This article was written for The Advocate by Julie Bolcer.
The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act passed the Maryland house of delegates Saturday afternoon in its third and final reading. The measure now moves to the senate, where advocates feel hopeful about passage.
The 86 to 52 vote represented the first time a transgender rights bill has won approval in the full Maryland house. The bill, H.B. 235, would add gender identity protections to state antidiscrimination law in the areas of employment, housing and credit.
This article was written for Metro Weekly by Yusef Najafi.
The Maryland House of Delegates voted 86-52 in favor of the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, House Bill 235, today, during the bill's third and final reading.
The bill now moves to the Senate's Judicial Proceeding Committee for amendments and according to the Maryland House's clerk office, will be voted upon on the Senate floor before the end of this year's legislative session on April 11.
Equality Maryland celebrates getting one step closer to securing job and housing protections for the Transgender community.
ANNAPOLIS, MD, March 26, 2011 - Today the Maryland House voted 86-52 to pass HB 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, legislation that would end discrimination in employment, housing and credit for Transgender Marylanders.
A report put out in February 2011 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 1 in 5 transgender people in Maryland have lost a job due to discrimination and 12% have become homeless.
Equality Maryland: "We remain hopeful that HB 235 will move successfully through the House and onto the Senate"
Annapolis, Maryland, March 25 - The House of Delegates heard the second reading of the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act (House Bill 235) today, and voted to send it to third reading. The third and final vote is tentatively scheduled for Saturday. If approved by the House on third reading, the bill will move to the Senate for debate. The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, adds anti-discrimination protections on the basis of gender identity for employment, housing, and credit.
EQUALITY MARYLAND DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT DEFEATED - WE WILL TRIUMPH
Maryland's LGBT advocacy organization vows to keep up the fight.
After lengthy debate and support from thousands of Marylanders from all over the state, the House of Delegates recommitted the Civil Marriage Protection Act to committee.
Statement by the Staff and Board of Equality Maryland; Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director and Charles Butler, Board President
Though we are disappointed that we must continue to fight for marriage equality, today's move was a strategic step that will allow us to fight and win in the future.
We celebrate that-for the first time-marriage equality legislation made it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, the Senate, the House Judiciary Committee, and was debated in the House of Delegates.
We are extraordinarily grateful to the many leaders who have stood by us throughout this journey especially our lead sponsors - Senators Rob Garagiola (D-15), Jamie Raskin (D-20) and Rich Madaleno (D-18) and Delegates Kumar Barve (D-17), Ben Barnes (D-21) and Keiffer Mitchell. We are also extremely fortunate to have such terrific leaders in the members of Maryland's LGBT Caucus and proud to call them not just our partners but our friends. Special thanks to Delegates Maggie McIntosh (D-43), Heather Mizeur (D-20), Anne Kaiser (D-14), Luke Clippinger (D-46), Bonnie Cullison (D-19), Mary Washington (D-43) and Peter Murphy (D-28). None could have done more to push for the passage of this legislation.
