The Maryland Senate has returned a
transgender protections bill to committee, effectively killing
passage of the bill this session, gay
glossy The Advocate reported.
The Judicial Proceedings Committee OK'd
the measure,which would ban discrimination based on gender identity
in the areas of employment, housing and credit, with a 7 to 4 vote on
Saturday.
But on Monday, a 27 to 20 vote in the
Senate returned the bill to committee, a move that ends its chances
of passage this year because the legislative session ends on Monday.
The
House approved the measure and sent it to the Senate with an 86 to 52
vote just last week.
Several transgender activists refused
to back the bill after its lead sponsor, Delegate Joseline
Pena-Melnyk, removed its protections for public accommodations,
generally the most controversial provisions of such laws.
Transgender activist Dana Beyer told
the magazine that she was surprised by the loss.
“We believe we had the votes,” she
said. “There was pressure from up top not to allow our side to
move forward.”
Opponents
of the law testified in committee that such a law would hurt
children.