The Issues:
Transgender Issues
Personal Stories: Mara Drummond
This testimony was delivered at the 8th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20, 2006.
Good evening. I'm Mara Drummond. I suffer from transsexualism, which is a type of gender identity disorder. Although I've been transsexual my entire life, almost no one knew that I was transsexual until this year, when I started transitioning publicly. I was very lucky to never experience discrimination.
Now, however, each time I go into a restaurant or a store, I fear being refused service. I fear my consulting contracts won't be renewed. I fear that when I want to relocate, I won't be able to choose the home of my dreams.
I have these fears because people now see that I'm transitioning and they immediately place me into a subclass for which they harbor prejudicial feelings. According to the American Heritage dictionary, "treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit" is discrimination.
Unfortunately, Maryland has no protections for people with gender identity problems such as me. We can be arbitrarily discriminated against in just about ever aspect of our lives and we have no recourse. We can be fired or denied employment. We can be rejected for housing. Other Marylanders, including the law enforcement officials that are supposed to protect us, can harass or verbally abuse us. And there is nothing we can do to legally stop or prevent this discrimination from occurring.
So tonight, I ask the members of the General Assembly that are present, to please expand Maryland's anti-discrimination laws, so that they prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. Doing so will make Maryland a much better place to live.
Thank you.
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