Maryland Marriage Not Happening This Year

Maryland's gay and lesbian families will have to wait once more to learn whether state lawmakers will grant them the right to claim marriage parity: On March 11, the State House of Delegates sent a marriage equality bill back to committee. The measure is not expected to be addressed again in 2011.

"Supporters said they didn't think they had the 71 votes needed to pass the bill Friday, and it was sent back to committee in a procedure that will allow them to continue with the legislation next year," a March 11 Associated Press article reported.

"The measure would give same-sex couples in Maryland the same marriage rights as heterosexuals," the article added.

GLBT equality advocates were disappointed. A committee vote had been expected on March 1, only to be delayed when two delegates failed to appear for the vote. Equality advocates were hopeful when the bill finally made it to the full House that approval would send the measure to the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who had pledged to sign it. The state senate had already approved the measure.

But the bill's defeat did not dampen the determination of marriage equality advocates to see family rights for the state's same-sex couples become the law of the land.

"Though we are disappointed that we must continue to fight for marriage equality, today's move was a strategic step that will allow us to fight and win in the future," read a statement released by Equality Maryland. "We celebrate that-for the first time-marriage equality legislation made it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, the Senate, the House Judiciary Committee, and was debated in the House of Delegates."

The statement went on to say, "We are extraordinarily grateful to the many leaders who have stood by us throughout this journey especially our lead sponsors." The statement added, "As a result of the tireless efforts, strong hearts, and the determination of gay and lesbian couples and our many allies it is only a matter of time before Marylanders achieve marriage equality.

"Equality Maryland is more committed than ever to this fight," the statement continued. "Our setback today only strengthens our determination to redouble our efforts to ensure that our voices are heard and our rights are protected. We know our cause is just. We know that a growing majority of Marylanders believe in the same values of fairness and equality."

"Already this year we have made tremendous progress toward winning the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in Maryland," a joint statement from Equality Maryland, the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry and Gill Action, among other GLBT equality advocacy organizations, read.

"Successful votes in the full Senate and House committee show there is a strong and growing movement toward the freedom to marry. Over the past several days it has become clear that additional time to continue the marriage conversation in the state will better position the Civil Marriage Protection Act for success.

"By taking a bit more time, the majority of Marylanders who support the freedom to marry in the state will have the opportunity to have their voices heard by their legislators," the joint statement added.

Meantime, anti-gay groups are forging forward with efforts to ensure that families in Maryland never gain equitable rights and recognition. The National Organization for Marriage issued a threat against Republican State Sen. Howard Kittleman, who was the only member of the GOP in the state senate to support the bill, On Top Magazine reported on March 10.

"We don't question whether Senator Kittleman or any other Republican who might support gay marriage is voting so out of political calculation or are voting their true beliefs," NOM's Brian Brown said. "But we do question whether such a vote is consistent with the desires of their Republican constituents.

"NOM has defeated every pro-gay marriage Republican we've ever targeted, and we're quite confident Senator Kittleman will be next," added Brown.

The anti-gay group was a major force in the passage of Proposition 8 in California in 2008. That ballot initiative rescinded then-existing marriage rights for gay and lesbian families. NOM also played a major role in the defeat of marriage equality at the ballot box in Maine in 2009, when voters rescinded a law that would have extended marriage equality before the law could take effect.

Since then, NOM has spent millions of dollars around the country to prevent gay and lesbian families from gaining marriage rights. The group created a political action committee in New York in 2009 to oust pro-equality lawmakers in that state. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made marriage equality a focus for his administration.

NOM says that it will create a similar PAC in Maryland, and that it would distribute money to lawmakers from both parties who sought to deny family parity to same-sex couples.

"We want to be sure those courageous Democrats who cast their votes of conscience in favor of marriage will have a strong supporter if the radical gay activists come after them in their next primary election," said Brown.

The Maryland House's deliberations led to one enduring change when a House member publicly came out as gay. The disclosure was the subject of a March 9 Washington Blade article.

"As I have said all along, I think it's a strong civil rights bill," Del. Peter Murphy told the media. "I think it's a fair bill because it also addresses the religious issue and doesn't require any religious organization to practice something that goes against their teachings."

Murphy, who is a divorced father and grandfather, said he had never concealed his sexual orientation. "I have never denied it," the lawmaker asserted. "I just presumed people knew."

Murphy said that he was not particularly interested in joining the state's LGBT Caucus. "I just come here to do my work," Murphy told the Blade. "I'm not a big social person. I've never felt any pressure from anyone to be anything but what I am."

The article noted that with Murphy's public disclosure, there are now eight openly gay state lawmakers in office.

"It's still a courageous thing for public officials who are gay or lesbian to serve openly and honestly, so we applaud Delegate Murphy's decision," said the Victory Fund's Denis Dison. "As we've seen during the current debate over marriage, out lawmakers can have a tremendous impact on both their colleagues and their constituents, and the Maryland LGBT Caucus has certainly been at the center of this fight.

"With eight openly gay and lesbian members of the legislature, Maryland now has the largest LGBT caucus of state legislators in the country," added Dison.