Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest LGBT civil rights group, with thousands of members and supporters across the entire state. Equality Maryland includes:
- a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization (Equality Maryland, Inc.) that lobbies in Annapolis and across the state to create equal protection under the law for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Marylanders and their families;
- a 501(c)(3) educational foundation (Equality Maryland Foundation) that works to eliminate prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity through outreach, education, research, community organizing, training and coalition building; and
- Equality Maryland PAC, which exists to influence elections.
What We Do
Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of LGBT Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels. We work with members of the General Assembly to shape and pass positive legislation in Annapolis and to beat back discriminatory legislation.
Equality Maryland's sister arm, the Equality Maryland Foundation, works to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against LGBT Marylanders through outreach, education, research, community organizing, training and coalition building.
- We act as an advocate for LGBT Marylanders
- We aim to empower ordinary citizens to become extraordinary activists
- We work to provide a strong and unified voice for LGBT concerns in the media
- We conduct trainings for employers and workplaces
- We present at conferences across Maryland and the U.S. about LGBT issues
- We will tirelessly toil until equal protection under the law has been achieved for all members of our diverse community
Our Successes
Begun in 1990 under the name Free State Justice, Equality Maryland (renamed in 2004) has fought diligently in the state capital and other counties and cities to win equal rights.
- In 2001, the organization was responsible for passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act, which bans sexual orientation-motivated discrimination in housing, public accommodations, lending, and employment statewide. Today, fewer than half of states in the country have such a law.
- In 2002, we worked to ban transgender-motivated discrimination in Baltimore City.
- In 2003, our work resulted in stronger safe-schools regulations.
- In 2005, Equality Maryland expanded our state's hate crimes statute to include crimes motivated by a victim's sexual orientation and gender identity, thus making it a more effective law enforcement and prosecutorial tool.
- In 2006, Equality Maryland speraheaded the passage The Medical Decisionmaking Act, that extended some medical and funeral decision making rights to domestic partners.
- In 2007, we passed an ordinance that added transgender protections to Montgomery County's anti-discrimination laws. Equality Maryland worked to ensure this law was not overturned on referendum.
- In 2007, Equality Maryland passed The Family Coverage Expansion Act. This law requires insurance companies to write policies inclusive od domestic partners.
- In 2007, Equality Maryland also helped pass a law that authorizes insurerd that issue policies of group life insurance to extend coverage to domestic partners.
- In 2009, we helped pass a law that allows domestic partners to inherit jointly owned primary residences without incurring tax penalities.
- In 2010 with our help the Montgomery County Council passed a county ordinance requiring contractors who do business with the county to offer domestic partner benefits.
- In 2012, Equality Maryland helped pass a Baltimore County law extending anti-discrimination provisions to transgender individuals.
- In 2012, Equality Maryland was part of the coaltion that passed The Civil Marriage Protection Act.
- In 2012, Equality Maryland was part of the coaltion that helped defend The Civil Marriage Protection Act at the ballot box!
Equality Maryland Foundation's educational and coalition-building work has included formation of:
- The Maryland Black Family Alliance, in conjunction with the ACLU. The MBFA brings together straight African American leaders who are supportive of LGBT marriage equality and other legal protections.
- The LGBT Marylanders of Color Collective, a committee of people of color dedicated to engaging in heart-to-heart dialogue about LGBT people of color.
Equality Maryland has produced groundbreaking publications like Jumping the Broom: A Black Perspective on Same-Gender Marriage, which is now used across the United States;What's In a Word? A Religious Perspective on Civil Marriage Equality; Marriage Inequality In the State of Maryland, and the video Heart of the Matter: Maryland's Same-Sex Couples Seek Justice for their Families. Equality Maryland has also produced a video series "Stand With Us." These public service announcements are written and produced by trans individauls and have been well received.
Most importantly, Equality Maryland has built a strong network of citizen voices and a solid coalition of organizations who are tireless in their commitment to fairness and justice.
Honors and Awards
Equality Maryland and its staff have received a number of honors and awards:
- Named "Best Non-Profit Organization" in the Washington Blade's 2005 "Best of DC" Issue
- Honored with a Peace & Justice Award by the Washington Peace Center
- Received the Founders Award from Brother Help Thyself
- Harvey Milk Chesed Award, from the Congregation Bet Mishpachah, given to Executive Director Dan Furmansky
- Washington, D.C. Capitol Pride Hero Award given to Executive Director Dan Furmansky
- EQMD's Executive Director Morgan Meneses-Sheets was chosen "Ally of the Year" by the Youth Pride Alliance in 2010.
- Baltimore OutLoud named Meneses-Sheets as the top leader of an LGBT organization in 2010
Our Board & Staff
The Equality Maryland board is a diverse group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual individuals from all walks of life. Equality Maryland strives to create an organization that truly represents and serves the interests of all its constituents.
Our Political Philosophy
As a non-partisan organization, Equality Maryland believes that equal protection under the law for LGBT Marylanders and families headed by same-sex couples is not and should not be a partisan issue. LGBT Marylanders are Democrats and Republicans, as well as Independents and members of third parties, and vote in virtually every county in Maryland. While few of us under the LGBT umbrella are single-issue voters, most of us do attach significant weight to the rhetoric and votes that surround the question of our civil rights. Therefore, it is vital to reach out to all fair-minded elected officials to seek understanding and advocacy on behalf of our civil rights.
Annual Reports
Join us for a special event!
Lessons from the 2012 State Victories for Marriage Equality
Alliance for Justice is co-sponsoring an event with Human Rights Campaign to explore what activists, nonprofits, and funders can learn from last year's successful state campaigns in support of marriage equality. Panelists will discuss how they built coalitions, brought in new allies, and developed successful communication techniques and messages.
Panelists will also highlight key decisions that propelled their campaigns to victory and plans to leverage the relationships they’ve built with supporters and legislators moving forward.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
4:30 p.m.
A networking cocktail reception will follow
Human Rights Campaign
1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
RSVP at bit.ly/makingchangehappen
Speakers:
Marissa Brown, Alliance for Justice
Richard Carlbom, Minnesotans United for Marriage
Carrie Evans, Marylanders for Marriage Equality
Marty Rouse, Human Rights Campaign
Betsy Smith, Mainers United for Marriage
Tony Wagner, Human Rights Campaign & Washington United for Marriage
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First Unitarian Church of Baltimore and Free State Legal Project present:
From Stonewall toSecuring Marriage Rights:
What Does It Mean for Us?
Exploring the Legal Implications of Marriage for Gay Couples
A comprehensive overview of legal marriage in the State of Maryland for gay couples. Whether you are already married or just considering, esteemed attorneys Susan Francis and Susan Silber will walk you through everything you need to know before and after you walk down that aisle. Beyond romance, learn what those 1000+ contracts and responsibilities actually mean!
Topics to be discussed include:
DOMA– What is DOMA & Challenges to DOMA; Federal protections outside of DOMA; Considerations when not to marry – (Medicaid, other public benefits, immigration, continuation of prior spousal benefits).
MD Law Overview – 1000+ laws. How protected under MD law? What are protections, benefits, obligations? What is the effect of the federal government not recognizing your marriage? What are the consequences of other states not recognizing your marriage? Strategies to protect your family.
Marriage – Family Law Issues. License – how to marry, what if married elsewhere, what if have a civil union; Pre-nuptial agreements = clarify marital v. nonmarital property, simplify divorce process, collaborative or mediation dispute resolution; Domestic Partnership affidavit– specific benefits.
Protecting our Families. Wills, trusts, health care directive, POA, DP Affidavits, DP or PreNup Agreements
Protecting our Children. Second parent adoption, birth certificate with marriage (full faith & credit issues), problems with de facto/third party parent, donors, surrogacy.
Divorce Issues. Length of marriage, maintaining ties & friendships, DOMA (pension, tax, alimony); dissolution of civil unions/domestic partnerships.
OtherMD Marital Issues. Insurance; Employment – public & private; FMLA; Real Property – Tenants by entirety; Public benefits – Medicaid; Name changes; Taxes – joint – imputed state income; estate; inheritance; alimony & QDROs; transfers between spouses; mortgage interest; tax credit programs; Military & veteran benefits.
Saturday, June 8, 2013, 9am - noon
Enoch Pratt Parish Hall, 514 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
The seminar is free and open to the public. However, space is limited, so please respond to office@firstunitarian.net, or call 410-685-2330 to reserve your seat. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance via email.
About the presenters:
Susan Francis is the Foreclosure Prevention Project Manager at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). She formerly was an Associate at Silber, Perlman, Sigman and Tilev; and theFamily Law Research Specialist at the Administrative Office of the Courts, Department of Family Administration. She graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2011. She was a member of Law Review and the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society for Leadership. She has interned at the Public Justice Center, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Susan has a B.S. and M.S. in Journalism from Ohio University. She served as Development and Communications Director for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing for twelve years and was most recently the Development Director forEquality Maryland. She serves on the Board of Directors of Free State LegalProject and the Public Justice Center. She has co-written with Ms. Silber several articles on gay marriage for the Washington Blade, the Maryland Domestic Law Reporter, and the Equality Maryland marriage FAQs on their webpage, and has conducted various workshops on the intersection of family law and LGBT families. Susan and her wife, Sandy, were married in Ontario, Canada in 2004. susanfrancis@gmail.com
Susan Silber has dedicated her legal career of over 30 years to advancing the rights of all families, including a focus on same-sex families. Susan founded the law firm of Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, PA, which is a full service, community-based law firm located in Takoma Park, Maryland. She is an experienced attorney in family, employment, civil rights, and municipal law, and has served as the City Attorney for Takoma Park for 30 years.
In addition to drafting, counseling, negotiation, and litigation, Susan is an experienced mediator and collaborative attorney. She has assisted hundreds of people incooperatively forming their families (e.g., second parent adoptions, livingtogether contracts, powers of attorney, medical directives, and parenting agreements). Sue has been featured on national television and is a frequent guest speaker. She has spoken extensively on Lesbian and Gay parenting issues, including custody, adoption, alternative fertilization, surrogacy, and documents helpful in protecting unmarried and same-sex families. Susan was named a Super Lawyer by her peers in Super Lawyers Magazine for both Maryland and Washington, DC.
Susan is a member of the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, currently serves on the board of Equality Maryland and the Divorce Roundtable, and is a past president of the LGBT Bar Association of Maryland. She was recently honored for her distinguished service by COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere), GAYLAW (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,Transgender Attorneys of Washington, DC), and her synagogue Bet Mishpachah.Susan’s children have two moms. Her family has been featured in three books and was interviewed by Barbara Walters for ABC’s “20/20”. silber@sp-law.com
Please join us the second sunday of every month for our Board Meeting.
Contact Vanessa, vanessa@equalitymaryland.org, for more information.
