Baltimore Gender Identity Anti-Descrimination Bill is Passed
Today, as the Baltimore Sun is reporting, the Baltimore County Council approved gender variant anti-descrimination legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression and sexual orientation when it comes to housing, employment, public accommodations and financing. The bill was passed in a 5-2 vote, along party lines. “Whether you’re a woman, whether you’re male, whether you’re female, African-American, gay, lesbian, transgender, this bill is simple,” Tom Quirk, Baltimore County Council, is quoted by CBS Baltimore as saying. “Everyone deserves to be treated fairly.”
The Baltimore bill, which follows similar legislation recently passed in Massachusetts, did not add a heavily debated amendment that would have specifically exempted bathrooms, locker rooms and dressing rooms, according to the Huffington Post, instead it allows the issue to be open to interpretation.
Among those who opposed the bill was Anita Schatz, a 59-year-old retired school secretary. Schatz told the Sun that she feared women would be sexually assaulted in restrooms, and that she feared what kind of world her granddaughters would face. “We just don’t want them turning our children into what they are,” she is quoted as saying. “It has to do with morals because parents have a right to raise their children the way they want.”
[wp_ad_camp_2]
About the Author
Wild Gender is an online magazine and creative hub born out of gratitude for the gift of full expression. We are dedicated to creative practices that celebrate gender fluidity, identity and expression. Wild Gender prioritizes visual art, creative writing, and journalistic work by trans/gender-variant individuals who have never before been published in a public venue. Run entirely by volunteers,we are always in search of writers, thinkers, and creators hoping to participate in our growing community.
Related Posts
From Nepal: On Gender Identity and Disaster Response →
Time for Mainstream Non-Gendered Pronouns →
“The New Normal,” A Little Too Normal: Gender Vs. Sex →
