Protecting LGBTQ+ Students from Discrimination in Maryland
April 8, 2026
Dear Chair Feldman, Vice Chair Kagan, and Members of the Maryland Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee,
My name is Ricci Levy. I am the President and CEO of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, a national human rights organization. As a representative of Woodhull and in my capacity as an expert on the human right to sexual freedom, I am writing to you and your fellow members of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee to express our strong support for Maryland HB649.
HB649 seeks to authorize the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) to enforce a prohibition against discrimination and retaliation in educational institutions based on a wide range of protected characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or marital status. The bill defines key terms such as “gender identity” and “educational institution” and establishes the CCR’s powers and duties to enforce these anti-discrimination provisions. Importantly, it also creates a private right of action, meaning that individuals who believe they have been discriminated against can file a lawsuit. This legislation aims to ensure equal educational opportunities by providing a clear legal framework to address and remedy discrimination in Maryland’s educational system.
In your capacity as members of the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee, we at Woodhull urge you to recognize the importance of HB649. This bill is critical at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack across the country, including LGBTQ+ students’ right to education. In many states, LGBTQ+ students are being forced to endure hostile educational settings where they are denied safety and dignity while in school. In contrast, HB649 represents the path forward to ensure that all students have their rights protected and can thrive at school.
Our support for HB693 is informed by irrefutable facts about sexual orientation and gender identity, which we have exhaustively researched as part of our Fact Checked by Woodhull series. In this series, we address the fact that LGBTQ+ people are not a public danger but instead are in danger of harassment, discrimination, and violence, with current laws not sufficiently protecting LGBTQ+ people’s rights. The reality is that LGBTQ+ persons continue to face disproportionate violence and hate crimes, are subjected to slurs and jokes, and face discrimination in public spaces, healthcare settings, housing, and in school. HB649 reflects accurate definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity and will help address discrimination by significantly expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students across the state.
At Woodhull, we are thrilled to see that your colleagues in the House overwhelmingly supported equal educational opportunities for all students in Maryland and passed HB649. We now implore you to follow their lead and pass HB649 in the Senate before the end of the legislative session on April 13.
Your consideration of these matters is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ricci Joy Levy
President & CEO
Woodhull Freedom Foundation