Post on 25-Mar-2018
5/9/2014 Maryland lawmaker seeks referendum on trans rights bill
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/04/29/maryland-lawmaker-seeks-referendum-on-trans-rights-bill/ 1/4
Del. Neil Parrott (R-Hagerstown) (Photo public domain)
A Maryland lawmaker on Tuesday announced he plans to collect signatures to prompt a
referendum on a bill that would ban anti-transgender discrimination in the state.
State Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington County) made the announcement on
MDPetitions.com, a website that he runs. The Washington County Republican describes
Senate Bill 212 or the Fairness for All Marylanders Act as the “Bathroom Bill.”
“As a parent, you should be able to send your children, your little girl, into the women’s
bathroom and have the expectation that there will only be women or girls in that
bathroom,” said Parrott during an Annapolis press conference. “Now, under this bill,
there could be men in the women’s bathroom, and it opens the door for predators to
take advantage of this bill. Predators will be able to go into the opposite gender
bathroom, and proprietors would not be able to deny them access to that bathroom.”
Parrott is among the Republicans who unsuccessfully sought to delay the final vote on SB
212 in the Maryland House of Delegates late last month before lawmakers approved it by
a 82-57 vote margin.
House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore and Harford Counties) joined the
Washington County Republican at the Annapolis press conference.
DOMA lawyer strikes back
against opposition to joining
marriage case
Youth Pride Day
Blade hosts Rehoboth
summer kick-off party
Gaga concert bumped up to
Monday
RECENT POSTS
enter email address
SIGN UP FOR BLADE EBLASTS
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS AS AMERICA'S GAY NEWS SOURCE
April 29, 2014 | by Michael K. Lavers
Md. lawmaker seeksreferendum on trans rights bill
Type here to search
90 23 2 0 1Google + 0
FIND A COPY SUBSCRIBE PRINT EDITION ADVERTISE WITH US CONTESTS BUSINESS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS PHOTOS
POLITICS LOCAL NATIONAL WORLD OPINIONS A&E LIFESTYLE HEALTH EVENT CALENDAR
5/9/2014 Maryland lawmaker seeks referendum on trans rights bill
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/04/29/maryland-lawmaker-seeks-referendum-on-trans-rights-bill/ 2/4
DANA BEYER EQUALITY MARYLAND GENDER RIGHTS MARYLAND KATHY SZELIGA KEITH THIRION
MARTIN O'MALLEY MARYLAND MDPETITIONS.COM NEIL PARROTT NINA SMITH
RICH MADALENO SENATE BILL 212 TRANSGENDER
“Please protect women,” she said before voting against SB 212. “Please protect little girls.”
The state Senate on March 4 approved the
measure that state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-
Montgomery County) introduced earlier
this year.
“Delegate Parrott will have an uphill battle
to convince voters to repeal fairness for all
Marylanders,” said Equality Maryland
Director of Advocacy and Programs Keith
Thirion, noting a recent poll showed 71
percent of Marylanders support SB 212.
“The majority of Marylanders believe that
everyone should be treated fairly,
including having the opportunity to work
for a living, secure housing and get served lunch at a restaurant.”
Gender Rights Maryland Executive Director Dana Beyer noted SB 212 “enjoys broad
support across the political spectrum in Maryland.”
“The petition drive by Del. Parrott simply shows the desperation of a small group of right-
wing zealots seeking to perpetuate old stereotypes,” she said.
“I am extremely disappointed that a small group of conservative activists launched a
misguided and deceptive petition drive against including anti-discrimination protections
for transgender Marylanders and their families in our civil rights law,” added Madaleno
in a statement.
Nina Smith, a spokesperson for Gov. Martin O’Malley, reiterated to the Blade the
governor’s support of SB 212.
“Governor O’Malley has a long track record of fighting injustice and protecting the rights
of everyone equally under the law,” she said. “He fully intends to sign this bill.”
O’Malley is expected to sign SB 212 into law in the coming weeks.
Parrott needs to collect a third of the 55,737 signatures necessary to prompt a
referendum on SB 212 by May 31. The remainder of them are due to state election
officials by June 30 in order for the measure to appear on the November ballot.
Opponents of Maryland’s same-sex marriage law that O’Malley signed in 2012 collected
enough signatures to prompt a referendum on the issue. Voters approved the statute by
a 52-48 percent margin.
Parrott is among those who attended a Frederick rally in opposition to the same-sex
marriage law that took place two days before the election. A local pastor said during the
event that Superstorm Sandy struck New York City a few days earlier because then-
Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $250,000 to the campaign that successfully defended the
statute.
[Translate]
Michael K. LaversMichael K. Lavers has been a staff writer for the Washington Blade since
May 2012. The passage of Maryland's same-sex marriage law, the
HIV/AIDS epidemic, the burgeoning LGBT rights movement in Latin
America and the consecration of gay New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene
Robinson are among the many stories he has covered since his career
began in 2002. Follow Michael
Michael K. Lavers
Follow
The Washington Blade
26,633 people like The Washington Blade.
Facebook social plugin
Like
FOLLOW US
5/9/2014 Maryland lawmaker seeks referendum on trans rights bill
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/04/29/maryland-lawmaker-seeks-referendum-on-trans-rights-bill/ 3/4
Open trans military Capital Pride names N.C. Republican worked Cuban advocates not Gays behaving badly Gaga concert bumped up
Jenna Fischetti April 29, 2014 at 10:35 pm
The Fairness for All Marylanders Act is a new state law that updates Maryland’s
existing Civil Rights Law.
Maryland currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of several protected
classifications. These are personal characteristics that most people agree should
not be relevant to whether a person is allowed to have a job, eat at a restaurant,
rent an apartment, or qualify for a credit card.
The Fairness for All Marylanders Act simply adds “gender identity” to that list of
protected classifications.
The definition of gender identity for this Act was proposed by the Republicans in
Annapolis, and is consistent with the definition adopted by 17 others states.
And it works; We’ve had these protections in several jurisdictions our state since
2002 without any of the ill effects claimed by those opposed.
http://goo.gl/OWAbD3
If you have questions about what this bill does, get the facts about the Fairness for
All Marylanders Act by visiting
http://www.FairnessFacts.com
[Translate]
Reply
Leave a Reply
Name:
— required *
Email:
— required *
Website:
Message:
1 Comment
Facebook social plugin
Also post on Facebook Posting as Cathy Brennan (Change) Comment
Add a comment...
Submit Comment
POLITICS
Sen. Murray
introduces Social
Security bill to benefit
married couples
LOCAL
Md. Democratic
gubernatorial
candidates hold first
televised debate
NATIONAL
House race divides
LGBT advocates
WORLD
Bollywood star
promotes LGBT rights
OPINIONS
Nightlife noise nannies
discover decibel
democracy
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Blade hosts Rehoboth
summer kick-off party
5/9/2014 Maryland lawmaker seeks referendum on trans rights bill
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/04/29/maryland-lawmaker-seeks-referendum-on-trans-rights-bill/ 4/4
© Copyright Brown, Naff, Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. 2014. All rights reserved.
Directory powered by Business Directory Plugin
About Contact Us Find A Copy Classifieds Privacy Policy Terms of Service RSS Syndication
service ‘inevitable,’
advocates say
Aiken primary too close
to call
Big day for gay
candidates in N.C.
ACLU opposes DOMA
lawyer’s intervention in
marriage case
Ros-Lehtinen won’t sign
ENDA discharge petition
award recipients,
entertainers
GLCCB town hall tackles
PrEP
AIRS celebrates 25th
anniversary
HRC to honor Baltimore
Gay man runs for Ward 1
school board seat
as drag queen
Iowa HIV
decriminalization bill
passes
Philly gay man met killer
on Grindr
Focus on diversity at
White House dinner
Blade staff to attend
White House
Correspondents’
Association Dinner
invited to international
LGBT conference
Prominent Ugandan
LGBT advocate seeks
asylum in U.S.
U.S. has ‘serious
concerns’ over new
Brunei penal code
Kerry touches upon LGBT
rights in Ethiopia speech
Cuba to host
international LGBT
conference
Reject divisive rhetoric in
mayor’s race
Catania best-qualified
candidate ever for D.C.
mayor
We must reform how we
pay restaurant workers
Hillary Clinton’s latest
title: ‘grandmother’
to Monday
‘Cock’ explores murky
love triangle
Poet Becker explores
lesbian friendships
U Hall/TNX plan ‘PRIDE,
Honey!’ dance party
I’m your Venus