The Delaware House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday on the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act. The bill, S. B. 97, passed the Delaware Senate last week by a vote of 11-7, with two abstentions and one "not present," and passed the House Administration Committee on Wednesday by a 4-1 vote.
If the bill passes on Tuesday, it will be sent to Governor Jack Markell, who has pledged to sign it. That will make Delaware the 17th state, along with the District of Columbia, to pass protections for gender non-conforming people.
We are very pleased that the bill is out of committee with a bi-partisan vote,. On to the House floor, where we look forward to passage.
--Equality Delaware President Lisa Goodman
Opponents are striking their usual stance, warning that its passage will invite sex offenders to lurk in public restrooms.
This bill makes no legal distinction between someone who is transgender and any other person who claims to be of the other sex, including predators, exhibitionists, peeping toms.
--Jordan Warfel, Delaware Family Policy Council
Of course, Warfel's statement is considered to be quite offensive.
We do not have one known case, one reported case, of a transgender individual attacking a child.
--Deputy Attorney General Patricia Dailey
The only people I think stand at risk are the transgender folks who are put in dangerous and difficult situations.
--Attorney General Beau Biden
Testifying before the House Administration Committee were Sally and David McBride, whose daughter Sarah testified in the Senate. They also wrote a letter to the editor of Delaware Online.
As parents of a transgender daughter, we were thrilled with the recent vote on Senate Bill 97 extending discrimination protection in Delaware. We have three children: Our oldest just finished his medical residency at Harvard. He happens to be gay, but that is just a part of who he is. Our second child is an attorney. He’s straight, but that is just a part of who he is.
Our youngest child we named Tim. He was always our golden boy. Throughout high school he had top grades and achieved numerous medals upon graduation. Tim had the opportunity to work with multiple elected officials from Delaware and attend American University. Midway through junior year in college, Tim came out as transgender. We were frightened that his future could be shattered by discrimination. He responded that he had the same hopes and dreams as always and that “we were keeping Tim and gaining Sarah.” And she was right. Being transgender is just a part of who she is.
We have been overwhelmed by the support our family and Sarah have received. It has given us the faith that people are genuinely caring and fair. This bill will help others with children like Sarah by removing the fear of prejudice and discrimination. A community that judges children on the merits of their character, not the identity of their gender, will benefit by encouraging those children to stay and use their talents in their communities.
--Sally and David McBride
Their daughter, Sarah, speaks:
If you live in Delaware, please contact your representative. If you live outside of Delaware, please contact the Delaware Democratic Party.
If the Democrats in the House vote as a bloc, we win. There are 27 Democrats and 14 Republicans. Transpeople know that Democratic support is not a given.