Transgender Student Protections

Greetings, gentle readers. It’s been another shitty week. I don’t feel up for listing everything he did because it would take an entire post just to get through it. I’m going to focus on one specific thing: Donald’s attack on transgender rights.

President Obama and the Lynch justice department put protections in place after bathrooms became the newest battleground for transgender rights. The protections allowed transgender children to use the bathroom that corresponded with their gender identity. Now, the power to make schools safe is once again in the hands of the states. This is horrifying. It will lead to bullying and discrimination, empower transphobes, and in general make things a hundred times more difficult for one of America’s most vulnerable populations.

If none of that makes you feel anything, consider that it won’t bring back any jobs. Do you care now?

I’ve compiled a list of contact information for the school boards and superintendents in Maryland, along with this list of talking points (or mailing points if you’re sending an email.

When calling, you can mention these laws passed in Maryland to protect their transgender population:

• Senate Bill 212, or the Fairness To All Marylanders Act of 2014, bans anti-transgender discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations  
• This Baltimore Sun article has good information on  Maryland’s transgender protection.
• The Maryland Department of Education allows students to use the bathroom that agrees with their gender identity

Remind them that transgender students are counting on them, especially now. They’ve been elected to

Allegany

• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Anne Arundel
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Baltimore County
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Baltimore City
• General contact information
• Calvert
• School Board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Caroline
• School board contact information: (410) 479-1460
• Superintendent contact information: Dr. Patricia Saelens (410) 479-3250
• Carroll
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Cecil
• School board contact information: 410-996-5400
• Superintendent contact information
• Charles
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Dorchester
• School board contact information: (410) 228-4747
• Superintendent contact information: Email: wagnerh@dcpsmd.org Phone: 410-228-4747 ext. 1002
• Fredrick
• School Board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Garrett
• School board contact information
• Harford
• School board contact information: (410) 838-7300
• Interim Superintendent contact information
• Howard
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Kent
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information: (410) 778-1595
• Montgomery
• School board contact information
• Prince George
• School board contact information
• Queen Anne's
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information: Gregory J. Pilewski (410) 758-2403
• Saint Mary's
• School board contact information: 301-475-5511
• Superintendent contact information
• Somerset
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information: Dr. John B. Gaddis (410) 621-6249
• Talbot
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information: Kelly L. Griffith (410) 822-0330
• Washington
• School board contact information
• Superintendent contact information
• Wicomico
• School board contact information: 410-677-4400
• Superintendent contact information: Dr. Donna C. Hanlin (410) 677-4400
• Worchester
• School board contact information: (410) 632-5000
• Superintendent contact information: Louis H Taylor (410) 632-5000

Sanctuary Cities

You might have heard that Howard County is considering becoming a “sanctuary county.” In these counties, police and county employees would be unable to enforce immigration law or target immigrants who came to America for a better life. Well, update. The Howard County executive vetoed the bill because he thinks it was "reckless." This even after the county council stripped down the legislature to avoid Donald's wrath.

Now, many have said that that’s a job that should be left to the federal government. In normal times, there might be an argument to be made about this. But this is not normal. The executive branch is targeting specific groups of people because of their race and religion, and yeah, it's about those two things. It's not about "crime" or "terrorism," and I can tell you that for certain because facts back it up. And I believe in facts. Donald wants people to think that Muslims are terrorists and Latinos are violent criminals, but things don't become true just because he wants them to be.

We live in a time when doing the right thing is going to be hard. It's hard to face threats of destruction from the executive branch of government. It's hard to speak your mind when you're afraid you might face an online mob threatening your life and the life of your children. You have every reason to be scared. It's easy to look away from people who are suffering and make excuses for why--like saying legislation to protect immigrant residents of your county is "hastily filed," so you're going to veto it, even though we all know that's not what this is about.
So what are sanctuary cities? Well, Full Frontal has a great video that will give you a basic explanation. (I wish they featured the mayor of Baltimore, though)

Because this is Maryland, we’ve already got some sanctuary counties and cities. Montgomery County has some laws in place to protect immigrants. Takoma Park has sanctuary laws in place, and Prince George’s County is a sanctuary county. Baltimore City is a sanctuary city.

The issue of states taking matters into their own hands is often thought of as a conservative one. However, I think it’s time that blue states started using the powers granted to states to protect their residents. No one can guess what the next four years are going to bring, but we know we will be tested. There will be times when we will be tempted to look away from the horrors that will unfold. We cannot.

Here is how you start. Contact your state legislators here (In the right hand corner, there's a link labeled "Who represents me?" that will connect you to the people who directly represent you.) You can find your county executive here. I've also re-linked to my Inauguration Day post with contact info for your congresspeople and senators.
Someone else you should reach out to is your school board. Undocumented familes are often afraid to send their children to school because they worry that the ICE will find them there, or track down their parents through school documents. It should be obvious that that is horrific. These articles have good information about what schools can do to protect their students. Share the points with your principals and board members at the next town halls, or call their offices, or shoot them an email.
Resist. Stay strong. And fight back

A Balanced Budget

Pop Quiz, gentle readers. Imagine you’re the governor of Maryland and you have to balance the state budget. That means that there have to be budget cuts. Where do you want to make the cuts?

1. Cut a from each county budget equally.
2. Cut from the wealthiest county budgets--they can handle the cuts best because they have the most money to begin with.
3. Cut from the aid package that was put together to help Baltimore City, specifically from programs to help schools, neighborhoods and libraries. Also reduce support for state workers, Maryland’s disabled residents and Prince George’s Hospital.

If you answered C, you must be Governor Larry Hogan. Hi, Governor. I didn’t know you read this blog, but I’m flattered.

Maryland’s ~super moderate~ governor balanced the state budget this year. Hooray! Of course, he did it at the expense of Baltimore City, just weeks after he spoke at the inauguration of new Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and swore commitment to improve the city after the civil unrest that followed Freddie Gray’s death. One of the governor’s spokesmen said the proposal reflected the governor’s priorities for minimal spending. Fair enough. But wouldn’t it be wiser to cut from a place that isn’t as vulnerable as Baltimore City?

Gov. Hogan announcing his new budget. Photo courtesy of YouTube. 

I’ve got some quotes from the governor himself and I thought I’d share them with you. Afterwards, if you’re so inclined, call his office and read them to him. Let’s remind the governor of his commitment to Baltimore City. And if he’s unwilling to listen, let’s elect a new governor who will dedicate himself to defending the people of Baltimore.

"I want you to know that you do have a partner,”--Gov. Hogan to new mayor Catherine Pugh

"With a renewed partnership between the governor's office in Annapolis and the leadership in the city of Baltimore, we can truly change Baltimore and Maryland for the better."--Gov. Hogan at Mayor Pugh’s inauguration

“We've got to do something about it.”--Gov. Hogan about the violence problem in Baltimore

“[My budget will include] no serious cuts to any agencies or programs"-- Gov. Hogan about his 2018 budget proposal

You can contact Governor Hogan here

For more information on Hogan’s budget and his promise to check out these Baltimore Sun articles:

Hogan balances his budget on Baltimore's back

Gov. Larry Hogan touts smaller Md. budget, no 'serious cuts'

Gov. Larry Hogan, Annapolis leaders praise new Baltimore mayor

Hogan budget would cut aid to Baltimore