Apr 1st, 2001
Almost celebrating in Maryland
Both the Senate and House have passed identical bills that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace and for housing opportunities. The bill will go to the governor’s desk after either the House or Senate signs the other’s bill. According to the Baltimore Sun (3/31/01), Governor Glendening is expected to sign it into law because he has been lobbying for such a law since 1999. Part of the Governor’s commitment to this issue is in memory of his brother, who was gay but did not come out for fear of being discharged from the Air Force. The Governor’s brother died of AIDS in 1988.
Maryland will be the 12th state to have such a law. The other 11 states are Hawaii, California, Vermont, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Nevada as well as Washington, D.C. The details and language of these laws vary from state to state. For more information about specific states, the “State By State” section of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund is a great resource.
In the remainder of the states, it is still legal to fire someone or deny someone housing opportunities simply because they are gay or lesbian…or because they are *perceived* to be gay or lesbian. (And there is still resistance to passing these laws in other states by people who somehow think that having a job and seeking shelter are “special rights” when you’re gay.)
FOOTNOTE: The non-discrimination law in Minnesota passed in 1993 and is the only state to explicitly include protection of transgender people. At the time, I did not appreciate that gender identity was included on a bill that protected gay and lesbian people.