This afternoon the Maryland House approved its transgender rights bill by a vote of 86-52. As you might expect, the debate got ugly at times, with one House member saying, “Do we really want Klinger in charge of our daycares?” Equality Maryland reports via press release:
“Today we thank Delegates Pena-Melynk and Kelly for their tremendous leadership. We are proud of the 86 Delegates who stood up for fairness today by voting to support HB 235. All hardworking people in our state, should have a chance to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families. Nobody should have to live in fear that they can be legally fired for reasons that have nothing to do with their job skills or work performance. There is still work to do, but today, we’re one step closer in seeing all transgender Marylanders are treated fairly under the law. Discrimination in jobs and housing happens a lot in Maryland and it’s time we put a stop to it. Data shows that 1 in 5 transgender people in Maryland have lost a job due to discrimination and 12% have become homeless. This law is a matter of life-or-death for some Marylanders. We look to the Senate now, where we will work with proven champions Senator Jamie Raskin and Senator Rich Madaleno to see this bill through to a swift and successful passage.”
The bill now moves to the Maryland Senate.