What Happens In Maryland Also Impacts The Congresscritters

There have been several reasons why I have been loud and extremely vocal about Maryland's HB 235 and the serious potential of my transpeeps getting screwed legislatively again in this state..

Sandy Rawls just announced after consulting with her attorney, that as head of Trans-United she no longer supports this bill.

 Due to public outrage and disappointment of take public accommodations out of Maryland state house bill 235, I Sandy Rawls as the Director of Trans-United reviewed the facts with legal representation. As a result Trans-United is pulling its support for the proposed legislation Gender Anti Discrimination Maryland House Bill 235.


In addition to the fact that a trans rights bill that passes without public accommodations language will have a deleterious effect on trans civil rights legislative efforts elsewhere in the country, all you have to do is look at a map and see the second reason why I'm extremely concerned about what happens in Annapolis

Just a short drive away from Annapolis and Anne Arundel County is our nation's capitol and the District of Columbia.

The Maryland state legislature has Democratic majorities in both chambers and a Democratic governor willing to sign it.    Now let's presume we get not only President Obama's reelection in 2012 and hold the senate, but we get the 25 seats we need to regain the House and make Rep. Nancy Pelosi the speaker again.  

It's now 2013.  The fashionably dressed TransGriot is walking around the Longworth, Cannon and Rayburn House Office Buildings and the Russell, Dirksen and Hart Senate Office Buildings along with other transpeople lobbying senators and representatives trying to garner support to pass a comprehensive and trans inclusive ENDA ASAP.

What do you think our chances are of getting that to happen if a trans rights bill gets passed on the DC doorstep in Maryland without public accommodations language?

So yes, Maryland, not only are you being watched by transpeople around the country, the US Congress is watching you.   Our prospects for an inclusive ENDA in 2013 may ride on y'all as well.