…in restaurants, hotels, doctor's offices, hospitals, jails, schools, retail stores…all the usual places.
You just won't be able to discriminate against us in housing, credit, and employment. Religious groups are, of course, exempted, as well as home owners who rent rooms in houses in which they dwell.
That's according to the bill that passed the Maryland House yesterday, 86-52.
Unfortunately, protection in public accommodation was traded away because with it, there apparently were not enough votes to get it out of committee. At least that is the claim.
Republicans, as usual, decided this was an opportunity to demean us:
[transgender people] don't have a compass, they're not sure which direction points up.
--Michael McDermott, R-38B (Wicomico, Worcester)
Public accommodations includes, of course, public restrooms. So we will still be unsure what will happen if we use one.
HB 235 provides the protection necessary to make sure that every Marylander can live without fear of discrimination.
--Joseline Pena-Melnyk, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties
Just as long as we don't want to go out in public.
Protections in Maryland on the basis of sexual orientation were passed 10 years ago, to the very day. That bill had protections for public accommodations in it.
Opponents claim that if we are given this now, we'll come pack for protections in public accommodations later. You bet your sweet ass we will.
The problem is that we will have a harder job in obtaining that in a stand alone bill.
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