Madaleno: Fighting for Transgender Rights Statewide
Last week I updated you on the latest from Annapolis regarding a gender-identity nondiscrimination bill that is working its way through committees. I am no expert on the legislative process, and simply relayed what I had heard.
Today State Senator Rich Madaleno has a nice piece in the Washington Blade, explaining what is going on and why it matters. I'm just going to copy and paste his entire essay here.
Today State Senator Rich Madaleno has a nice piece in the Washington Blade, explaining what is going on and why it matters. I'm just going to copy and paste his entire essay here.
Fighting for trans rights in Maryland
Anti-gay forces are hard at work trying to derail a long-delayed bias bill.
RICHARD S. MADALENO
Friday, March 13, 2009
THIS YEAR, THE Maryland General Assembly has a real opportunity to do something about the all-too-commonplace discrimination faced by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in our state. In order to make it happen, however, your help is needed.
House and Senate committees recently heard from people who have experienced blatant discrimination motivated only by their gender identity and expression. A young Baltimorean, Owen Smith, spoke about an employer who harassed him during his transition, forcing him to do menial chores, taunting him about not being “man enough” when he struggled with very heavy objects and prolonging a guaranteed raise. Sandy Rawls, the director of Trans-United, spoke about being edged out of a trucking job when she transitioned. Rawls became unable to make ends meet, found herself on the street due to the inaccessibility of homeless shelters for transgender women and was later assaulted and harassed when she was placed in a transitional home with men.
These stories are not unique. The Washington Area Transgender Needs Assessment survey estimates that 42 percent of transgender people in the D.C. Metro Area are unemployed, 31 percent have incomes of less than $10,000 per year and 19 percent do not have their own living space. These statistics mirror statistics from around the country that have found similar alarming rates of discrimination for transgender persons.
FORTUNATELY, MORE THAN 100 jurisdictions across the country have gender identity anti-discrimination laws, including 13 states and Washington, D.C. In Maryland, Montgomery County last year joined Baltimore City in enacting such a law, and Gov. O’Malley signed an executive order banning such discrimination in state personnel practices. Now, I am sponsoring legislation with my colleague from Prince George’s County, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, credit and public accommodations statewide.
A whopping 80 of our colleagues have added their names as cosponsors of these measures. Equality Maryland is lobbying hard and has organized an impressive gathering of support that includes the Maryland Commission on Human Relations, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the Maryland Retailers Association and AFSCME. As you can see, the legislation is ripe for passage. So what’s the problem?
Unfortunately, our hearing included an appearance from the same group that pushed, unsuccessfully, to have our gender identity anti-discrimination measure in Montgomery County placed on the ballot for a referendum. The level of vitriol that they displayed toward our community was disturbing at best, with a special focus on portraying transgender people as mentally ill, voyeurs, predators or worse. Even Family Research Council Director Peter Sprigg showed up at last week’s hearing. You may remember Sprigg from his infamous comment that he would “much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society.”
LAWMAKERS ARE UP against a barrage of opposition, but with your help, we can pass these measures and stand up for our community’s rights.
Gov. Martin O’Malley submitted a letter in support of the two bills to the committees where they are under consideration; but greater advocacy is needed from him to guarantee that this long overdue measure moves to the Senate floor. Please call him at 1-800-811-8336 to thank him for his support and ask for his strong and vocal leadership in helping enact gender identity anti-discrimination measures into law in Maryland.
Please also go to the Maryland General Assembly web site and contact your legislators to urge them to support SB566/HB474. For many in our community, it is literally a question of food on the table and a roof over our heads. Call and e-mail today.
Fighting for trans rights in Maryland
posted by JimK at 12:18 PM
15 Comments:
"Now, I am sponsoring legislation with my colleague from Prince George’s County, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, credit and public accommodations statewide."
Isn't it interesting that this guy gave two accounts of employment discrimination (which, btw, sounded disputable. I mean, come on, "prolonged a guaranteed raise"? If that's the worst you experienced, you'd be the envy of the rustbelt under current conditions.) but none of housing, credit and public accomodations?
Could that be because there are no examples?
Could it be that, in Maryland as a whole, much like here in Montgomery County, there is no problem with discrimination in these areas?
Could it be this is a piece of a larger agenda, gaining governmental endorsement of normalization of bizarre behavior and suppression of dissent concerning this behavior?
"The level of vitriol that they displayed toward our community was disturbing at best, with a special focus on portraying transgender people as mentally ill, voyeurs, predators or worse."
Hey, look. Mandaleno lies like a common TTF supporter.
They didn't say transgenders are voyeurs, predators or worse. They said the legislation would open an opportunity for those types to take advantage of the law.
They may have said transgenders are mentally ill but they would have simply been referencing the APA's own assessment as published in their DSM.
If there was something that resembles vitriol, btw, and I don't remember it, it was likely aimed at TTF's attempts to harass petitioners with lies and intimidation.
If there was something that resembles vitriol, btw, and I don't remember it
How selective of your memory. Here's an example of vitriol right off the shower nuts website's home page:
...No longer will women and girls be able to feel completely safe in the most private and personal bathroom and locker facilities of schools, public pools, malls, stores, health clubs, restaurants and other such public places throughout the county...
This is vitriol: it is an attempt to spread fear of transgender women using public bathrooms. The shower nuts do not provide a single example of a trans woman acting illegally toward any other female in a public bathroom because it has never happened.
You yourself told Cynthia Transgenders, like yourself, were perfectly free to live their quiet lives, meaning it was OK for Cynthia to use public restrooms before this legislation was approved. You obviously do not think allowing her to do so is a safety issue for women and children and yet you think this statement on the top of the shower nuts website's homepage is not vitriolic. It is, and it's but one example. I won't republish any more of their vitriol here. If you need more of a refresher course, go to their website and reread it yourself.
Anon queried:
“Could that be because there are no examples?”
Nope. Maryanne has dozens of instances where her application for employment was denied because of her trans status. She related the gist of those at her testimony in front of the County Council. If memory serves me correctly, I think I heard there were over 20 trans folk down in Annapolis recently giving testimony about discrimination they have faced over the years in support of SB566/HB474.
“Could it be that, in Maryland as a whole, much like here in Montgomery County, there is no problem with discrimination in these areas?”
Nope. I was talking to a friend last night who came out at work this past month. She worked with the Human Resources personnel to come up with the best way to inform the rest of the company for her plans to transition. This is to give time for folks to come to grips with the concept, learn a bit, and prepare themselves for something they may not have had to deal with before. The announcement meeting went surprisingly well and folks had a lot of questions for her to answer. Problems came the next day when the owners (husband and wife) dropped in for a visit.
The husband went into a 20 minute tirade about how they were not going to tolerate that kind of crap at his company before she said “Wait a minute, this is Montgomery County. We have a law against this kind of treatment.” So they didn’t fire her then and there, and for right now she still has a job. She is fully aware that they will probably try and force her out anyway though. They’ll just have to be more careful about how they do it, and not use the “T” excuse. At her age (late 50’s / early 60’s) and this economy, it’s not a good time to lose a job.
“They may have said transgenders are mentally ill but they would have simply been referencing the APA's own assessment as published in their DSM.”
Please point to the place in the DSM where it says transgenders are mentally ill. The DSM is full of disorders and behaviors that no one really considers a sufferer as being “mentally ill.” These include Sleep Disorder due to Jet Lag (327.35) (this is a new one), as well as:
Academic Problem V62.3
Age-Related Cognitive Decline 780.9
Bereavement V62.82
Breathing-Related Sleep Disorder 780.59
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder 307.45
Communication Disorder NOS 307.9
Disorder of Written Expression 315.2
Eating Disorder NOS 307.50
Expressive Language Disorder 315.31
Female Orgasmic Disorder 302.73
Female Sexual Arousal Disorder 302.72
Male Orgasmic Disorder 302.74
Mathematics Disorder 315.1
Nicotine Dependence 305.10
Partner Relational Problem V61.1
Premature Ejaculation 302.75
Reading Disorder 315.00
Religious or Spiritual Problem V62.89
Rumination Disorder 307.53
Sexual Aversion Disorder 302.79
Sibling Relational Problem V61.8
Stuttering 307.0
I, like many of my trans friends have been psychologically tested and interviewed by numerous doctors and therapists in the course of transition. I have never been prescribed any medications for any “mental illness.” Most of my friends haven’t either. There are some that have been prescribed anti-depressants before or during their transition. And most of them do not require them after transition. However, the personal life experiences of one of my dear friends in particular have left her still on the anti-depressants. She once had a plum of a job teaching tax and accounting law at a prestigious university. Since transition, her job prospects have all but disappeared, she has found herself in a couple of relationships where she was taken advantage of, and her mother has died. This has left her depressed.
Anti-depressants have no effect on the underlying causes of GID. The only known treatment program that has shown a level of success is the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care. These standards use hormone therapy, psychotherapy, and living in the correct gender role to significantly reduce or even eliminate all of the debilitating symptoms associated with GID. We are not locked up into mental institutions for being “mentally ill.” Rather we adjust or lives and our selves to go out and live a normal life as a productive member of society. I maintained employment in Montgomery county as an electrical engineer before, during, and after my transition.
“Could it be this is a piece of a larger agenda, gaining governmental endorsement of normalization of bizarre behavior and suppression of dissent concerning this behavior?”
Nope. That is just paranoid spin. My behavior is pretty much like that of any other female electrical engineer. I will admit that I’m a bit on the nerdy side though, and have my own personal copies of MathCad (math solving software) and TopSpice (circuit simulation software) which I use for my own personal interests as well as part of my job duties.
Lately I’ve been working on a heat flow spreadsheet for determining component die temperatures on integrated circuits mounted on PC boards. There are 4 optional cases it’s intended to solve (including or not including a heat slug, and including or not including the effects of the thermal impedance from the device case to the PCB). There appears to be a mistake in the following Excel equation that I need to track down before it’s ready to go though: =IF(D18="Include",IF(D17="Include",(C6*C17*E15+C23*C17-(C23+E24)*C17)/((C17+E15)*C18+C17*E15),(-C24+C6*E15)/(E15+C18)),0)
When I’m not being nerdy I hang out with my friends, go to their weddings and / or baby showers, visit with their kids, and try to make the world a better place.
Have a nice day,
Cynthia
"This is vitriol: it is an attempt to spread fear of transgender women using public bathrooms. The shower nuts do not provide a single example of a trans woman acting illegally toward any other female in a public bathroom because it has never happened."
As has been pointed out to you repeatedly, CRG didn't say transgenders would do this. They say there is no way to distinguish a transgender from a fake so it would allow an opportunity for problems.
"You yourself told Cynthia Transgenders, like yourself, were perfectly free to live their quiet lives, meaning it was OK for Cynthia to use public restrooms before this legislation was approved. You obviously do not think allowing her to do so is a safety issue for women and children and yet you think this statement on the top of the shower nuts website's homepage is not vitriolic."
I don't know that I say it was "OK". I just said I don't think they had any problem doing it. I don't really care but I do think a business proprietor should be free to make his own rules.
Anon stated:
“I do think a business proprietor should be free to make his own rules.”
The County Attorney’s office agrees with you. This is what it had to say about 23-07 (from the Health and Human Services Committee memo):
“The County Attorney’s Office concluded that Bill 23-07 as introduced would not require or prohibit restroom designation according to gender identity or biological gender (see memorandum on © 17). This means that an employer or other public facility provider could maintain and enforce current gender based restrictions on public facility use.”
Also, in the very first paragraph of this memo, in the statement by the committee itself:
“Therefore, the Committee members now unanimously recommends that Bill 23-07 not amend the exception from the current public accommodations law for “distinctly private or personal” facilities. The result is that the operators of those types of facilities would continue to designate those who can use them.”
Have a nice evening.
Cynthia
Oh, I found the mistake in my equation. The last “C24” should have been “E24” (this is the board temperature rise for the case with the heat sink).
Cynthia you are smart yet still don't recognize that God doesn't make mistakes. He created male and female and you are what you were at birth. Always will be. Period.
Although, God sure did make a mistake with me!!!!
Anon claimed:
“Cynthia you are smart yet still don't recognize that God doesn't make mistakes. He created male and female and you are what you were at birth. Always will be. Period.”
I am smart enough not to presume that I know what God’s plan is, or to presume that I know Her mysterious reasoning for letting children be born with cleft pallets, spina bifida, multiple limbs, hearts with holes in them, ambiguous genitalia, or a whole host of other maladies that can be surgically corrected.
As for what I am, I no longer allow anyone else to define WHO or WHAT I am. I did not abdicate that responsibility to them, nor did I grant them that privilege. I do NOT allow my self-worth to be dictated by other peoples' opinions.
I have my own moral compass and standards by which I live and that's how I will measure myself. If I fail by those standards, I will take my own corrective action.
There is no amount of name calling, bad press, bad attitude, abusive behavior, or righteous indignation by certain religious groups that can take that away from me. I won't let them. Period.
I have made my peace with God. If She has a problem with that, I’m sure She’ll meet out the appropriate punishment. I have already lived through a small corner of hell right here on earth, and survived. I will die without fear.
Have a nice day,
Cynthia
My sister was one of the transwomen who testified about her own workplace discrimination experiences in Prince George's, Ann Arundel and Montgomery counties.
Having had the experience of a family member undergoing gender transition I can understand some of the fear that the anonymati are expressing: when a family member comes out it is scary to imagine that your family will undergo huge changes. But my sister's transition was in reality not very hard for my family. We were afraid that we'd lose part of our history if our memories had to be disguised or hidden, but my sister's openness about her transition made that a non-issue. The big thing, though, is our knowledge that she is exactly as she was made to be and she always has been. God didn't make her for us to judge or condemn; God made her for us to accept and love. Understanding this basic truth has been hugely healing.
God, which is neither male nor female as well as both male and female, made some men, some women, and some people in God's own image.
Very well said, Tish.
Thank you.
Peace and Hugs,
Cynthia
much like mandeleno, cynthia and tish keep rehashing employment stories
the anon above pointed out that no one ever has any stories backing up any problems with housing or accomodations
most businesses have a profit motive and will take any buck they can get
there is really no need for the state law
If you had bothered to attend the hearings in Annapolis, you would have heard housing stories.
gee, I don't know why Mandeleno didn't bother to put one of those in his pathetic statement when he did put in two rather employment tales
must of been too much bother!
Another brilliant comment by Anonymous.
I don't know why Mandeleno didn't bother
Jim's provided a link to Senator M-a-d-a-l-e-n-o's Wikipedia page, which has a link to his official website, which shows his email address is:
richard.madaleno@senate.state.md.us
Rich is a public figure, why don't you contact him and ask him your questions?
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