Media Alert
March 10, 2009
Maryland General Assembly Set to Vote on Risky "Gender Identity" Bill
Maryland Retailers Association
Amendment Confirms
Opening Women's Restrooms/Showers
to Cross-Dressers
Contact: Maryland Citizens for a
Responsible Government
(Michelle Turner, 301-335-6042,
michellenturner@verizon.net)
March 10, 2009 -- Women and
children will face one of the greatest threats to privacy, safety
and security that Maryland residents have ever known with the
passage of a "Gender Identity" bill now before Maryland House and
Senate legislators.
The proposed law adds a broadly
defined category of "gender identity" to the state's existing
anti-discrimination law. Because the bill's broad definition of
"gender identity" includes "_expression and behavior," men are not
required to have undergone a sex change operation. The Maryland
Retailers Association has purportedly agreed to allow men to enter
women's bathrooms.
"The effect of this bill is to
give special rights to men who want to dress like women, but
completely disregards the safety of vulnerable women and children,"
notes Ruth Jacobs, M.D., president of Maryland Citizens for a
Responsible Government. "Restrooms and showers will be opened up to
cross-dressing or female affirming men, thereby allowing undressing
in front of women and children in a woman's locker room."
"We believe that the bill should
be dropped," says Dr. Jacobs. "Even the senator sponsoring the bill
admits that he does not understand gender identity issues."
"If it is not dropped, then
exemptions similar to the Baltimore City law stating 'It is not
discrimination for any person to provide separate toilet facilities
for males and females' and other exemptions as signed by [then mayor
and now] Governor Martin O'Malley should be included."
Gender Identity Bill HB474/SB566
imposes fines for public accommodations and allows imprisonment and
fines for housing violations. The bill includes a "private cause of
action" giving any cross dressing employee the right to sue
employers in state court. Awards can include back pay and up to
$400,000 in damages not including punitive damages.
To stop passage of HB474/SB566,
call, write or email your legislators and urge them to vote "NO" to
this dangerous piece of legislation. Visit Maryland Citizens for a
Responsible Government website at
www.notmyshower.com
for the contact information for Maryland legislators. Contact the
Maryland Retailers Association at 410-269-1440 and ask them to
withdraw any show of support for HB474/SB566.
Vote NO on Gender Identity Bill -
HB 474 and SB 566