Baltimore County Adds Protections for Transgender Individuals
 
Equality Maryland applauds the Baltimore County Council for passing Bill 3-12 that adds gender identity and expression to county law prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, financing and education.
 
“We commend Councilman Quirk for his leadership on this important measure along with his four colleagues who voted “yes” – Councilmembers Vicki Almond, Kenneth Oliver, Cathy Bevins and John Olszewski,” said Owen Smith, field organizer at Equality Maryland. He continues, “This common-sense law will allow transgender people residing and visiting Baltimore County to live their lives with more security and peace.”
 
 Smith and Equality Maryland played a critical role in helping pass this legislation. This included activating Equality Maryland members in Baltimore County to contact their Councilmembers and to testify before the Council, providing assistance to the bill sponsor and garnering support from business leaders.

Equality Maryland is excited to announce the hiring of a new Executive Director to help lead the organization into one of its most important years.

Carrie Evans returns to Equality Maryland after serving as the organization's Director of Policy and Planning from 2007-2009. Evans, an attorney, currently serves as a policy analyst for the Baltimore's Housing Department and as adjunct faculty for the Gender and Women's Studies department at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Evans has previously worked as the state legislative director at the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Reflecting on the news of an Evans appointment, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley stated, "I look forward to working with Carrie, Equality Maryland, and the broad coalition of committed groups and individuals as we work to pass marriage equality in the upcoming legislative session."

"We are tremendously excited about Carrie's hiring," said Lisa Polyak, Acting Chair of Equality Maryland, Inc. "Given her political acumen and history of work in Maryland, we are confident that Carrie's leadership will place us in the strongest possible position to pass marriage equality and transgender anti-discrimination bills and defend them in a referendum."

Evans comments, "I am honored to return to Equality Maryland - an organization that is critically needed to ensure LGBT Marylanders and our families are treated fairly. There is much to be done. I look forward to working with our partners in the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition and in the transgender community, as well as every individual in our state who supports Equality Maryland and our mission."

"With the recent addition of 16 accomplished individuals to the Boards of Directors, our organization has regained the energy and enthusiasm needed to achieve and preserve legislative success," Polyak added.

Equality Maryland and Equality Maryland Foundation announce the appointment of sixteen new members to the organizations' Boards of Directors. New Directors were selected after an extensive vetting and interview process completed by a ten-member Nominations Committee.

"We were extremely pleased by the number of highly qualified and diverse candidates who submitted their application for a board appointment," said Senator Richard Madaleno, co-chair of the Nominations Committee. "The varied experiences the new board members bring to the table will make Equality Maryland a strong, stable force for equality once again in Maryland."

"We are thrilled with the addition of these sixteen individuals to the board," said Patrick Wojahn, President of the Equality Maryland Foundation Board. "The combined depth of knowledge and skill they have around legislative, administrative and non-profit management activities will be a true benefit to the work of the organization."

New members of the Equality Maryland board include: Karen Blood, Angie Callahan, Joe Davy, Izzy Firth, Evan Glass, Katheryn King, Akil Patterson, Sue Silber, Pegeen Townsend and Tim Williams. They will join David Lublin, Rosemary Nicolosi, Lisa Polyak, and Mark Yost who currently serve on this Board. Joining Wojahn and Nicolosi on the Equality Maryland Foundation board are Rabbi Stephanie Bernstein, Robert Blizard, Ariel Glasner, Manuella Hancock, Marilee Lindemann, and Reverend Donna Martin. Board members will serve a two-year term, renewable for a total of six consecutive years.

The Nominations Committee was chaired by Erin Leveton who served on the Board from 1999 to 2003 and as President of the Board from 2000 to 2003, and Senator Madaleno who served on the Board from 1999 to 2002. Also serving on the Nominations Committee were Delegate Mary Washington, Chrys Kefalas, Mary Anne Arnow, Mike Meller, Kathleen Darden, Marvin Masterson, and Lori Hollander. Wojahn served as the liaison between the Committee and the existing Board.

"We have spent the past four months building Equality Maryland into an organization that will be well-managed and resourced to achieve our mission of full legal equality for the LGBT community of Maryland," said Lisa Polyak, Acting President of Equality Maryland. "The addition of these new board members is one more step in that process, and we look forward to putting their combined talents in the service of gender identity nondiscrimination and marriage equality in our state."

Additional information about all board members is available at www.equalitymaryland.org.

With the passing of the Labor Day weekend and the steady cooling of the weather, it starts to feel like summer is coming to a close. As we head into a busy fall season preparing the 2012 legislative session, the Board of Equality Maryland would like to update you on where the organization stands and what your support has allowed us to accomplish in the past three months.

After announcing in late May that the organization was in a serious financial crisis, the five remaining board members put a laser-focus on rebuilding an Equality Maryland into an organization everyone in Maryland can be proud of. We began by creating a short-term strategic plan to guide us through the work that needed to be completed. While we're not done yet, it has brought us to a place of stability and confidence in our future.

FINANCES.  We are pleased to report that we will end August debt-free and with enough resources in the bank to meet our operating expenses for the next two months.  We also have a new budget for the remainder of the year and a plan in place to continue that trend.  We simply couldn’t have done this without the generous support of many individual donors, and specifically the Gill Foundation and Proteus Fund. And keep your eyes open for a very exciting announcement soon about our ongoing fundraising efforts.

On Wednesday this week, we are honored to host a reception recognizing Gov. O’Malley and all of Maryland’s statewide elected officials for their support of marriage and full legal equality for all LGBT people.  It’s not too late to late to purchase tickets to attend this one-of-a-kind event.

GOVERNANCE.  Based on responses from nearly 2,000 people through our Listening Tours and Community Survey, it was clear that a change in the governance of Equality Maryland had to be a priority. In addition to revising our bylaws and other internal policies, reconstituting the board was on the top of the list. To ensure community input in the process, we convened a Nominations Committee made up entirely of non-board members.  Senator Rich Madaleno and Erin Leveton led a public call for Board applications and vetted over 30 submissions.  By the end of September we expect to seat nearly a dozen new board members to guide the organization into the future.  We look forward to announcing the new board as soon as they are seated.

STAFFING.  In addition to growing the board, a Search Committee was formed to identify the next Executive Director of Equality Maryland.  Comprised of board members, a corporate HR professional, non-profit executives, and a Maryland community activist, this committee has gone through an exhaustive process to recruit the organization’s next leader.  Interviews are just beginning and the new board will select the final candidate in early October.  We look forward to announcing this individual as soon as the selection is complete.

MISSION.  With all of the internal organizational focus this summer, we want you to know that the important advocacy and programmatic work was not unattended.  Thanks to the organizing work of Owen Smith and the Transgender Working Group, Equality Maryland will host a Transgender Advocacy and Empowerment workshop in Baltimore on September 10-11, 2011.  Check out the registration page if you’re interested in attending. We are also working with Gender Rights Maryland and the Marylanders for Marriage campaign to be ready for the legislative session.  And finally, we continue to partner with national organizations – most recently to call on Senator Mikulski to co-sponsor the federal Respect for Marriage Act.  We’ve been told to stay-tuned for an announcement from Senator Mikulski after the Senate reconvenes in September.

It has been a demanding and vital summer for Equality Maryland. We are confident that the efforts exerted in the last three months, and the work the organization will do through the end of the year, will position us for the advocacy and education work that lies ahead. We'll continue to update you on our progress and hope that you will continue to support the work of Equality Maryland, now and into the future.

“Recent census data show nearly 17,000 same-sex couples living across the state of Maryland. These loving, committed couples and their families are harmed every day by the denial of marriage, and by federal discrimination against the marriages they are able to celebrate across the border in the District of Columbia and six other states,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “We hope that Senator Mikulski will heed the call of her constituents and join us in ending marriage discrimination at the federal level and in Maryland.”

The signatures were collected through an online campaign by the three groups. They represent a variety of constituents from around Maryland, which will likely consider a bill that would extend the freedom to marry to committed same-sex couples in the state. Currently, Maryland honors the marriages of same-sex couples married out of state, but those couples are still harmed by federal marriage discrimination under DOMA. Senator Cardin has already signed on as a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act.

"The Democratic governor of Maryland, Martin O'Malley, is backing a bill to extend marriage to gay and lesbian couples next year," said Rick Jacobs, chair and founder of the 700,000-member Courage Campaign. "Surely Senator Mikulski wants to lead the effort to assure that all married people in Maryland are treated fairly, which requires repeal of DOMA."

The signatories signed onto a letter that reads:

We write on behalf of thousands of Maryland families who are presently denied critical protections and recognition under the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act”, or DOMA. Married same-sex couples are treated as legal strangers in the eyes of the federal government because of DOMA and excluded from the more than 1,100 federal laws in which marital status is a factor, including Social Security, immigration, and family and medical leave.

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Hundreds of loving same-sex couples have legally wed in Maryland. Like all other families, these couples want to provide for their families and build a life together but are denied critical protections and security under federal law. Because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), legally married same-sex couples in Maryland are treated as strangers by the federal government and denied over 1,000 protections that other married couples are afforded.

The Respect for Marriage Act has been introduced in the House and Senate, but your US Senator Barbara Mikulski has yet to sign on as a cosponsor.

Will you join Equality Maryland, Freedom to Marry, Courage Campaign and thousands of fair-minded Marylanders in asking Senator Mikulski to cosponsor the bill that will repeal DOMA once and for all?

Click here to add your name to our open letter.

Dear Delegate Michael G. Summers:

UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO fully supports legislation to allow gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in Maryland.

Families, no matter their demographics, deserve the right to protect their family interests.

Without the freedom to marry, gay and lesbian couples do not receive the same recognition or protections for their families as other couples.

“Marriage” gives protections and recognition to everyone – in hospital emergency rooms, funeral homes, and when discussing benefits with employers; while “civil unions” and “domestic partnerships” are not always recognized.

This is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue

At one time, the State of Maryland refused to allow interracial marriage or to recognize interracial marriages from other states as “legal.” African Americans were treated as second-class citizens. Those restrictions are long gone. Yet we are still forcing the same second class status on gay and lesbian Marylanders by refusing their right to marry.

It’s time to let our prejudices go. I urge you to support full equality for Maryland’s lesbian and gay couples.

Sincerely,

Gino Renne
President
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO

Equality Maryland is currently searching for an Executive Director.

Click here for the job description.

Interested applicants should send their resume to edsearch@equalitymaryland.org. Cover letter and resume, including salary expectations are due by August 22, 2011.

Join us in thanking Governor O'Malley!

Today the Governor has reconfirmed his commitment to making Marriage Equality a reality as a top legislative priority for the 2012 Maryland General Assembly.

Like the majority of Marylanders, the Governor recognizes that marriage equality will only serve to strengthen all Maryland families. We look forward to celebrating with him on the day that all loving and committed couples have equal access to the protections and rights of civil marriage in our state.

Equality Maryland Opens Board of Directors Search

Announces Community Nominations Committee to Lead the Process

BALTIMORE, Maryland, July 15: Today, Equality Maryland announced a call for applications from people interested in serving on the Board of Directors. The organization expects to add ten to twenty new board members by the end of the summer.

The Nominations Committee for the search process will be chaired by Senator Rich Madaleno and Erin Leveton.  Other members of the committee are Lori Hollander, Kathleen Darden, Del. Mary Washington, MaryAnne Arnow, Mike Meller and Marvin Masterson.  Patrick Wojahn, Chair of the Equality Maryland Foundation board, will serve as the liaison with the current board of directors.  The Nominations Committee will be responsible for review of all applications, interview of applicants and development of a final slate of candidates for a vote by the current board.

“I am very pleased that each of these individuals has agreed to serve in this capacity” said Wojahn. “Increasing the board of Equality Maryland is a critical step towards further stabilizing this organization.  The people on this committee bring a fresh perspective and a variety of backgrounds to the selection process. I’m confident that their leadership will ensure Equality Maryland brings on highly qualified new board members to help govern the organization.”

Individuals with experience in nonprofit governance, fundraising, public relations, political advocacy, personnel management and financial management are strongly encouraged to apply.  Diversity of experience, opinion, background, geography and engagement will be considered and valued when developing the final slate of candidates. All first year board members must commit to attending meetings in Baltimore every two to three months, making a personally significant financial contribution to the organization, and with the support of board colleagues and staff, securing $3,000 through solicitation of others or personal giving. 

Nominations for the board has been extended to August 8. To apply for consideration by the committee, interested parties should read the Board Expectations document and submit a completed Board Application, including a resume and three references.  Questions and completed application packets may be directed to nominations@equalitymaryland.org

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Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights group, with thousands of members across the entire state. Equality Maryland includes: a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that lobbies in Annapolis and across the state to create equal protection under the law for LGBT Marylanders and their families; a 501(c)(3) educational 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. For more information, visit www.EqualityMaryland.org.