A conservative group opposed to a new Montgomery County law that prohibits discrimination against transgender people used Election Day to collect signatures from voters in the hopes of overturning the measure.
The group Citizens for a Responsible Government has argued that the new law, which passed the County Council in November and was approved by County Executive Ike Leggett, puts women and children at greater risk of assault in places like public restrooms where they should have the expectation of privacy.
Last week, the organization turned in about 15,500 of the 25,000 voter signatures needed to put the repealof the measure to county voters on November’s ballot.
Group leaders said some of the signatures may not be deemed valid because of address or birth date issues. They have until Tuesday to come up with the remaining signatures.
Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg, who sponsored the legislation, said the organization was using “misinformation” to garner enough signatures. The bill does not explicitly give transgender people the right to choose which public restroom they use, but Trachtenberg said her office has received calls from people outraged that signature-gatherers are saying it does to garner more names.
“I do know that there were several people who spoke to my office about the misinformation and were very upset about it; several people who were sitting judges, federal prosecutors, people with solid, legal civil rights background have expressed concern,” Trachtenberg said. “But, basically, it’s a free country; clearly people can go out with a petition and try to convince other people to sign them. I think it is outrageous that they would knowingly misinform people to get signatures.”
Michelle Turner, spokeswoman for Citizens for a Responsible Government, said the group had more than 50 volunteers working 20 to 25 county poll sites throughout the day and that people were eager to sign the petitions.
“I think there is a lot of concern; people would have been happier if the bill were specifically written out to exclude public restrooms, locker rooms and showers,” Turner said. “Nobody wants people discriminated against, but at the same time they don’t want their own rights taken away.”
Representatives from Equality Maryland gathered at some county polling places in an attempt to counter the group’s efforts.
