Issue Position: Civil Rights & Equality

Issue Position

The Fairness for All Marylanders Act
Both of my parents were born at the end of the Jim Crow era and were young adults during the height of the civil rights movement. Their struggles serve as a stark reminder of the importance of equality for all. As the great civil rights activist Julian Bond once put it, "no parallels between movements for rights is exact … but we are far from the only people suffering discrimination -- sadly, so do many others. They deserve the law's protection and they deserve civil rights too."
I understand that those in my generation are continuing the fight for equality for all. That's why I fully support the "Fairness for All Marylanders Act" and will work tirelessly for its passage. This bill will give people equal protection under the law regardless of gender identity and presentation, and broaden the scope of equality in the State of Maryland.
The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that:
18% of transgender Marylanders reported losing a job because of their gender identity or expression and 42% had experienced an adverse job action
In housing, 17% reported being denied a home or apartment
54% of transgender Marylanders reported being harassed in places of public accommodation, such as restaurants, stores and movie theaters
Nationwide, 16 states, Washington D.C., and more than 145 counties and cities have passed legislation to ban discrimination based on gender identity, and it's time for Maryland to join their ranks.
Ensuring Equal Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
I believe Maryland needs to move forward to ensure transgender Marylanders have the same access and rights under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as all other Marylanders. The ACA requires the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange (MHBE) be implemented so as to prohibit discrimination on the basis of one's gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Under the law, a board of trustees empowered with overseeing the MHBE's implementation is tasked with issuing an annual report complete with information outlining disparities in coverage among gender and sexual minorities. I fully support these efforts and will work to ensure the Maryland Insurance Commission continues the good work of ensuring members of the transgender community have equal access to quality health care.

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