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US: Bill Would Add Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity to Housing Laws as Protected Classes

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts has introduced federal legislation to expressly prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in housing.

The bill, known as the Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act, or HOME Act, would amend the 1968 Fair Housing Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, as well as amend the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prevent such discrimination in lending (the bill would also bar discrimination based on source of income and marital status). A House version of the bill will be introduced later today by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York.

“It’s hard to believe that in 2011, any law-abiding, tax-paying American who can pay the rent can’t live somewhere just because of who they are,” Kerry said in a statement. “Housing discrimination against LGBT Americans is wrong, but today in most states there isn’t a thing you can do about it. This legislation would end discrimination that continues to hurt people.”

Full Story from The Advocate

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Tags: gender identity, hfederal housing laws, sexual orientation, united states

The Difference Between Gender Identity and Gender Expression

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

Gender Identity is not the same thing as Gender Expression…Some miseducate that they are two peas in a pod, which is delaying legislative change. We must counter the miseducation and make a distinction, or those with medical and legal needs urgently will be compromised. -Ashley Love, May 5, 2011

Within trans community, there is a misconception by some that antidiscrimination protections based on gender identity are about transsexual people,

while antidiscrimination protections based on gender expression are about crossdressers. The oversimplifying, boiling down of the term gender expression to apply to a narrow subset of trans people strips out the broad concept of what the term gender expression actually is, and its ramifications towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights.
Gender identity and gender expression are terms for two fully separate concepts. From a legal perspective for transsexual people, as well as for transgender people who don’t identify as transsexual people, these are very related terms. And, these terms really can be two peas in a single pod, but at the same time these two terms are definitely not a single pea in a single pod.

Full Story from Pam’s House Blend

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Tags: gender expression, gender identity, transgender

MD: Equality Maryland Says Votes Are There in Senate for Gender Identity Bill

Saturday, April 9th, 2011

The Maryland General Assembly adjourns on Monday, April 11. Time is running out to pass the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination bill (HB 235). That legislation made it through the House on March 26th. It passed out of the Senate Rules Committee earlier this week. Now, it needs to get through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and secure a floor vote. Based on some new intel, it sure looks like the votes are there in the Senate.

Over at The Blend, Autumn Sandeen has the whip count for the Senate on the Gender Anti-Discrimination bill: I received a copy in my email today of the Equality Maryland (EqMD) whip count for HB 235 (the gender identity bill for employment and housing antidiscrimination protections), [Autumn included the full whip count list] According to Dana Beyer, as reported in Maryland Senate Prez Tells Advocates He Will Expedite Gender Identity Bill If It Passes Committee:

“Senator Thomas Miller (D-Calvert and Prince George’s Counties) told us that if Equality Maryland could show him the votes on the Senate floor, if we get out of this committee, he will expedite our Senate vote,” Beyer said.

Full Story from America Blog

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Tags: bill, gender identity, maryland, senate

MD: Transgender Bill Put on Hold

Saturday, April 9th, 2011

A committee of the Maryland State Senate voted 6-5 to place a temporary hold on a transgender non-discrimination bill on Friday, adding yet another roadblock to a measure that survived a procedural attempt to kill it one week ago.

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee approved a request by Sen. Nancy Jacobs (R-Cecil and Harford Counties) to place the hold on the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Act. Jacobs is one of the bill’s most outspoken opponents.

Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery County), the committee chair, voted against the hold, but three other committee Democrats joined the three Republican members of the 11-member committee to vote for the hold.

Full Story from the Washington Blade

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Tags: bill, gender identity, maryland, senate hold

MD: Senate President Promises to Expedite Gender Identity Bill

Friday, April 8th, 2011

The Maryland Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee held a hearing on House Bill 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, today, April 7, taking testimony in favor of and against the bill. The committee did not, however, vote on the bill this afternoon.

The committee’s clerk office confirmed that it could not establish whether a vote would occur tonight or tomorrow, although a vote is expected by tomorrow at the latest. According to transgender activist Dana Beyer, the vote’s schedule is unpredictable.

The bill passed the House of Delegates with a favorable vote, 86-52, on Saturday, March 26. If the committee votes favorably on its passage, the legislation would then move to the Senate chamber for a floor vote.

Full Story from Metro Weekly

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Tags: bill, gender identity, maryland, senate

MD: House Passes Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

Maryland Gender Identity Bill The Maryland House of Delegates today passed the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 235), which would prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and credit. The measure passed 86-52.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has been working in partnership with Equality Maryland to pass the bill, which now moves to the Senate.

“We commend the Maryland House of Delegates for moving the state a step closer to ensuring that all Marylanders, regardless of gender identity, are protected from discrimination in employment, housing and credit,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the Task Force.

Full Story from SDGLN

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Tags: bill, gender identity, house, maryland

SC: Columbia Adds Gender Identity to Protected Classes

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin

Since 1993, Columbia has protected city employees from employment discrimination simply because they were gay, lesbian or bisexual. But until recently, the city’s employee handbook did not ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin won gay support during his campaign. Photo by Jonathan Sharpe. Gender identity isn’t necessarily related to sexual orientation; it’s the gender a person identifies with, which might not be the same as biological gender. People in the process of aligning with their gender identity — whether through dress and manner, hormones or sex reassignment surgery — are known as “transitioning.”

And they can be especially susceptible to workplace discrimination, says Christine Johnson, executive director of South Carolina Equality, an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. “The more vulnerable member of the LGBT community is the transitioning individual,” Johnson says.

Full Story from the Free Times

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Tags: columbia, gender identity, south carolina

NY: Gay Group Calls on Gillibrand to Amend Civil Rights Act to Include Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Ten days after Lady Gaga tried to enlist Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the fight against “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” gay activists are petitioning the junior senator from New York to help them amend the Civil Rights Act. On Monday, members of the Queer SOS! action campaign started a vigil outside Gillibrand’s Manhattan campaign headquarters, at 15 W. 26th Street, that will continue indefinitely from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The group wants to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity

If Gillibrand has not pushed for a bill by Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day, the activists plan to extend their vigil to 24 hours a day. If there is no movement by Nov. 2, election day, some of the activists say they will institute a water-only fast.

Full Story from DNA Info

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Tags: civil rights act, gay activists, gender identity, queer sos!, senator gillibrand, sexual orientation