Massachusetts Governor - Elect Charlie Baker visits Springfield and West Springfield

Massachusetts Governor - Elect Charlie Baker, left speaks with reporters following a meeting with Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, right at City Hall. ( MARK M.MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN )

(Mark Murray/The Republican file photo by / Mark M. Murray )

BOSTON - Governor-elect Charlie Baker would not support expanding the state's anti-discrimination laws to add protection for transgender people in public places, such as restaurants or theaters.

Baker, a Republican, does support an existing law that protects transgender people from discrimination in employment and housing. But he said Monday that he does not favor a bill that is expected to come before the legislature next session to add a prohibition against discrimination in places of "public accommodation."

"No one's been able to explain to me how the public accommodation piece would actually work in practice," Baker said. "Schools, hospitals, other organizations have all expressed what I believe to be legitimate concerns about that law."

The bill has been debated in the state legislature before but never passed. Critics derisively dubbed it the "bathroom bill" arguing that it would allow a man who is transgender to use a women's rest room. The bill raised concerns about whether someone born male would have access to places like girls' school locker rooms. Supporters say the bill would prevent, for example, someone being denied service at a restaurant for being transgender.

In 2012, the legislature passed a bill adding non-discrimination protection for transgender people in employment, housing, credit, education and similar areas. But a mention of public accommodations got stripped out during the debate.

During his 2010 campaign, Baker opposed the bill and referred to it at the time as the "bathroom bill," even though his then-running mate Richard Tisei, who is gay, supported it.

On Monday, speaking to a reporter after an event at Fenway Community Health Center, which specializes in health care for gay and lesbian people, Baker said he supports the version that was signed into law, but not the expansion. "Frankly, neither does the legislature, which has never moved to act on this over the course of the past several years," Baker said.

Attorney General-elect Maura Healey told The Republican/MassLive.com in a recent interview that she believes the state's public accommodation law needs to be updated to include gender identity. Healey said she would "strongly support" a change and hopes to see action from the legislature. Healey will be the nation's first openly gay attorney general.

Baker's stop at Fenway Community Health Center was part of his transition efforts. Since his election in November, Baker has been visiting a variety of organizations, talking to private and government officials. He takes office Jan. 8.

Fenway Health provides health care targeted at people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and serves as a general community health center. It provides specialized services such as testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS and alternative insemination, as well as primary care, behavioral health care and dental care. In fiscal year 2013, it had more than 21,000 patients. It also has an affiliated research institute. The center provides care regardless of ability to pay.

Since 2010, the center has gotten around $35 million in state money, according to a database of state spending. Most of that is in reimbursements for treating Medicaid patients, though some comes from grants, to pay for social services or for other purposes like research. It also gets money from the federal and city governments and from private and corporate donations.

Baker met with top officials at the health center. He said they discussed a variety of issues around health care, particularly as it relates to populations who do not have access to adequate primary care.

Asked about maintaining funding for community health centers and organizations that provide care focused on HIV or AIDS, Baker said he has "been a little careful" about making budget-related promises since his administration expects to inherit a deficit. "But I certainly am a big believer in primary care, and I'm a big believer in community health centers and always have been," Baker said.

Carl Sciortino, executive director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts and a former Democratic state representative, attended the meeting and said they discussed ways to improve HIV prevention, the challenges facing people with HIV and challenges of primary care access generally. Sciortino said Baker seems to have "a very open mind," and it was a "very positive conversation."

Baker has generally been more liberal than many Republicans on social issues, particularly relating to gay rights. He supports gay marriage. During his campaign, he released a video featuring his brother, who is gay, talking about coming out to Baker. Lieutenant Governor-elect Karyn Polito opposed gay marriage on multiple occasions in the state legislature but now supports it.

Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the non-profit Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, said Baker supported gay marriage back in 2003-2004, when it was first being debated in Massachusetts and has generally supported equality. At the same time, she said some gay rights activists are worried about whether Baker will fund priorities for the gay community and whether he will be "too hands off" in keeping government out of issues like non-discrimination policy.

"I'm genuinely hopeful he'll be open-minded and listen to us and support us on many issues, but we just don't know yet what effect or influence the right wing of the party will have on him," Isaacson said.

The Massachusetts Republican Party passed an anti-gay marriage plank as part of its platform in February.