Gender Rights Maryland reports today that Senate President Mike Miller has allowed the gender identity and expression anti-discrimination bill (SB 212) to die in committee: Today marks the crossover date in the Maryland General Assembly for bills to move from one house to the other. It is unfortunate that we cannot report that SB212 is [...]

A bill to add gender identity to the list of classes protected against discrimination in public accommodations, housing, and employment got its first hearing last week in the Maryland state Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Maryland law already prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation and disability in [...]

Guest post by: Dana Beyer, Executive Director of Gender Rights Maryland. It’s time, Maryland. We’ve made great progress protecting transgender and gender non-conforming persons in Baltimore City, Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore counties. Fifty percent of the state is now covered, more than 2.5 million people, the last two counties both within the past three months. [...]

It’s nice to pass along such good news…from HRC’s release: On the heels of the historic House of Delegates vote last week, the Maryland Senate today approved marriage equality legislation introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley (D) that would allow committed gay and lesbian couples to marry. With the bill successfully passing through the state legislature, [...]

With a decisive 5-2 vote by the Baltimore County Council on Tuesday evening, Baltimore County became the fourth jurisdiction in Maryland protecting residents against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation in the areas of housing, employment, public accommodations, and financing. Howard County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City already have [...]

Yesterday, the Maryland legislature listened to testimony on a bill which would allow marriage equality in the state. Of course, Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council offered up testimony against the bill. A printed copy of his testimony is on FRC’s webpage. Basically Sprigg said that marriage equality would harm children based on the [...]

Speaking Friday at Creating Change, an annual national conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, NAACP President Ben Jealous announced that the Maryland gender identity anti-discrimination bill has his organization’s backing. The bill (SB 212) was introduced late last week and awaits action in the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee. It is comprehensive in coverage, [...]

With the start of a new legislative session in Maryland right around the corner, this report from Sharon Brackett, Board Chair for Gender Rights Maryland, is welcome news indeed: Last evening I had a brief moment to chat with Governor O’Malley just after he had finished a rare and wonderful performance with his band O’Malley’s [...]

The Council of Howard County, Maryland passed legislation (CB54-2011) last night that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in the areas of housing, law enforcement, public accommodations, financing, employment, and health and social services. The bill was initiated by Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) and Gender Rights [...]

Update:  Gender Rights Maryland’s website is now up. Today Gender Rights Maryland announced the membership of their boards. GENDER RIGHTS MARYLAND ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS LAUREL, MD (May 31, 2011) – Gender Rights Maryland, a new civil rights organization focused on issues of gender identity and expression in the State of Maryland, today announced [...]