Annapolis – Continuing with his strong stance against discrimination in the public sector, Gov. Martin O'Malley recently updated the Executive Order prohibiting discrimination in state personnel actions to include "gender identity and expression." In 2002, then Baltimore Mayor O'Malley introduced a measure prohibiting transgender discrimination citywide, which was passed unanimously by the City Council. Gov. O'Malley's updated Executive Order comes only months after the disappointing, one-vote defeat of legislation in senate committee that would have prohibited transgender discrimination.

"We are delighted with the Governor's continued leadership in making the state a progressive workforce where discrimination will not be tolerated," said Policy Director Carrie Evans. "We hope the General Assembly will follow the lead of the Executive Branch and thirteen other states by moving forward transgender anti-discrimination legislation in short-order in 2008."

In 2007 alone, four states (Colorado, Iowa, Oregon and Vermont) have joined the more than one hundred jurisdictions prohibiting discrimination against the transgender community. The Governors of Indiana and Kansas also banned transgender-motivated discrimination in the state workforce this year.

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Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest LGBT civil rights organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland. Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the public about the issues faced by our diverse community.