LGBTQ Bill Of Rights Passes In Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday unanimously enacted legislation that strengthens legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Spearheaded by Councilmember Evan Glass, the LGBTQ Bill of Rights expands the county's anti-discrimination law to include gender expression and HIV status, as well as ban LGBTQ+ discrimination in healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and personal care facilities.

The legislation, co-sponsored by all members of the County Council, is the first law of its kind in Maryland.

"Hate and bigotry should not exist in our healthcare system," Glass, the county's first openly gay council member, said. "This legislation will ensure that LGBTQ+ seniors can receive the health and medical attention they need so they can age with dignity and respect."

According to officials, the county's senior population is projected to constitute 21 percent of residents by 2040; and by then, half of all people living with HIV will be over the age of 50.

"Access to safe long-term care is of dire concern for the LGBTQ community," said Nancy Carr, associate state director for communications at AARP Maryland. "Discrimination at the hands of providers, threatens the very health, financial security, and personal fulfillment of too many 50-plus LGBTQ adults."

Highlights of the bill

• Nursing homes, health care facilities, and personal care facilities cannot:
  • Deny admission to a facility
  • Refuse to transfer an individual within a facility or to another facility
  • Discharge or evict an individual from a facility
  • Prohibit an individual from using, or harass an individual who uses, a restroom available to other individuals of the same gender identity, regardless of whether the individual is making a gender transition or appears to be gender-nonconforming
  • Willfully and repeatedly fail to use an individual's name or pronouns after
    being clearly informed of the name or pronouns
  • Provide medical or non-medical care in a manner that unduly demeans the individual's dignity or causes avoidable discomfort

Click here to learn more about the LGBTQ Bill of Rights.