Maryland, Missouri Municipalities Protect Gender Identity

Possibly in response to inaction at the state and national levels, a Maryland county and a Missouri city moved to protect its transgender citizens from discrimination.

Howard County, Md. recently became the third jurisdiction in the state to add gender identity and expression to its list of protected classes in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, financing, and health and social services. The county's move is giving LGBT leaders hope that a similar statewide bill will pass next year. Read more here.

To the west, Columbia, Mo. recently passed a bill protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation. Columbia, home of the University of Missouri, is the sixth city in the state to protect transgender people. Read more here.