UPDATE: Is Del. Sam Arora turning his back on Marriage Equality in Maryland? I Guess Not!

The gay community and allies of Maryland have been on edge this week. With different delegates going back and forth on their marriage equality support, some folks are wondering if gay marriage will ever grace the state. Then yesterday, the gay marriage bill hit a huge snag. Del. Sam Arora, who actually endorsed the gay marriage bill, may vote against it.

Metro Weekly reports

The lead sponsor of the marriage bill in Maryland's House of Delegates was also the first person to endorse Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery County) in his 2010 election. Now, however, Del. Kumar Barve (D-Montgomery County), says that Arora's decision to vote against the bill is "a shock."

I don't know what to think," Barve tells Metro Weekly this evening of Arora's decision to vote against the marriage bill that he once co-sponsored, once it makes its way to the House floor, something Barve says Arora told him personally.

"He told me that he was going to vote against it on the floor," Barve says. "I've been in the legislature for quite a while and nothing is a reality until you actually push the button. And these are hard issues. But he came to me and told me that he was having difficulty with the concept of it."

Barve adds, "It was a conversation where we didn't have a lot of time to talk because it was before a meeting, but we talked very briefly."

The MD fam is shocked by this. Friends in Baltimore were excited about him; they even talked about the tweets Sam posted. But according to several blogs, he has erased them. So, I have to wonder what's really going on in Maryland? And where is this pressure coming from to make Sam Arora and a few others to change their minds?

I hope Sam and the others come clean very soon.

Well, that was fast. From his website, Sam has pledged his support:

I have heard from constituents, friends, and advocates from across the spectrum of views and have thought about the issue of same-sex marriage extensively. I understand their concern—this is a very serious issue, and one that many people feel passionately about. As the vote drew nearer, I wrestled with this issue in a way I never had before, which led me to realize that I had some concerns about the bill. While I personally believe that Maryland should extend civil rights to same-sex couples through civil unions, I have come to the conclusion that this issue has such impact on the people of Maryland that they should have a direct say. I will vote to send the bill to the floor because it deserves an up-or-down vote. On the floor, I will vote to send the bill to the governor so that Marylanders can ultimately decide this issue at the polls. I think that is appropriate.