by Rex Wockner
U.S. NEWS
A transgender nondiscrimination bill that had passed the Maryland House of Delegates died in the Senate on April 11. Senators voted 27-20 to return it to committee.
The development took state LGBT activists by surprise, as they believed they had lined up the needed votes for passage. In the end, 16 Democrats voted with the majority.
"Senators … took a walk on justice and fairness today and turned their backs on the most vulnerable members of our community," said Equality Maryland Executive Director Morgan Meneses-Sheets.
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey added, "Without legal protections, transgender people are made particularly vulnerable to … neglect, bias and abuse."
