State's Attorney can't Prosecute McDonald Beating as a Trans Hate Crime because of EQMD, NCTE, NGLTF, MD ACLU and HRC

Maryland's AG can't prosecute the McDonald beating as a transgender Hate Crime because of the legislative efforts of EQMD, NCTE, NGLTF, ACLU of MD, and HRC's sponsorship, tacit or direct, of HB 235.

Yeah, everyone's sure at least these groups are anyways, a bill with public accommodations wouldn't have passed. Or maybe it would have. We will never know because these groups didn't want public accommodations included and they refused to listen to us.

Least we forget that all that all these organizations participated in the silencing of the victim of the Maryland Beating, a transgender resident of Maryland! Equality Maryland (EQMD), National Gay Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTC), guilty.

These organizations are now grandstanding trying to milk this tragedy claiming they fought to legislate transgender equality this spring. What they are NOT saying is they used every means at there disposal to deceive, hide, mislead, censor, alienate and finally ignore the Maryland transgender community while pushing a bill on them that they didn't want.

What they are NOT saying is that HB 235 even if passed would have had NO effect on this crime. What they are NOT saying is that these national organizations together conspired to strip public accommodations from the previous years equality bill so as to get a cheap victory at the cost to transgender people.

This cost Ms.Polis very dearly. Its time for the lies to stop. It's time for equality Maryland to lift it's censorship of it facebook page. It's time for gay.com to respect transgender people's wishes.

HR235 Vote March 24th on the Maryland Transgender 'equality' bill without equality

*UPdated March 28th 2011

HR235 has just been voted out of the subcommitte Friday the 25th March 2011. It needs to crossover into the Senate by March 28 (no sessions this weekend which mean a vote on Monday the 28th.) Then go to the Judicial Proceedings Committee for a vote and to the floor of the Senate for a floor vote by the April 11th.

It is also reported that there are some amendments to the bill not yet annotated on the bills official page. It is presumed these changes are going to be added to appease legislators not yet committed and not the Maryland transgender community represented by Transmaryland and Trans-United or local journalists who have voiced loud objections to the removal of public accommodations provisions

Dana LaRocca, a Maryland transgender woman sums it up nicely;

"HB235’s omission of public accommodations is a flaw that will not easily be remedied in the future. All previous anti discrimination bills have included public accommodations protections and that omission in this bill will in the future be seen as a legislative intent to create a second class of citizenship for transgender Marylanders. I understand that it is considered an easier bill to win in its current form. The transgender community is not interested in an easy win. We are interested in justice. By denying equal access to public accommodations HB235 denies the dignity of an entire class of persons."

"Out of respect for the dignity of human persons HB235 must be rejected and we must not consider such legislation until such time that it includes the same protections for transgender persons as the law does for all other classes of citizens. We are all entitled to the same goods inherent in social practice. That is what social justice means."

On behalf of the half dozen Maryland transgender activists who HRC is throwing it multi million dollar corporate might against I ask the people who are entrusted with our freedom please do not pass HB235.




This is so very wrong.

ACLU of Maryland accessory to EQMD oppression of Transgender Community

After numerous unsuccessful attempts at contacting the ACLU of Maryland this facebook post and tweet mentioning their unconscionable support of inequality Maryland got a reaction. I think I finally struck a nerve.

My tweet:

@ACLU_MD supports #eqMD horrific #HB235 despite MD transgender groups opposition http://goo.gl/GKJCy and experience http://wp.me/plmvK-gu

My Facebook post:




ACLU of Maryland responds "Please contact our legislative team with your concerns: curtis@aclu-md.org"

I will Contact Curtis and ask him why the ACLU of Maryland is supporting EQMD despite their self admitted censorship of transgender objections to HB 235. This action by The ACLU of Maryland is contrary to their opinion on freedom of speech.

Statement to House subcommittee, May 2010



I will ask Curtis why the ACLU of Maryland is supporting a bill that the a minority clearly opposes. NOT being the oppressed ACLU of Maryland is not in a position ton dictate to transgender people what their concerns are.

The first paragraphs of the ACLU testimony at the House hearing.

"The ACLU of Maryland strongly supports HB 235 as providing long overdue protection to
Maryland’s transgendered residents. It should receive a favorable report from this committee."

"The state’s current antidiscrimination law prohibits discrimination based upon race, color,religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability, but provides no protection for transgendered individuals, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination in all areas of civic life. The bill closes this loophole."

NO it OPENS a 'loop hole'.

What HB235 does is places the onus on future legislative efforts to show exactly why transgender people should be treated as equal in societies public accommodations when they were clearly denied that right under previous legislation. This legislation is not better than than nothing it is worst than nothing.

EQMD tries to justify HB235 by suggesting the near future social climate in Maryland will be more conducive to passing public accommodations amendment. EQMD crafted the previous exclusionary amendment a decade ago. Why would we believe they would ever come back' for us now that the Marriage issues remains unsolved. This self serving lie only condemns generations of transgender people to generations of servitude and second class citizenship.

The last ditch defense offered by eqMD of this fail is debunked because HB235 does not protect transgender people in homeless shelters


ACLU, get out of bed with equality Maryland. Maryland Transgender people DO NOT want HB235!

EQMD mounts HRC assisted ATTACK on Transgender People ACT NOW!

Equality Maryland's director Morgan Meneses-Sheets is using all of EQMD's membership might to bulldoze the Maryland Transgender community 6 feet under placing this headstone to commemorate our murders.

HB235 without public accommodations protections is a killer. Equality Maryland knows this, has shut dissenting transgender and marriage advocates out and has mounted a massive HRC sponsored drive to plant that headstone on our graves!

Nationwide CALLOUT to trans people call these delegates whether you live in Maryland or not TODAY! Help us counter the massive burial power of GAY.COM!

The committee vote could come as early as today!

Committee Chair Peter A Hammen (D, Dist. 46, Southeast and South Baltimore)
(410) 841-3772, (301) 858-3772)
peter.hammen@house.state.md.us

Committee Ranking Member ROBERT COSTA (R, Dist. 33B, Anne Arundel Co)
(410) 841-3551, (301) 858-3551
bob.costa@house.state.md.us

Subcommittee Chair Dan Morhaim (D, Dist. 11, Baltimore County)
(410) 841-3054, (301) 858-3054
dan.morhaim@house.state.md.us

Subcommittee Ranking Member Nicholaus Kipke (R, Dist. 31, Anne Arundel Co)
(410) 841-3421, (301) 858-3421
nicholaus.kipke@house.state.md.us

Delegate John P Donoghue D, Dist. 2C, Washington County
410) 841-3125, (301) 858-3125
john.donoghue@house.state.md.us

Delegate Shawn Z. Tarrant, D, Dist. 40, Baltimore City
(410) 841-3545, (301) 858-3545
shawn.tarrant@house.state.md.us

Delegate Veronica Turner (D, Dist. 26, Prince George's County)
(410) 841-3212,(301) 858-3212
veronica.turner@house.state.md.us,

Delegate ERIC M. BROMWELL (D, Dist. 8, Baltimore County)
(410) 841-3766, (301) 858-3766
eric.bromwell@house.state.md.us

Delegate Nathaniel Oaks (D, Dist. 41, Baltimore City)
(410) 841-3283, (301) 858-3283
nathaniel.oaks@house.state.md.us

Equality Maryland slams door SHUT on Transexuals after HB235 Protest

Transmaryland hosts DC protest of HB235 with participants of NCTE lobby day as reported by She Wired and Trans Forming Media

In response to the protest equality Maryland shut down the transgender Baltimore "working groups" until after the legislative session ends. This unprecedented act of censorship by any federation member was preceded by equality Maryland banning members and deleting opposing messages on its facebook page. These two combined actions effectively eliminates all voices but those who fully support HB235 without public accommodations and the failed marriage bill strategy.

Prior to this announcement there have been two "meetings" held by eqMD about HB235. One was unannounced and the second one any and all transgender opponents of HB235 were shouted down by eqMD staffers.

These two sham meetings are what equality Maryland has touted as its source of input from the greater transgender community They are to be discontinued according to a message received by a participant of the preceding 'Gender Identity work group meetings'.

The message from equality Maryland:

Due to scheduling conflicts, the transgender issues working group meeting originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed.

Thank you for coming out to Baltimore these past few weeks, lending your time and your voices to the ...discussion.

We believe these meetings have been constructive. We are committed to continuing these conversations after the legislative session so we can best formulate a coordinated, long range educational and legislative agenda.

We look forward to continuing this important dialogue. The next meeting will be scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th at 7:30 PM in the Equality Maryland offices. At that time we hope to have a system in place that will allow folks to join via a conference call. We'll keep you posted as the date draws closer.

(emphasis added by kelli Anne Busey)


We are of course aware that some members of the group disagree with the strategy behind HB 235. For those who are interested in supporting this legislation, please consider getting in contact with our deputy field director, Aimee Martin at aimee@equalitymaryland.org.(all others, fuck off and die)
We're committed to winning bulldozing over these vital protections for the transgender community now, and hope you'll join us.<
We look forward to seeing you on April 13th. (after the legislative session ends)

Sincerely,

Morgan Meneses-sheets
Executive Director

(L-R) Trans Maryland's Media Director Jenna Fischetti, IFGE's ED Denise Leclaire, Trans Maryland organizer Donna Plamodom all atttend Trans Maryland's education rally last night at The Supreme Court, opposing HB235's tainted version


Equally troubling is the revelations that equality Maryland did not make the decision to pull the marriage bill before the Vote. Apparently out of state interests manipulated that decision.
.
Most troubling to transgender people is HRC's control of the issue.

We are fully aware that HRC would like nothing more than to get ENDA enacted and be rid of the transgender menace. The hold up on ENDA is of course public accommodations! HB235 sets a extremely alarming precedent by eliminating public accommodations as a component of states civil rights and could be used as a example in national bills.

Undoubtedly HRC and its sock puppet NCTE would love that.

Equality Loudoun VA Weighs in on HB235

Animosity towards EQMD's promotion of HB235 and its tyrannical oppression of transgender people's free will must not overflow the banks and spill out on Marriage equality efforts and other Equality Federations.

UPDATE! Read Equality Loudoun's article Two bills in Maryland published 2.23.2010 on their website.

I fully support marriage equality and will continue my passionate advocacy so that EVERY child may know a secure, loving family environment free of worries created by domestic partnerships and civil contracts.

Our saving grace has always been and will continue to be our allies. As hard as it is to believe right now, there are Cisgender people some just across the river from Maryland who see thru this ruse and will openly object to Equality Maryland forcing HB235 as written on Maryland's transgender population.

The first is David Weintraub founder of Equality Loudoun who posted this comment on Equality Maryland's facebook thread titled "End Transgender Discrimination in Maryland!"

"It seems obvious to me that if every trans rights organization in MD opposes this bill as written, it's not written correctly. Further, I think that planning to introduce a stand-alone bill sometime in the future to address public accommodations is very bad strategy - it's opening up a situation in which opponents (who will never be satisfied anyway) can focus completely on their imaginary bathroom issues."

Prior to posting his comment David had only heard what Equality Maryland had told him and asked me why transgender were so outraged about HB235. David listened to Jenna Fischetti, founder TransMaryland interview on TransFM Radio and David told me he knew he had to act.



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Like I said, I fully support ALL federation work towards achieving full marriage equality EXCEPT when transgender rights are traded for marriage equality as it has been done by EQMD.

On February 15, 2010 61 Maryland delegates co-sponsored HOUSE BILL 1022 "Human Relations – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity 2 – Antidiscrimination."

FOR the purpose of prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity with regard to public accommodations, housing, and employment.

Last year sixty one Maryland delegate signed on. Publicly the proposed plan was to resubmit the HB1022 in 2011 as announced by lead sponsor of HB235 currently in the House:

On Febuary 2, 2011 Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk was quoted on Gay life

"The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act will be sponsored by Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-21). It defines gender identity as a “gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior of an individual regardless of the individual’s assigned sex at birth.” This legislation adds gender identity to anti-discrimination protections already granted on “the grounds of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.” Discrimination would be “prohibited in the areas of employment, housing, credit and public accommodations.”

“This is the year for gender identity and marriage equality. Legislative leaders have been educated. They are messaging affirmatively in the press,” declares Lisa Polyak, a board member of Equality Maryland. She remains optimistic about the chances for both bills in the upcoming General Assembly and ends with a call to action for our community.

Unknown to the transgender community HB235 sans public accommodations was already introduced in the house by Pena-Melnyk with full support of EQMD's DECEPTIVE MINIPULATION!

However then there were some that expressed doubt a full marriage bill would be passed.

"Lynda Dee, lawyer and executive director of AIDS Action Baltimore, urges supporters of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act to “have a back-up plan. Sometimes you have to compromise.”

"One such compromise could look promising to those weary of the marriage equality debate. State Senator Allan Kittleman (R-9) has stated he will sponsor legislation legalizing civil unions in Maryland. This bill would “preserve the sanctity of marriage” and give same-sex couples all the rights and benefits of a marriage—but without the dreaded “m” word."

Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality Maryland, quickly responded to these sentiments marriage equality might need to be compromised.

It’s marriage or bust. We are not going to accept anything less.”

So public accommodations was thrown to extremist hate groups like Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government who led a venomous attack on the Montgomery County transgender equality bill BUT are strangely silent on HB235.

But Why?

Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government and the religious demagogues got what they wanted, but why did EQMD do this? The transgender community believes they traded public accommodations in exchange for votes and assurances a dreaded referendum challenging legislative proccess would not be mounted.

"It’s marriage or bust. We are not gong to accept anything less.

Morgan Meneses-Sheets, win or lose your precious marriage bill you are already a whole lot less.