SANCTUARY. BALTIMORE IS THE SAFEST PLACE FOR ME RIGHT NOW. SHERIFF JACKSON MOVED HERE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO FIND SANCTUARY. SHE SAYS SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE THERE AS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN. COMING UP AS A TRANS PERSON OVER THE PAST 35 YEARS, IT’S HARD TO BE ACCEPTED. SO, YOU KNOW, GOING TO RESTAURANTS AND STORES AND DIFFERENT PUBLIC PLACES, IT CAUSES A DISASTER FOR PEOPLE LIKE US. SO I TRIED TO SET OUT AND FIND A SPOT THAT ACCEPT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN BALTIMORE, HAPPENED TO BE THE POLICE. GOVERNOR WESTMORE SAYS THE EXECUTIVE ORDER HE SIGNED FOCUSES ON ENSURING MARYLAND IS A SAFE PLACE FOR GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, ESPECIALLY AS OTHER STATES TAKE STEPS TO MAKE GENDER AFFIRMING CARE A CAUSE FOR LEGAL RETRIBUTION. WE TRUST WES MOORE AIA DEMONS, FOUNDER OF BALTIMORE SAFE HAVEN, SAYS ALREADY THEY ARE HEARING FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY HAVE HOUSING PROGRAMS TO HELP RELOCATE AND TRANSITION PEOPLE INTO HOUSING JOBS AND EVEN HEALTH CARE. THOUSANDS OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN OR FROM EVEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY TRYING TO FIND SANCTUARY HERE AT BALTIMORE SAFE HAVEN, THE STATE SAYS THERE ARE MORE THAN 94,000 TRANSGENDER OR NON BINARY RESIDENTS IN MARYLAND. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN SAYS THERE’S BEEN A DANGEROUS SPIKE IN DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION SWEEPING STATEHOUSES. THIS YEAR, WITH MORE THAN 525 ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS INTO PRODUCED AND MORE THAN 70 SIGNED INTO LAW SO FAR IN 2023. BALTIMORE SAFE HAVENS. RENEE LAW SAYS THE LGBT PLUS COMMUNITY FEELS THREATENED. THEY’RE SCARED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO LOSE THEIR ABILITY TO GET HEALTH CARE, PERIOD, BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY TARGETS THE LGBT COMMUNITY, IT ALSO TARGETS THE INDIVIDUAL ON WHETHER THEY CAN GET THE PROPER MEDICATIONS, WHETHER THEY CAN GET THE PROPER SURGERIES OR WHETHER THEY CAN GET SICK, ECOLOGICAL COUNSELING. AND THEY NEED SOMEPLACE TO GO. AND GOVERNOR WES MOORE HAS MADE IT CLEAR THEY ARE WELCOME HERE IN MARYLAND.
Baltimore Safe Haven says governor's executive order makes Maryland sanctuary state for LGBTQIA+
Updated: 5:24 PM EDT Jun 7, 2023
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order this week to protect gender-affirming health care. Baltimore Safe Haven called it a huge move by the governor that is putting Maryland on the map as a sanctuary state.Sheresse Jackson moved to Baltimore from Philadelphia to find sanctuary. She said she did not feel safe there as a transgender woman."Baltimore is the safest place to be right now," Jackson said. "Coming up as a trans person for the first 35 years, it's hard to be accepted. So, going to restaurants and stores and different public places, it causes a disaster for people like us. So, I tried to set out to find a spot that accepts transgender people, and Baltimore happened to be the place."| RELATED: LGBTQIA+ Pride month kicks off with protests, parades, partiesMoore said the executive order he signed focuses on ensuring Maryland is a safe place for gender-affirming care, especially as other states take steps to make gender-affirming care a cause for legal retribution.Iya Dammons, founder of Baltimore Safe Haven, said they are already hearing from people from across the country. The organization has housing programs to help relocate and transition people into housing, jobs and health care."We trust Wes Moore," Dammons said. "(We've taken) thousands of calls from people from out of town, even out of the country, trying to find sanctuary here in Baltimore Safe Haven."Maryland officials said there are more than 94,000 transgender or nonbinary residents in the state.| RELATED: A look at restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in the US, and the pushbackThe Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, declared a state of emergency amid an historic wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in state legislatures across the country. According to the HRC, there has been a dangerous spike this year in discriminatory legislation at the state level with more than 525 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far.Renee Lau, with Baltimore Safe Haven, said the LGBTQIA+ community feels threatened."They're scared they're going to lose their ability to get health care, because it not only targets the LGBTQ community, it also targets the individual on whether they can get the proper medication, the proper surgeries or whether they can get the psychological counseling," Lau said.| RELATED: Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws
BALTIMORE — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order this week to protect gender-affirming health care.
Baltimore Safe Haven called it a huge move by the governor that is putting Maryland on the map as a sanctuary state.
Sheresse Jackson moved to Baltimore from Philadelphia to find sanctuary. She said she did not feel safe there as a transgender woman.
"Baltimore is the safest place to be right now," Jackson said. "Coming up as a trans person for the first 35 years, it's hard to be accepted. So, going to restaurants and stores and different public places, it causes a disaster for people like us. So, I tried to set out to find a spot that accepts transgender people, and Baltimore happened to be the place."
| RELATED: LGBTQIA+ Pride month kicks off with protests, parades, parties
Moore said the executive order he signed focuses on ensuring Maryland is a safe place for gender-affirming care, especially as other states take steps to make gender-affirming care a cause for legal retribution.
Iya Dammons, founder of Baltimore Safe Haven, said they are already hearing from people from across the country. The organization has housing programs to help relocate and transition people into housing, jobs and health care.
"We trust Wes Moore," Dammons said. "(We've taken) thousands of calls from people from out of town, even out of the country, trying to find sanctuary here in Baltimore Safe Haven."
Maryland officials said there are more than 94,000 transgender or nonbinary residents in the state.
| RELATED: A look at restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in the US, and the pushback
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, declared a state of emergency amid an historic wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in state legislatures across the country. According to the HRC, there has been a dangerous spike this year in discriminatory legislation at the state level with more than 525 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far.
Renee Lau, with Baltimore Safe Haven, said the LGBTQIA+ community feels threatened.
"They're scared they're going to lose their ability to get health care, because it not only targets the LGBTQ community, it also targets the individual on whether they can get the proper medication, the proper surgeries or whether they can get the psychological counseling," Lau said.
| RELATED: Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws