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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 8, 2008
Hundreds of Marylanders Descend on Annapolis to Rally and Lobby for LGBT Civil Rights
Ending Marriage Discrimination and Securing Transgender Rights Top Agenda for Monday's Event
CONTACT:
Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone: (301) 587-7500
Cell: (301) 461-4900
Email: Dan@EqualityMaryland.org
College Park, Md. – Equality Maryland, the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, will hold its annual rally and Lobby Day in Annapolis on Monday, Feb. 11th. In recent years, Equality Maryland's rally has been one of the largest held during the legislative session, and this year's event promises to be no exception, with more than 500 LGBT individuals, their families, friends and clergy expected to participate.
The rally will take place at 5:00 pm on Lawyer's Mall, directly in front of the State House. This year's speakers will include the lead sponsors of The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act: Sens. Madaleno and Raskin and Dels. Barnes, McIntosh, Kaiser, Mizeur and Schuler.
Other speakers will include Dan Furmansky, Executive Director of Equality Maryland; Susan Goering, Executive Director of the ACLU of Maryland; and Travis Britt, husband of the late Sen. Gwendolyn Britt (the original lead senate sponsor of the marriage bill). Mr. Britt will call on the General Assembly to pass this important legislation for Maryland families. Other speakers include Rev. Andrew Foster Connors (Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian, Baltimore) and transgender activist Mara Drummond.
After the rally, participants will become citizen lobbyists, with more than 115 scheduled visits with legislators. Constituents will be asking their legislators to support the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act and the Transgender Anti-Discrimination bill.
"LGBT Marylanders and our families and friends suffered some major disappointments last year, including the defeat of the Transgender Anti-Discrimination Bill by one vote in Senate committee, and the devastating decision by the Court of Appeals denying the protections of marriage to same-sex couples," said Dan Furmansky, Executive Director of Equality Maryland. "Lobby Day gives fair-minded Marylanders the opportunity to make sure that these were only temporary setbacks. By talking to our elected officials face to face and showing them how our families and friends have been harmed by not having legal protections, we can create the political will to make this the year that we put an end to anti-LGBT discrimination in Maryland."
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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.