TransMaryland a Maryland transgender advocacy organization has come out in opposition to House Bill 235 as written without public accommodations provisions despite it being promoted by Equality Maryland.
From TransMaryLands
Event "Contact your legislator":
Right now in Maryland the rights of 1.5 million Marylanders in Baltimore City and Montgomery County are assured. 3X that amount are NOT protected.
Baltimore City and Montgomery County has legal protections for their transgender citizens. The rest of the state's transgender population deserves the same level of dignity and respect afforded to ALL of our citizens. They are denied the basic rights others carry, simply because they ...were born with a gender incongruent to their physical self.
HB 235, introduced last month does NOT provide full protection under the law!
MD HB235 at introduction.
Please contact your Legislators TODAY! and tell them you DEMAND a Gender Identity Anti-discrimination Act with protects Transgender Marylanders are the SAME level as Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Age, Disability, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation, or National Origin. The current bill DOES NOT provide this!
Click here to find your legislator[Sample letter]
Hello[YOUR LEGISLATOR'S NAME],
My name is [YOUR FULL NAME] and I live in your district at [ENTER YOUR ADDRESS].
I am writing to urge you to vote for A Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act which protects Transgender Marylanders are the SAME level as Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Age, Disability, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation, or National Origin by INCLUDING PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. This bill is important to me because I believe that ALL Marylanders deserve protections and respect, regardless of their gender identity.
Only by passing FULLY protective GIADA can Maryland truly be called the Free State, where everyone is treated equally.
Thank you!
Only through FULL protections can our rights be upheld!!
This bill will establish transgender Marylanders as second class citizens, subject to only partial protections and send a message National, that the same unequal treatment is acceptable.
It is through your simple phone calls and emails that YOUR voice can be heard. It is the most sacred and intimate responsibility of freedom we possess.
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