TransMaryland advocates for amending trans exclusionary HB235

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.

Facebook Event page

TransMaryland on Facebook
transmaryland.org

Take Action! EQMD Now using Full Might to Push Transgender IN=EQUALITY

Click picture for larger size.

Morgan Meneses-Sheets Executive director of Equality Maryland has made it clear this morning. Equality Maryland despite the objections of the transgender community will press forward of HB235.

Morgan Meneses-Sheets sheets said about the prospects of obtaining civil unions this legislative year Gay life "It’s marriage or bust. We are not going to accept anything less.”

Apparently Martin Luther King JR's words only apply to Gay marriage equality. Morgan Meneses-Sheets is using the entire weight of Equality Marryland in calling and emailing the legislature supporting HB235 which does not include public accommodations.


The panel will ecasted live tonite 7 EST/6 CST.

You can post a question to Morgan Meneses-Sheets sheets here.

(posted to the eQuality website 1/20/2011 10:57am ET)

My question goes to Morgan Meneses-Sheets sheets,

Why has Equality Maryland banned Danna LaRoccaa a well spoken transgender journalist from your facebook page. Why has Equality Maryland has continually removed links and comments from transgender people who oppose HB235 as written without public accommodations.

Equality Maryland is censoring the transgender community and attempting to force this bill on transgender people by using the full membership of Equality Maryland to lobby the legislature for HB235.

It is common sense that a bill framed as a "equality" bill without public accommodations is useless. The transgender community is asking you to stop censoring the conversation and let free speech be the bell weather of full transgender equality.

What will it take for you to let this bill die? The transgender community does not want it.