Maryland Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Bill Passes In the House

A couple of weeks ago the Maryland House of Delegates collapsed under the weight of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Yesterday they were presented with the question of whether to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and this time they came through, though the bill was gutted in a serious way.

Metro Weekly has this:

The Maryland House of Delegates voted 86-52 in favor of the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, House Bill 235, today, during the bill's third and final reading.

The bill now moves to the Senate's Judicial Proceeding Committee for amendments and according to the Maryland House's clerk office, will be voted upon on the Senate floor before the end of this year's legislative session on April 11. Maryland House of Delegates Votes 86-52 in Favor of Gender Identity Bill

Sexual orientation is a dimension that describes who you are attracted to, gender identity describes who you are. While it may be common to conceive of gender in terms of two discrete categories based on unambiguous physical characteristics, in reality many people do not experience their lives that way.

Some people distinctly feel that they are the "other" gender from what their biological equipment suggests, some people's biological equipment is not itself clear, and some people do not particularly identify with either gender.

During discussions leading up to the vote, which began at noon, Del. Ariana Kelly (D-Montgomery) said the bill is about ending discrimination and that transgender people are "normal."

"There are not now, and never have been two simple boxes, male and female, that people fit into," Kelly said, "and that's okay."

Most people find that they do easily fit into a simple box, and that's the problem. Someone whose gender is simple might not be able to understand what it is like for someone else who differs from them. If they don't know better they may also believe that everyone's gender identity should be as simple as theirs. They may think that people who express their gender differently from them are up to something, or that there is something wrong with them. The result is prejudice and discrimination. Hence the need for a law.

Kelly's remaks followed those of Del. Joseph Minnick (D-Baltimore County), who mocked male-to-female transgender individuals he saw in the men's bathroom when the bill was in committee and said women should be "appalled" by the legislation.

Del. Michael A. McDermott (R-Wicomico and Worcester) was vocal about voting against the legislation.

"We're dealing with folks who don’t have a compass," he said, "they're not sure which direction points up."

I don't get this. He mocks male-to-female transgender individuals in the men's room and at the same time wants to make sure the law keeps them out of the ladies room. It is not hard to see that there is a problem here.

And doesn't it seem strange that this guy regards gender as a compass?

I can only guess that he is implying that gender-variant people are lacking a moral compass of some sort, and again that just seems weird. I'll assume that Mr. McDermott is one of those who feel comfortable in a discrete gender category. There's nothing wrong with that, but it is naive to assume that everyone else should feel the same as him.

Speaking of moral compasses, it is always enlightening to me when someone sends me literature from our local hate group, the Citizens for Responsible Whatever. At the moment they are calling themselves Maryland Citizens for a Responsible Government. They sent out an urgent email blast last week, trying to get people to testify and lobby their delegates on this issue. Listen to what their president, Ruth Jacobs, has to say:

There are many reasons that this is a bad bill and while advocates are denying that it will affect the bathrooms, we have heard that before. The bill will affect workplace bathrooms, lockers and showers on the basis of "nondiscrimination." HB 235 would redefine Gender "as appearance expression, or behavior of an individual regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth." This redefines gender as expression or thought.

We need your help to stop this bill!

The bill in the state House excluded wording about "public accommodations," apparently to avoid facing a repeat of the bogus bathroom attack.

Transgender activist Dana Beyer and Lisa Deane-Polyak, who serves as vice president of Equality Maryland's board of directors, where in attendance in the House chambers to monitor the vote.

"We have a plan to go ahead," Beyer said. "Obviously its died, it's been killed the last four years in JPR, so it's a consideration, however, the composition in the Senate and of the JPR has changed. Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery) is a hero to many people, and he's running with the bill, so I'm very hopeful that we will see a different result."

Deane-Polyak said she was gratified by passage of the bill, and the floor speeches in favor of the legislation, including one by Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), who admitted to being wrong on this issue in the past.

"Their speeches came through with the real authenticity and the real truth of this matter, which is that these folks are disproportionably subject to harm, this bill administratively is a step in the right direction of making all people equal under the law."

The article notes that Baltimore city and Montgomery County "provide protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity with regard to housing, employment and public accommodation."

This bill passed by a wide margin in the House, as well it should. We'll see what happens as it moves toward the Senate.