Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller Visit Baltimore Safe Haven

Per the State of Maryland: Yesterday, Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller visited Baltimore Safe Haven, a transitional housing facility in Baltimore that provides services for Maryland’s transgender community. The visit, made in partnership with the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, provided an opportunity to tour the organization’s housing facilities, learn about the services they offer, and participate in a discussion about the needs of transgender Marylanders.

“In Maryland, we lead with love and inclusion and nobody should have to justify their own humanity,” said Gov. Moore. “Baltimore Safe Haven provides help and hope to the people who need it most. The only way forward is together, and Baltimore Safe Haven has a partner in the State House. We have a lot of work to do, and we must tackle that work in partnership. If we do, we can build a kinder, safer Maryland for all.”

Governor Wes Moore with Baltimore Safe Haven staff

Since 2018, Baltimore Safe Haven has been an invaluable resource for our LGBTQIA+ community. The organization provides comprehensive programming to help unhoused and high-risk individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, including drop-in food distribution, housing, educational and vocational opportunities, and access to primary and mental healthcare, case management, substance use treatment, and legal services. During the visit, the governor announced an additional $2 million in funding for housing and support programs.

“Baltimore Safe Haven’s services are a critical link in the continuum of care for our LGBTQIA+ community, specifically for Black transgender Marylanders, and our administration is proud to be their partner,” said Lt. Gov. Miller. “Our administration’s mission to ‘leave no Marylander behind’ isn’t just a tagline, it’s a values statement, and by continuing to support organizations like Baltimore Safe Haven, we’re putting our values into action.”

Governor Moore and Lt. Gov. Miller with person on steps

The Moore-Miller administration is working to ensure that Maryland is a safe haven for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. On March 31, Governor Moore proclaimed the first-ever International Transgender Day of Visibility in Maryland, celebrating transgender, gender diverse, nonbinary, and two-spirit people while raising awareness of the work that remains to achieve trans justice.

On May 3, Governor Moore signed the Trans Health Equity Act into law, which requires Maryland Medicaid to provide gender-affirming treatment and care in a nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with current clinical standards.

In June, Governor Moore proclaimed LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Maryland, hosted the first LGBTQIA+ Pride reception in Government House, and signed an executive order to protect gender-affirming health care in Maryland. The order protects those who are seeking, receiving, or providing gender-affirming care in Maryland from attempts at legal punishment by other states.

To learn more about Baltimore Safe Haven, visit baltimoresafehaven.org.