The Rhode Island Avenue Cesspool‘s future golden-parachuter, on Maryland’s impending second political hate crime against trans people:
We could not be more grateful to the Delegates who today voted to make all Maryland families stronger.
Including the ones with members who can, thanks to the political hate crime committed against trans people in Maryland in 2001, and will continue to be able to legally discriminated against by the non-trans gays and lesbians who will be able to get married in Maryland?
Really?
We could not be more grateful to the Delegates who today voted to make all Maryland families stronger.
The Rhode Island Avenue Cesspool couldn’t, eh?
Meaning…
It couldn’t be more grateful if the Maryland legislature had, at the very least, dealt with rectifying the 2001 law giving gays and lesbians the special right to discriminate against trans people along with dealing with same-sex marriage?
What, by chance, has the Scampaign been dealing with….?
The Human Rights Campaign has committed extensive resources to the Maryland effort, including helping to create Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the broad-based coalition made up of labor, faith, civil liberties, and LGBT organizations. HRC provided the campaign’s senior staff and spearheaded the field, communications, and faith components of the coalition effort.
Translation?
The Coalition
• HRC helped create the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition that includes primary partners 1199 SEIU, Progressive Maryland, Equality Maryland, and the ACLU of Maryland. Additional coalition partners, including the NAACP-Baltimore, can be found here.
• We provided senior staff to the coalition, including the campaign manager (Sultan Shakir), field director (Travis Tazelaar), communications director (Kevin Nix), faith outreach director (MacArthur Flournoy) and coalition director (David Turley).
• HRC hired the lobbying firms of Alexander & Cleaver and Harris Jones & Malone and commissioned public opinion polls by Hart Research on attitudes toward marriage equality in Maryland.
Field Operation
HRC spearheaded the grassroots effort, which generated the following constituent communications (all numbers approximate):
• 15,000 post cards filled out by constituents and delivered to legislators
• 8,000 emails to legislators, plus another 800 thanking Governor O’Malley
• 130 phone banks statewide
• 16,000 phone calls into legislator offices
Communications
HRC kept a continuous drumbeat going in the press as to why lawmakers should pass the bill. We paid particular attention to cultivating the most effective spokespeople living in key parts of the state.
• On behalf of the coalition, HRC produced 15 web ads featuring prominent voices and everyday Marylanders who spoke about commitment and family. Governor O’Malley kicked off the video series, followed by the Baltimore Mayor, 1199 SEIU’s Ezekiel Jackson, actor Mo’Nique, supportive clergy, civil rights legends Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond, and impacted couples who live in Baltimore and Prince George’s County.
• HRC helped execute three notable press conferences: the coalition’s launch, the Governor’s bill introduction, and a clergy call.
Faith Work
Along with Maryland Faith for Equality, HRC worked to engage clergy in the conversation of marriage equality and worked to get their support of the bill. Activities included:
• Played an instrumental role in securing support of Rev. Dr. Delman Coates and Rev. Guy Molock, as well as other prominent faith leaders in the state.
• Organized nearly 100 clergy for a prayer breakfast and press conference.
• Mobilizing more than 75 congregations and religious bodies.
• Organizing a prayer breakfast and Lobby Day in Annapolis.
• Collecting over 110 hand-written letters and 750 post cards from people of faith.
The upshot?
…and will continue to be able to do so no matter what the final outcome of the 2012 Maryland marriage bill – and ensuing referendum – is.
Appletini!
Posted by Katrina Rose 
ENDAblog 