“I was not here at the time.  I was a high school student when the General Assembly considered legislation prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations.”

That’s how I began my floor speech on the bill that would add gender identity to our civil rights law.

During the floor debate, some of my colleagues said that their counties had traditional values and should be exempted.

“Former Senator Jack Lapides told me that the law initially applied only to certain counties,” I continued, “but our predecessors made a fundamental policy judgment.   When we conclude that discrimination will not be permitted when directed at a certain group of Marylanders, it doesn’t matter which county you live in.”

The bill passed, 82-57.