eWashington, DC – Today, with passage of the Fairness for All Marylandrs Act through the House of Delegates, Maryland is poised to join 17 states plus DC and Puerto Rico in explicitly banning workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations. The Senate passed the bill previously and Governor O’Malley is expected to sign it.
According to the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey transgender Marylanders faced high rates of discrimination in everyday life. Because of their transgender identity, 71% of transgender Marylanders faced harassment or mistreatment at work, 17% reported being denied a home or apartment, and over half were verbally harassed or disrespected in a place of public accommodation or service.
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) applauds state and local advocates as well as allied legislators in Maryland for this important step forward for transgender Marylanders.
NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling welcomes the bill’s passage, “With each new state joining the side of fairness and equality, we move closer to explicitly banning job discrimination against transgender people nationwide. After years of advocacy and organizing in Annapolis, Maryland’s choice to stand behind transgender people is a reminder to our elected officials on Capitol Hill that it’s overdue for them to take action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people.