Trans Maryland to Rally Tuesday Night to Protest Cutting Accommodations from Gender Identity Bill

Jenna Fischetti, Media Director for Trans Maryland (Photo courtesy Ashley Love)

Not everyone is happy with the Maryland Gender Identity Discrimination Bill, HB235.  Trans Maryland and their allies are holding an education rally Tuesday night in Washington DC to demand that the bill sponsors re-instate protections against discrimination in public accommodations for transsexual and transgender people. According to a press release from Trans Maryland, the LGBT group Equality Maryland and elected officials decided to strip the bill of the accommodation protections (including in restaurants and hospitals) without discussing the issue with trans people.

The education rally will be held Tuesday, March 15,  7:00pm-8:00pm, 
on Maryland Ave and 1st Street, right next to The Supreme Court, on the North West corner of 1st Avenue & Maryland Ave, Washington D.C., DC 20002.

Jenna Fischetti, Media Director for Trans Maryland, says:

“Trans Maryland originated in 2009 to educate the citizens of Maryland, legislative leaders and policy makers as to the needs of Maryland’s transsexual and transgender community. In the aftermath of HB 235 being compromised, collective members of our community have now joined together to oppose Equality Maryland’s misrepresentation of Maryland ’s transsexual and transgender communities best interests. Transsexual and transgender people should represent themselves, not gay and lesbian organizations. We are taking back our voice.”

Equality Maryland says this about the Gender Identity Discrimination Bill:

We are currently working to advance the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act in the 2011 Maryland legislative session. This bill HB 235, introduced in the House by Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk and Delegate Ariana Kelly, would prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and credit. Anti-discrimination protections would exist only as defined in the current law.

No one deserves to be fired, refused work, denied housing, education or credit, or suffer harassment or violence just because of who they are — but transgender people and those who don’t fit gender stereotypes, such as some gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight people, in Maryland routinely face this type of discrimination and/or violence without some kind of recourse. In order to close the loophole on discrimination in areas of basic rights such as housing or employment, EQMD, along with a number of LGBT and allied organizations, have filed legislation to protect people on the basis of gender identity and expression.

Here is Trans Maryland’s press release:

Washington D.C., March 14th, 2011 

Trans Maryland and Allies Organize March 15th Education Rally in

Ashley Love (Photo courtesy Ashley Love)

Washington DC to Demand HB 235 Fully Protect Transsexual & Transgender Marylanders WHAT: The Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill (HB 235) proposal in Maryland is supposed to protect people from discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression; however, a compromise has been made to remove protections against discrimination in public accommodations for transsexual and transgender (TS/TG) Marylanders, and is about to be sent to the committee for a vote in its tainted format. Maryland State Senator Rich Madaleno has made a call to amend HB235 to put public accommodations protections back in, yet gay and lesbian leadership via Equality Maryland and elected officials, all who are not TS/TG, have decided to edit out lifesaving protections, outraging many TS/TG community members who are being misrepresented, censored, shut out of the decision making process and are unwilling to accept a bill that will create second class citizenship and legalize discrimination.

The education rally will appropriately be on Maryland Ave and 1st Street, right next to The Supreme Court

WHEN: March 15th 7:00pm-8:00pm

WHERE: On the North West corner of 1st Avenue & Maryland Ave, Washington D.C., DC 20002

Jenna Fischetti, Media Director for Trans Maryland, explains, “Trans Maryland originated in 2009 to educate the citizens of Maryland, legislative leaders and policy makers as to the needs of Maryland’s transsexual and transgender community. In the aftermath of HB 235 being compromised, collective members of our community have now joined together to oppose Equality Maryland’s misrepresentation of Maryland ’s transsexual and transgender communities best interests. Transsexual and transgender people should represent themselves, not gay and lesbian organizations. We are taking back our voice.”

Donna S Plamondon (Photo courtesy Ashley Love)

Ashley Love, a national TS/TG media advocate, explains why this is more than a Maryland state issue: “Though I live in New York, I will join the many people from around the country that will be at Trans Maryland’s education rally in Washington D.C. this Tuesday because the threat of this compromised bill passing without needed protections for transsexual and transgender people could set a dangerous precedent that other states could follow in denying basic human rights to oppressed minorities simply because they were born with a birth challenge or medical condition.”

Donna S Plamondon, a Trans Maryland organizer, recently testified at the Public Hearing on the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill in Annapolis on March 9th. Today she says, “Many of Maryland’s transgender, transsexual and intersex communities oppose any legislation being introduced without consulting the affected community. I hope to see HB235, as written, die in committee and a fully inclusive bill introduced in the near future. We need protections to which all citizens are entitled under the laws of the State of Maryland and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

For press inquiries or interviews, or to learn more about the education rally on Tuesday, please contact TruthfulPR@gmail.com

Tagged as: Ashley Love, Donna Plamondon, Equality Maryland, Jenna Fischetti, Maryland Gender Identity Discrimination Bill, Trans Maryland