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Referendum fails for Baltimore Co. trans law
Advocates call for acceptance of trans people. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
In a little-noticed development, opponents of a transgender non-discrimination law approved earlier this year by the Baltimore County Council attempted to kill the law by circulating petitions to gather signatures needed to place it on the ballot in a referendum.
Organizers announced on Tuesday that they failed to obtain signatures from the required three percent of voters in the county needed to place the law on the ballot. The law bans discrimination against transgender people in the county in the area of employment, housing and public accommodations.
With the referendum process stopped, the law took effect Monday, April 9. Baltimore County becomes the fourth jurisdiction in Maryland to put in place a non-discrimination law protecting the transgender community. Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Howard County have similar laws on the books.
Dana Beyer, executive director of the statewide transgender advocacy group Gender Rights Maryland, said the group is considering pushing for a trans non-discrimination measure in Prince George’s County next year.
Tagged with Baltimore County, Dana Beyer, gay news, gay politics dc, gender identity, Gender Rights Maryland, Maryland, Prince George's County, trans, transgender
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The referendum threshold in Baltimore County is 10% of voters in the last gubernatorial election. The initial petition to be submitted within 45 days must have at least 1/3 of those signatures. In this case they needed nearly 10,000 valid signatures to proceed to the next stage and nearly 30,000 total to put the matter on the ballot.
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