Partisan lines have been drawn for Senate Bill 212: Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014.
And Carroll lawmakers and candidates are no exception, with many Republicans referring to the law as the "bathroom bill," and Democrats calling it a civil rights issue.
The Times asked Maryland Senate and House of Delegates candidates to weigh in on a petition to put to referendum a bill extending civil rights to transgender persons in employment, housing, public accommodations and more. Responses stuck to party lines from the 14 running for state office who chose to weigh in on the issue as of 6 p.m. Friday.
Opposed
Carmen Amedori, R-District 5 House of Delegates candidate: "I certainly do not want to discriminate against anyone; however, the line should have been drawn at the use of public bathrooms. ... Let me make it clear that I am not saying transgender persons are sex offenders. I am saying that sex offenders are going to abuse this law."
Del. Donald Elliott, R-District 4B, candidate for District 5 House of Delegates: "[This] language from the bill is highly problematic. ... Gender identity may be demonstrated by consistent and uniform assertion of the person's gender identity or any other evidence that the gender identity is sincerely held as a part of the person's core identity."
Del. Susan Krebs, R-District 9B, candidate for District 5 House of Delegates: "It attempts to provide special rights to transgendered individuals while endangering the rights of women and girls by undermining our reasonable expectation of privacy in a bathroom, locker room or shower."
Del. Justin Ready, R-District 5A, candidate for District 5 House of Delegates: "These kinds of folks who believe that they're another gender, they need treatment and help. They certainly shouldn't be abused or bullied ... but we also can't turn society upside down because of a small group of people."
Haven Shoemaker, R-District 5 candidate: "I'm not sure that that should be elevated to the same level as race, creed, color, gender. Those are things that you are born with, and I think on some level the decision to become transgender is a choice that you make freely."
Joshua Stonko, R-District 5 House of Delegates candidate: "SB212, better known as 'the bathroom bill' poses a potential serious threat to the privacy and safety of women and children throughout our state."
Wendi Peters, R-District 4 House of Delegates candidate: "I oppose discrimination. While this bill attempts to prevent discrimination, I believe it puts the safety of women and children at risk."
Christopher Eric Bouchat, R-District 9A House of Delegates candidate: "If a person does not know what sexual organ is in their pants to determine what restroom to use, then they need institutional help and not be in public bathrooms with the opposite sex."
Del. Warren Miller, R-District 9A House of Delegates candidate: "My concern is my wife or my daughter in a public restroom being confronted with a male who has bad intentions for them."
Frank Mirabile, R-District 9A House of Delegates candidate: "[In] my opinion it is one of the worst bills ever to make it through the GA. ... As a father of four, this bill puts my children at risk and represents the pure activism of the progressives in Maryland instead of common sense."
Del. Michael Hough, R-District 3B, candidate for District 4 Senate: "I actually feel compassion for these people that there's something mentally wrong that they're confused about what sex they are. ... I don't think they should be treated as a protected class."
Del. Gail Bates, R-District 9A, Senate District 9 candidate: "I voted against the bill, offered an amendment to exclude areas deemed private - like in Howard and Baltimore counties' bills - that were mentioned during debate and will sign the petition."
Support
Daniel Medinger, D-District 9 Senate candidate: "Many people do not know a transgender person. They may not know the issues and challenges that they face every day in the community and in their work place. They are often victims of discrimination and violence and need protection."
Dorothy Scanlan, D-District 5 House of Delegates candidate: "I find it completely offensive and disingenuous that the bill has been termed the bathroom bill. It has nothing to do with bathrooms. It's a civil rights bill."
