Free Republic

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A transgender candidate has announced she will run against an openly gay state senator in Montgomery County in the Democratic primary. Dana Beyer, who is the executive director of Gender Rights Maryland, made the announcement Thursday. Beyer says Maryland residents have waited too long for economic fairness and equal opportunity. Beyer is running against Sen. Richard Madaleno, who has been in the state Senate since 2007. He served in the House of Delegates from 2003 to 2007. Madaleno has been an advocate for gay and transgender rights in Maryland

A county ethics commission in Maryland has determined that if you make negative statements about transgenderism, your word is not reliable. The stunning conclusion, now under appeal at a state ethics panel, was made by the Montgomery County Ethics Commission and signed by member Nina Weisbroth in a four-year-old dispute over an effort to hold a referendum on the county’s adoption of what’s become known as the “coed showers” bill. The law provides “discrimination” protections for transgenders, and critics say it opens up virtually all of the county – from shower rooms to restrooms to other private areas – to...

The group claims that Beyer interfered with its efforts to gather petition signatures to place a question repealing the county's new transgender protection law on the November 2008 ballot. Witnesses, including one who works for Giant, said they heard Beyer say that the county might penalize Giant for asking that Beyer and some members of her advocacy group, Teach the Facts, not interfere with the signature gathering. The group also claims that Beyer intimidated members and those who wanted to sign the petition, saying they would be labeled as bigots and their information would be published online.