MARYLAND: Anti-Trans Petition Drive Fails To Submit Signatures By Deadline

Maryland's haters had until midnight last night to submit enough petition signatures to force a transgender rights bill onto the November ballot. They failed.

Equality Maryland, the state’s largest organization lobbying for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, announced the outcome on their Facebook page just after the clock struck midnight Sunday morning. State Del. Neil Parrott (R-Hagerstown) began a petition drive in an attempt to block the Fairness for All Marylanders Act from taking effect. Parrott needed to collect a total of 55,737 signatures by June 30 in order for the measure to appear on the ballot in November. Opponents needed at least 18,579 signatures by May 31 for their campaign to continue. Instead of using the formal name for the bill, Parrott chose to play to the fears of transphobic people by calling it “the Bathroom Bill.”

The bill becomes law on October 1st. (Tipped by JMG reader Maryland state Del. Luke Clippinger.)