Maryland
Md. could become next state to pass trans sanctuary law
Senate Finance Committee heard bill on Thursday
BY ERIN REED | On Thursday, Maryland’s Senate Finance Committee heard Senate Bill 119, a bill that would make Maryland a sanctuary state for transgender individuals and providers fleeing other states.
The bill would add gender-affirming care to a law passed last year that shields abortion patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution and investigations. Many more individuals testified in favor of the bill than against it, including Maryland state government officials who remarked on its necessity.
If passed, the law would make Maryland the 12th state, not counting D.C., to do so.
The bill includes several protections for trans individuals. It would block the enforcement of out-of-state subpoenas for medical records and information on trans patients who seek care within Maryland’s jurisdiction.
It would also prevent foreign financial judgments from other states attempting to sue Maryland providers. It would prohibit liability insurers from taking adverse action against healthcare providers for providing gender affirming care.
Additionally, it would block the extradition of individuals who have received gender-affirming care in Maryland. Lastly, it specifies that the state cannot use state funds to provide “information, spend time or money, or use state facilities, state property, state equipment, state personnel or other state resource” in aiding investigations around gender affirming care — a virtually total barring of any enforcement of anti-trans laws in the state.
The state joined several others in providing protections for patients and providers when Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order in June to enact many of these policies. Heather Forsyth spoke on behalf of the office of the Maryland Attorney General in favor of the bill at the hearing, stating that this bill would go farther than that executive order: “It’s both critical and urgent … The executive order provided some protections, but it couldn’t offer many of the protections this legislation would provide.”
Among the things she stated this bill would do beyond Moore’s executive order:
- It would prevent liability insurance from taking adverse action on providers for providing gender affirming care.
- It would ensure license and regulatory boards could not take adverse actions for providing gender affirming care.
- It would place limits on subpoenas, wire tapping, ex parte and foreign judgments that target care provided within the state of Maryland
- It would go into law and protect transgender people regardless of who holds the governor’s office.
Forsyth was not the only one to speak on behalf of the bill from the Maryland executive branch. Ryan Moran, representing the Maryland Department of Health, also testified to the importance of the bill, emphasizing that “Maryland remains a leader in supporting trans people’s rights to equitable healthcare and safety.” Moran highlighted the growing list of Republican states banning gender-affirming care as a reason for the bill’s necessity: “These list of states are growing … the states include criminal penalties against health officials providing gender-affirming care.”
The hearing also saw testimony from representatives of large hospitals and medical associations. Michael Huber, representing Johns Hopkins University and School of Medicine, asserted that gender-affirming care is “medically necessary, lifesaving, evidence-based and age-appropriate healthcare.”
Pam Kasemeyer, testifying on behalf of the state medical society, the Academy of Pediatrics, the Mid-Atlantic Community Health Centers, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, stated that the bill was needed due to “legal challenges and fear” from out-of-state actors targeting care in the state.
These challenges and investigations are indeed unfolding. Recently, Attorney General Ken Paxton made national headlines by subpoenaing the medical records of patients who traveled from Texas to Seattle Children’s Hospital for gender-affirming care. Similar subpoenas have been issued to gender-affirming care clinics in other states.
Meanwhile, 19 Republican state attorneys general have signed a letter asserting their right to medical information from other states, indicating that this tactic may be employed against both transgender individuals and those seeking and providing abortions moving forward.
Only a three people testified against the bill — one concerned citizen, a representative from the Maryland Family Institute, a religious organization, and Health Choice Maryland, an anti-vax organization.
The bill will need to pass a committee vote before moving to the full Senate floor in the coming days.
****************************************************************************
Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.
Follow her on X (Link)
******************************************************************************************
The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed a bill that decriminalizes HIV in the state.
State Dels. Kris Fair (D-Frederick County) and Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) are among the lawmakers who sponsored House Bill 39 or the Carlton R. Smith Act, which is named after the long-time activist known as the “mayor” of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood who died in May 2024.
Smith was a member of the Coalition to Decriminalize HIV in Maryland that advocated for the bill. FreeState Justice, a statewide LGBTQ rights group, was also part of the coalition.
“At FreeState Justice, we are proud to stand with advocates, health experts, and lawmakers who worked diligently to advance this bill. The bipartisan support for the Carlton R. Smith Act is a testament to the power of education, research, and courageous leadership,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry in a statement. “It sends a clear message: Maryland is committed to evidence-based policymaking and to ending the criminalization of people living with HIV. We honor the memory of Carlton R. Smith by continuing the work of building a more just, inclusive, and informed society.”
Maryland is the fifth state to decriminalize HIV.
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, in March signed a bill that decriminalized HIV in his state.
Maryland
A Baltimore theater educator lost jobs at Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Center
Tavish Forsyth concluded they could not work for Trump
BY WESLEY CASE | Tavish Forsyth had come to a conclusion: They could not work for President Donald Trump.
So the 32-year-old Baltimore resident stripped down, turned on their camera, and lit their career on fire.
“F—— Donald Trump and f—— the Kennedy Center,” a naked Forsyth, an associate artistic lead at the Washington National Opera’s Opera Institute, which is run by the Kennedy Center, said in a video that went viral. The board of the nation’s leading cultural institution had elected Trump just weeks prior as its chairman after he gutted the board of members appointed by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Md. schools plan to comply with federal DEI demands
Superintendents opt for cooperation over confrontation
By LIZ BOWIE | Deciding not to pick a fight with the Trump administration, Maryland school leaders plan to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Education that says their school districts are complying with all civil rights laws.
The two-paragraph letter could deflect a confrontation over whether the state’s public schools run diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that the Trump administration has called illegal. The Baltimore Banner reviewed the letter, which was shared by a school administrator who declined to be identified because the letter has not yet been sent.
Maryland school leaders are taking a more conciliatory approach than those in some other states. Education leaders in Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin said they will not comply with the federal education department’s order, the demands of which, they say, are based on a warped interpretation of civil rights law.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
Frank Kameny’s legacy lives on
Wes Moore signs HIV decriminalization bill
Medical groups file lawsuit over Trump deletion of health information
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to criminalize gender affirming care advances
Documentary about Blade reporter to premiere this month
Comings & Goings
Mike Millan prepares to co-host Helen Hayes Awards
Antipathy toward queer workers
