Hi all -
Been awhile since i've been around - been buried under the stresses these past few months. Survival issues gained a great deal of intensity at the same time the budget went into the crapper...
Nonetheless, we scored a good week here in Maryland with the Montgomery County Council vote on Bill 23-07 - Transgender anti-discrimination issues for housing, workplace, and use of public facilities. The vote passed our council unanimously, and we await the final vote or veto (God please no)from our county executive, Mr Ike Leggett, who typically has seemed to have been in the positive corner of most LBGT issues here in this area.
Dr. Dana Beyer has provided me with a leg up on several occasions and i cannot thank her enough for her continued high-profile efforts, her consistency and determination, and considerable experience in dealing with not only public policy issues as well as the mainstream media in all of her efforts. Critical also have been the continued efforts of Equality Maryland, under the direction and continued strong support of Dan Furmansky, their executive director - as well as so many more i cannot list them all here including many other T people which have contributed much to this effort and really made an impact.
I was fortunate enough to been a bit at the forefront of a lot of local media coverage about this issue lately, in part as a result of testimony i gave to our county council several weeks ago and also a very strong follow-up letter which i made sure to get to the council just 4 days before the vote. I was also highlighted in a piece done by a local TV newschannel ( channel 8 ) after my testimony, one local ABC-7 news channel, and several local papers, including the Washington Post, which used my photo to headline the article this past Sunday, the 11th, 2 days before the council vote.
I will post the links to everything i have to share, including a posting on
Teachthefacts.org which also posted my story and letters, as well as a very informative article sent to me by a friend that was posted on the Advocate about GID.
Our council came under enormous fire, pressure, and criticism both locally and nationally from opponents that have tried repeatedly to use distortions, unsubstantiated fear, and hypotheticals to support their opposition. I am very glad they did the right thing and gave all of us here some additional peace of mind and some additional protections.
Thanks to Susan's as always, for having been a critically needed cornerstone of support and understanding, outlet for venting, and directly pertinent information in my life, from the beginning of my transition into public life as myself until now.
Lovingly always,
Sincerely,
Maryanne
Here's those pesky links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/10/AR2007111001436.htmlhttp://pictopia.com/perl/gal?process=gallery&gallery_id=4529&provider_id=25&ptp_photo_id=xt-mt-25-193215http://www.gazette.net/stories/103107/montnew90621_32363.shtmlhttp://www.teachthefacts.org/2007/11/maryanne-arnow-full-text.htmlhttp://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/?ak=3008EDIT 11/17/07: Sorry all - forgot to post this article from the advocate about GID - here's that link:
http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid50125.aspAnd here's The Copy from Equality Maryland after the bill's passage through the council:
-----Original Message-----
From: Equality Maryland [
mailto:info@equalitymaryland.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 3:06 PM
Subject: Equality Maryland Applauds Montgomery County Council for Passage of
Anti-Discrimination Legislation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday November 13, 2007
Contact:
Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Office: 301-587-7500
Cell: 301-461-4900
Email:
dan@equalitymaryland.orgEQUALITY MARYLAND APPLAUDS MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL FOR
UNANIMOUS PASSAGE OF TRANSGENDER ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION
Jurisdiction Joins 100 Other Localities in Ending Discrimination
Motivated by "Gender Identity and Expression"
ROCKVILLE -- A three-year campaign to add Montgomery County to
the list of growing jurisdictions nationally that ban
discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression
has paid off for Equality Maryland and residents of the County.
Bill #23-07, sponsored by Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At
Large) at the request of Equality Maryland, passed unanimously,
with all eight Council Members present voting in support. The
ninth Councilmember, George Leventhal (D-At Large), had also
pledged his support for the measure.
"Equality Maryland praises the Montgomery County Council for
taking this important step in securing the livelihood of
transgender individuals locally," said Executive Director Dan
Furmansky. "We applaud Councilmember Trachtenberg for her
leadership and advocacy, and the entire Council for its
commitment to social justice in the face of great hostility from
rabid, anti-LGBT forces. Equality Maryland also proudly
recognizes the pivotal role played by our board member, Dr. Dana
Beyer, who serves as an aide to Councilmember Trachtenberg, in
passionately championing passage of this bill."
Equality Maryland has been advocating for transgender equality
legislation since 2001, when the Maryland General Assembly
passed legislation to prohibit discrimination against
individuals on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual
orientation but failed to cover the category of gender identity
and expression. In 2002, Equality Maryland (then known as Free
State Justice) worked with advocates to pass a law unanimously
in Baltimore City that was sponsored by then-Mayor Martin
O'Malley. In 2007, the organization worked with legislators to
introduce bills in the house to address discrimination in
housing, employment, lending and public accommodations. The bill
failed by one vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
Earlier this year, Gov. Martin O'Malley reissued an Executive
Order to clarify that transgender-motivated discrimination will
not be tolerated in the state hiring process.
"Based on data from the 2000 Census, the total number of people
now living in a jurisdiction with a transgender-inclusive
anti-discrimination law in the United States is already 104
million," said Councilmember Trachtenberg. "Montgomery County is
simply catching up with the times and creating a climate where
all people are treated equally and free from discrimination and
harm."
The Washington Transgender Needs Assessment survey estimates
that 42% of transgender people in the DC Metro Area are
unemployed; 31% have incomes of less than $10,000/year; and 19%
do not have their own living space. The most common barriers
cited by those who lack housing are their economic situation
(38%), housing staff insensitivity or hostility to transgender
people (29%), estrangement from birth family (27%) and lack of
employment (23%).
###
Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest LGBT civil rights
organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland. Equality Maryland
works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives
on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the
public about the issues faced by our diverse community. Equality
Maryland can be found online at
http://www.equalitymaryland.org .
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