being a leader on transgender acceptance. But while many schools have made progress, he worried that smaller districts with fewer transgender students don't work on policy until a student comes out, often putting that student on the spot to serve as a test case.

"Policies are developed in response to a request instead of having a policy in place," he said. "So the individual who is confident enough to be the first transgender student in their school also has to work with the schools to create these policies. You have all the same social pressures of being a teenager and on top of that struggle with your gender expression."

Wayland High School will introduce multi-stall gender-inclusive bathrooms this fall.

Principal Allyson Mizoguchi said she has come to understand there are many reasons why a student might not feel comfortable or safe going to a gender-specific restroom.

Student Ellery Kiefer, for example, said she’s been mistaken for a male in the school’s girls’ facilities, has been the object of more than one double-take, and has been pointedly told that the boys’ bathroom is “over there.”

At present, two restrooms in the English pod will be converted. Before the students get back this fall, the urinals in the male bathroom will be walled in and the boys’ and girls’ facilities will both become gender inclusive. The gender-specific restrooms elsewhere in the school will remain.

As for possible objections from school community members, Mizoguchi said the planning process has been inclusive of them. “We discussed this at a faculty meeting. There were no objections, but rather good, careful, responsible questions about how to roll this out.

“We also brought this to the School Council, a group of parents, who voiced vehement support. At the same time, of course, we anticipate that there will be questions and concerns from students and the community, and we want to be respectful of those.”

On Tuesday, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz and Senate President Stan Rosenberg will co-host a transgender visibility panel at the Statehouse to raise awareness of the needs for transgender rights and to discuss the Senate bill, of which Chang-Diaz is the head sponsor. A representative from her office said Thursday the bill is expected to move forward soon as the Senate prepares to discuss it.

Brad Avery can be reached at 508-626-4449 or bavery@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @BradAvery_MW.