Amendments fail to sway opponents

by Sara Blumberg


    On Tuesday, the Baltimore County Council passed a transgender anti-discrimination bill that excluded public areas designated for gender-specific uses.
    The measure passed by a vote of 5-2, with the bill’s sponsor, 1st District Councilman Tom Quirk, joined by 7th District Councilman John Olszewski Sr. and fellow Democrats Cathy Bevins (6th District), Vicki Almond (2nd District) and Kenneth Oliver (4th District) in support of the bill.
    Republicans Todd Huff (3rd District) and David Marks (5th District) voted against the measure.
   

The legislation grants protections in areas including housing, employment, education and financing.
    An amendment was added providing that the legislation would not apply to public places that were designated for “male and female” uses such as public restrooms, locker rooms and bath houses.
    Opponents say that there would be a rise in sexual assaults of women in restroom facilities if the bill becomes law.
    Supporters counter that jurisdictions with similar laws have never reported an increase in such incidents.
    The proposed bill includes provisions to allow religious organizations and private businesses a choice on how to treat the use of their public spaces.
    Similar measures have already passed in Baltimore City and in Montgomery and Harford counties.
    A bill to address transgender equality statewide failed last year in the Maryland General Assembly.
    Many trace the origin of the proposed bill to last year’s well-known incident involving Chrissy Lee Polis.
    In April, the 22-year-old transgendered former Dundalk resident was allegedly attacked for trying to use a women’s restroom at a McDonald’s restaurant in Rosedale.
    The beating gained national attention when a video recording of the incident was posted on the Internet.
    Polis went into seizures that police said were caused by the beating.
    County police arrested Teonna Brown, 18, of the 2000 block of Kelbourne Road in White Marsh on April 22.
      Brown was  charged with one count of felony first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault, as well as a hate crime.  She received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to some of the charges.
     A 14-year-old female was also arrested and charged as a juvenile. She admitted her role in the attack and was sent to a juvenile detention facility.