SB 212, Maryland's Gender Identity NonDiscrimination Act is stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Monday is the deadline for approval of all bills which need consideration by both houses of the legislature…and there are no plans for a vote.
For the sixth year in a row the measure will die a slow, miserable death.
The bill was aimed at banning discrimination against transpeople in employment, housing and public accommodations.
I actually feel the political atmosphere has improved markedly for gender identity civil rights.
But the problem is we did same-sex marriage and for some unfathomable reason people seem to think we can’t do both of these bills in the same session. As a number of members said to me, we can’t do two gay bills in one session.
--Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County)
Dana Beyer, executive director of Gender Rights Maryland, a statewide transgender advocacy organization that led efforts to pass the trans bill this year, blamed Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D-Prince George’s and Calvert Counties) for the bill’s demise. According to Beyer, knowledgeable sources at the state capital in Annapolis say Miller put out the word that the bill should not come up for a vote.
According to statistics from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center of Transgender Equality, 20% of transgender Marylanders have lost a job due to discrimination and 12% have become homelesss.
And let us not forget this is the state in which Chrissie Polis was abused in a McDonald's.
The House of Delegates leaders have said it will not consider the bill until it is passed by the Senate.
I am still hopeful that we can pull a rabbit out of the hat before the end of the session. And if not, I’m feeling very good about the prospects for passage next year.
Yeah, what's a year here or there? It's not like people's lives are at risk.
Oh…wait.
Of course it’s disappointing. This is one of our highest priorities – to pass this bill. We continue just like with marriage. We clearly don’t give up. We’re going to regroup and we have a strong coalition working on this bill.
--Carrie Evans, Equality Maryland
Local transpeople seem less than convinced of your sincerity, Carrie. As far as I can tell from reading comments, there is a feeling that Equality Maryland got marriage equality and that was that.