A decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled that Montgomery County’s transgender anti-discrimination measure will not appear on the November ballot. The law, which protects transgender individuals from discrimination in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, will go into effect immediately.

According to the Washington Blade, the court’s decision reverses that of a lower court, which ruled that Equality Maryland failed to meet the deadline to challenge petition signatures collected by the right-wing group Maryland Citizens for a Responsible Government which had hoped to put the law to a vote.

Transgender rights advocates, including Maryland state delegate Heather Mizeur, hailed the decision.

“Today’s ruling throws the question off the ballot and throws discrimination out of the county, blocking this mean-spirited end run around the democratic process,” she said. “This is not just a victory for our GLBT community, but for fairness, justice and equality for all in Montgomery County.”