Supporters of LGBT rights won a decisive court victory on Sept. 9 when the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled against a proposed referendum to overturn a transgender anti-discrimination law.
The issue arose after the Montgomery County Council unanimously voted in November 2007 to add gender identity to the groups protected under the County’s civil rights law, thus protecting the transgendered community against discrimination. The group Citizens for Responsible Government stepped in to oppose the council’s decision. They sought signatures on a petition to block the law from going into effect.
Several groups, including Lambda Legal, Equality Maryland, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, worked on the successful challenge to the CRG’s referendum drive. Dan Furmansky, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, spoke for many in the community when he said, “I breathe a sigh of relief that this campaign to roll back anti-discrimination legislation is now over.”
