The EqMD Insider

JULY 2009:

Wednesday, July 15, 2009


Heading Home: Former ED Dan Furmansky on EQMD's Move


Dan Furmansky was Equality Maryland’s executive director from 2003-2008. He now serves as a political consultant for the organization.

I’m glad to see that Equality Maryland is finally moving back to Baltimore City. During my tenure as Executive Director from 2003-2008, I was responsible for moving the organization from Charm City to Silver Spring, and one of my recommendations to the Board of Directors upon stepping down at the end of last year was that EQMD relocate back to Baltimore in the not-too-distant future. I’m glad the time has arrived.

Six years ago, EQMD was an entirely different beast. I was the only employee, and EQMD, then known as Free State Justice, had a cramped home in the GLCCB, which has since undergone a stunning renovation. Rather than commute to Baltimore just to work by myself when I live in Silver Spring, I began to work more and more out of my home, transferring the phones to my house and exclusively answering my home phone with the greeting “Good morning/afternoon, Equality Maryland.” Sometimes calls came in at 11 p.m. at night that were work-related. It was too close for comfort.

Fatefully, in 2004, I met the charming Ashlie Bagwell, then head of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland. Ashlie was also a staff of one with too much office space in Silver Spring’s World Building, which used to have a large "WGAY" radio sign on the side of the building. It seemed only too appropriate that EQMD move in to WGAY headquarters. At the time, the office seemed like a palace for very little money, but EQMD’s growth over the years has been dynamic and dramatic, and it wasn’t long before our clothes no longer fit, so to speak. It was comical holding a staff meeting in the World Building, everyone tripping over one another, and NARAL was beginning to increase in capacity as well. So in 2006, EQMD moved to Apple Avenue, near the Montgomery County Courthouse. By that point, EQMD several employees from Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore City.

Silver Spring was comfortable, but never seemed like the inevitable headquarters for the statewide LGBT civil rights organization. Montgomery County is an important part of Maryland, but we have more support on LGBT issues here than in any other part of the state. There are three openly LGBT legislators in the General Assembly from Montgomery County who have worked wonders with their colleagues. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s LGBT community needs to be engaged more in the fight for LGBT equality. The legislative delegation is mixed, with some legislators 100% on our issues and others a veritable embarrassment to the LGBT constituents in their district. I hope EQMD’s presence in Baltimore will help invigorate our community’s interest in achieving full legal equality, and serve as a bridge-builder to the legislative delegation. It’s time for EQMD to head “home” again, and the timing couldn’t be better.

Back to top.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009


Estates and Trusts Attorney Lee Carpenter Discusses New Inheritance Tax Law


Lee Carpenter is an estates and trusts attorney at the Baltimore firm of Summerfield, Willen, Silverberg, & Limsky, where his practice includes a focus on the unique needs of LGBT Marylanders.

In the tradition of good things and small packages, the Maryland Legislature gave our community an important but unassuming victory this session. Through a small change in our state’s tax laws, LGBT couples can now avoid paying inheritance taxes on the family home when one of them dies. Before this law took effect, a surviving partner often faced a tax bill of thousands of dollars just to keep living in the house she and her partner had shared.

As a gay estates and trusts lawyer, protecting same-sex couples at the time of death is an issue dear to my heart. Back in March, I had the honor of testifying in favor of the inheritance-tax bill in Annapolis. The Senate hearing was a wonderful opportunity to explain to our legislators how seriously an outdated law can affect same-sex couples. Part of the challenge was cutting through the legal mumbo-jumbo. The discussion included talk of “collateral” versus “lineal” descendants, “irrebuttable presumptions,” “legal fictions,” and the like. But beneath the jargon lay a compelling set of facts that spoke for themselves.

When my clients learn about the tax implications of being an unmarried couple, their shared expression is usually one of shock. When one partner dies, the survivor must write a check to the county Register of Wills for 10 percent of the value everything he inherits from his deceased partner. Ten percent can translate into a hefty tax bill. Over a lifetime, same-sex couples often build up significant assets together. If they were legally married, one of them could inherit an unlimited amount from the other tax-free. Until same-sex marriage comes to Maryland—as one day it surely will—this new law allows LGBT couples to protect the family home, which is often their greatest asset.

Consider an example: If you and your partner jointly own a house worth $300,000, when one of you dies, the other will inherit half of the value of the house, or $150,000. The tax on this inheritance will amount to $15,000 - a staggering amount. The law that just passed eliminates this tax for domestic partners who document their relationship.

More compelling than anything I had to say, however, were the stories of gay men and women who had suffered under the law as it stood. Several surviving partners wept as they explained the hardship of having to pay $10,000, $20,000, or even more in taxes just to keep the family home. Many were forced to tap into savings, invade their 401(k)s, or even sell the house just satisfy this tax obligation. And because the tax bill typically arrives only months after the death of a lifelong companion, the stress and anxiety it causes could hardly come at a more emotionally difficult time.

These stories were heartbreaking, and the legislators took notice. After some procedural maneuvering, they ultimately did the right thing and turned an unassuming bill into an important new statute.

The next challenge, and one Equality Maryland has taken to heart, is to ensure that LGBT Marylanders know about this new law and prepare themselves to take advantage of it. The law applies only to the principal family residence, and the couple must own their house as “joint tenants with right of survivorship.” A couple should sign a notarized affidavit that verifies their relationship and includes supporting documentation.

You can find out more through the “Resources” link on this website to ensure that you and your partner are prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Back to top.

Monday, July 13, 2009


Steve Haddad on Our Move to Baltimore


Steve Haddad has been a member of Equality Maryland's Board of Directors for the past four years. He runs Sangha Solutions, a consulting practice specializing in nonprofit fundraising and leadership, and lives just south of Patterson Park in Baltimore City.

I can't imagine many things less pleasant than moving to Baltimore in the middle of the summer. The average July temperature here is ninety-one degrees, and the brutal humidity makes you sweat more than James Dobson at a Pride Parade. A summer afternoon in Baltimore is best spent in close proximity to air conditioning, or perhaps sipping an iced tea on the front stoop as you lazily dream about the Orioles making it to the playoffs again. The idea of trying to squeeze an oversized love seat through the door of a 12-foot wide row house on a sweltering Saturday doesn't even crack the top 500 on my summer "to-do" list.

With that in mind, I'm still very excited that, in a few short weeks, Equality Maryland will be packing up its office in Silver Spring and moving to Charm City. We recently signed a lease for our new office space in Federal Hill, an historic neighborhood located just a few blocks south of the city's Inner Harbor and a short fly ball away from Interstate 95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

As you probably know, the city of Baltimore played a pivotal role in events leading up to the American Revolution; in fact, Federal Hill got its name in 1789 when the neighborhood hosted a city-wide celebration after the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

Symbolically, I can't think of a better place to set down roots as Equality Maryland continues to fight for the civil rights and legal protections of all Marylanders, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. And being headquartered in Baltimore - a majority Black city with an emerging Latino community, a growing population of young professionals, and more than a dozen colleges and universities - will provide tremendous opportunities for us to strengthen our outreach efforts, bringing a genuine listening presence to the LGBT and allied communities in and around the city.

We're already planning a house-warming and fundraising event for early September, and we hope to see many old friends and new neighbors at Equality Maryland's 7th Annual Jazz Brunch on Sunday, October 18th in downtown Baltimore. In the meantime, we're stocking up on cases of cold "Natty Boh" and praying for cool weather on moving day.

Back to top.

Thursday, July 9, 2009


Hippocrates Would Be Proud


Kevin Walling is the Director of Development for Equality Maryland.

Dana Beyer is one of the most engaging, warm and intelligent people you will ever meet in life. I first met Dana a couple of years ago at an Equality Maryland reception. She was attending the event in her capacity as member of the board and a leader in the lgbt equality movement and I was there because my boyfriend had dragged me! (Your author confesses that this was the first moment when I learned about Equality Maryland and I’ve been hooked ever since.)

Since that first encounter, I’ve been able to work side by side with Dana and witnessed her strength and enthusiasm over years. I bring Dana up in this week’s column, not just because of her many contributions to the lgbt equality movement, but because of an incredible story of compassion that State Senator Jamie Raskin (D-20) recounted to me recently.

A couple of years ago, Dana was participating in the annual hearing in Annapolis on the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, legislation that would extend the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. State Senator Nancy Jacobs (R-34) is a conservative member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee where the civil marriage bill is first heard.

From the outset of the hearing it was clear that Senator Jacobs was struggling with one of her eyes. She had been rubbing, and from the public seating area, Dana could tell that something was wrong. It’s important to mention at this point in the story that Dana is also a very distinguished physician specializing in eye care and surgery.

Senator Jacob’s condition got progressively worse as the hearing proceeded and at one point she got up from her chair and left the committee room. Without any hesitation, Dana followed Senator Jacobs to a quiet office, introduced herself and her qualifications and proceeded to diagnose, without the aid of instruments, that the senator was suffering from a corneal abrasion. Upon Dana’s recommendation, Senator Jacobs traveled to the nearby hospital with instructions on how to request urgent care from a qualified ophthalmologist on-call and received the same diagnosis and was treated accordingly.

After the incident, Senator Jacobs was tremendously grateful to Dana and they greet each other warmly in Annapolis. The most amazing part about this story is that Senator Jacobs works against everything that Dana stands for in terms of civil marriage legislation and a bill that would simply extend basic human rights to members of the transgender community.

The fact that Dana didn’t hesitate to help a person in need, despite her lack of support for the lgbt community, is amazing to me. Only when anti-lgbt equality leaders recognize our common humanity and the fact that we only seek the same protections and benefits for ourselves and our families, will the real change occur.

I can only surmise that Hippocrates would be very proud of Dr. Dana Beyer, MD, and the oath she took to serve all people in need.

Kevin's article is reposted from Baltimore OUTloud.

Back to top.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009


The Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been introduced - now what?


Laura Hart is a member of the Board of Directors of Equality Maryland, Inc. and a United ENDA Coalition volunteer. She lives in Mechanicsville in St. Mary's County.

On June 24th, it was my great pleasure to attend the press conference announcing the introduction of HR 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. When asked by a member of the press what situation may arise where "gender identity and expression" would be removed from the bill, Congressman Barney Frank, the sponsor, answered "none." He went on to say that the transgender community had done the lobbying necessary to ensure only an inclusive bill would be introduced. Our lobbying, coupled with the 20 new Democrats in the House, 14 or 15 of whom we need to support this bill, should be what it takes to get the House to pass this bill before the end of the year.

But Rep. Frank warned that there is still much to be done. We need to keep the citizen lobbying going and Congress needs to hear from more than just trans people. Rep. Frank said he wished the rest of the community would make their voices heard. So the challenge is out to the whole LGBT and allied community: Let's make our voices heard!

Among the 117 original co-sponsors, up from 62 in 2007, our Maryland delegation had three original co-sponsors: Reps. Van Hollen, Cummings and Edwards. If you are a constituent, please let them know how much you appreciate their support and how much you a counting on their continued support:

All members of our delegation should hear from us, friend, foe and fence sitters alike. If you don't know where you congressperson stands on ENDA, please send me an email at laura.hart@unitedenda.org and I'll let you know. August is summer recess, when our Members of Congress will be in their home districts, a great time to set up a meeting. For us Marylanders, we can more easily visit our representatives on Capital Hill than most Americans. I can help you with a DC visit and I'd be more then willing to go along with you. You can find your congressperson's contact information at http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#md.

A companion bill has not been introduced in the Senate just yet, but since the Senate will always be the tougher legislative body for LGBT civil rights legislation, we should not forget Senators Mikulski and Cardin. Both Senators are equality-minded, but it is still nice to let them know we appreciate their support and are counting on their passionate, persuasive advocacy going forward. Since the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act hasn't made it past the Senate yet, a little follow up on this legislation would also be in order.

One last ask: the United ENDA Coalition, of which Equality Maryland is a founding member, has been drafting sign-on letters. If you have contacts with business groups, labor unions, progressive advocacy groups, communities of faith, or any civic organization, please ask if they would be willing to sign a letter of support.

I know I've asked a lot in this message but please keep in mind that the primary reason only a fully inclusive ENDA is going forward is because of the grassroots efforts of LGBT people and allies across the country. There is simply nothing more powerful than an individual constituent telling her or his story to a legislator. Just before bill introduction, the National Center for Transgender Equality got a call from a congressional staffer. He was looking for contact information for a trans woman who took the time to sit and tell her story to her congressman who, at the time, was not sure if he would vote for or against the bill. The congressman wanted the contact information to write and let her know that he was going to be a co-sponsor, specifically and exclusively because of her. While not every story of constitutent contact with a legislator has such a dramatically positive ending, we have advanced this far because of grassroots efforts. Going forward from here, ENDA will be the grassroots to win or lose.

Back to top.

Monday, July 6, 2009


EQMD hosts transgender forum for service providers


Mindy Daniels is coordinating Equality Maryland's transgender outreach efforts under a grant from the Tides Foundation.

EQMD’s Transgender Forum held in Prince George’s County on July 1, in collaboration with the Prince George’s County LGBTQ Youth Task Force, succeeded in drawing more than sixty people, many of whom provide direct services to county residents. Attendees included the Deputy Director of the Prince George’s County Police Department, foster mothers, transgender youth, clergy, court-appointed special advocates, a middle school guidance counselor, and decision-makers from various county service departments, including probation and parole, independent home living, juvenile services, and court social services. The Director and Deputy Director of the Prince George’s County Human Rights Commission also attended. Almost everyone expressed an interest in obtaining additional training for themselves and their staff on how to best serve the transgender community.

The Forum provided an opportunity to distribute educational materials and transgender resources. Focus groups offered ideas on ways to make available educational materials and resources to other service providers and their clients.

Transgender speakers provided education and insight to a rapt crowd, garnering an obvious sensitivity and respect from the audience. Guest speaker Maryland State Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk, lead sponsor of the 2009 Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act in the House of Delegates, rendered a rousing and heartfelt call to end discrimination, and for attendees to contact their elected representatives and ask them to support gender identity anti-discrimination legislation. Moved by what they learned and experienced at the Forum, many committed to join as allies in the battle for greater civil protections for transgender Marylanders.

Back to top.

Thursday, July 2, 2009


President Obama's LBGT Reception


Dana Beyer, M.D. is the Vice President of the Equality Maryland, Inc. Board of Directors.

On Monday I was fortunate to be invited to the White House, along with other LGBT equality leaders from around the country, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. My son, David, was also able to join me. Standing in the East Room of the White House, a place that was not welcoming of the LGBT community for the last eight years, was a surreal experience. The room was buzzing with excitement before the President and First Lady entered the room. It was terrific standing in the presence of so many incredible LGBT leaders, especially a few survivors of the Stonewall riots.

When the doors opened and President and Mrs. Obama walked up to the podium, the room erupted in applause. From the very beginning the first couple seemed comfortable with our group. At one point he noted his many friends in the room, including Bishop Gene Robinson, who kicked-off our lobbying efforts this past year in Annapolis! I was continually struck by the important things that the president said during his speech - which was twice as long as planned! As someone who idolizes the leadership and character of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., it was inspiring to hear President Obama link the LGBT equality movement to the civil rights movement a number of times in his speech.

One of the most poignant things the President said was that individuals who participated in the Stonewall riots of 1969 would never have dreamed they would be celebrating that anniversary forty years later at the White House. Similarly, a very young Barack Obama would never have imagined he would be standing in the White House at this kind of event as President of the United States.

After the speech, the President and First Lady mingled with the crowd, embracing old friends and meeting new acquaintances. I was lucky enough to get about half a minute with President Obama and reiterated the important needs of the LGBT community. The President was incredibly gracious and put his arm on my shoulder. Still on a high from talking with the President, I spent a good deal of time talking with David Axelrod, one of the key people that ran the President's campaign and now serving as a senior advisor at the White House.

Back to top.