WATCH: Gov. O'Malley signs Marriage Equality into law in Maryland

Maryland State Senate passes Gay Marriage Bill

By a vote of 25-22, the state senate passed the gay marriage bill. Now it goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley, who promised to sign it.

Congrats Maryland!

Maryland House passes Marriage Equality Bill

After foolish testimonies and craziness, Maryland's House voted 72-67  for marriage equality.

They are moving in the right direction.

Maryland Religious Leaders demand Marriage Equality

Rev. Al Sharpton stars in Maryland's Marriage Equality Ad - WATCH

Crazies gather for an Anti-Gay Rally in Maryland - WATCH

In Maryland: Gov. O'Malley introduces Gay Marriage Bill

Gov. O'Malley promised to support gay marriage and he's keeping that promise. He introduced the gay marriage bill last night.

The governor, his staff and advocates worked throughout the day to hammer out language detailing religious protections. They distributed the new legislative language moments before the 8 p.m. session began.

 In an informal briefing with reporters earlier Monday, O'Malley said his bill would make religious protections "a little clearer" than they had been in last year's version of the measure. He said he hoped the changes would lead to "additional support."

The language provided Monday night made a few key changes, according to Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for O'Malley. She said the bill extended legal protections to leaders of religious groups, while last year's bill shielded only institutions.

The bill also makes clear that religious leaders, not the state, control theological doctrine, Guillory said. And it further limits any punitive actions — like denying government funds — that the state could take against religious organizations for failing to perform same-sex marriages.

O'Malley has invited LGBT supporters and religious leaders to finalize plans and to work out the details in the morning. This is getting good for us!

In Maryland: More Black Pastors are supporting Marriage Equality

Rev. Jamie Washington

Are times changing in Maryland? I hope so, especially with this news here. There is an increasing number of Black pastors supporting gay marriage.

The Baltimore Sun states:

Since marriage equality became a hot-button issue, a growing number of African-American ministers, both straight and openly gay, have weighed in with support for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and elevate the message that we are all children of the creator. Where there is love, there is God.

Leaders such as Rev. Dennis Wiley, a Maryland resident and pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C., have spoken out publicly and unapologetically about their support for all loving and committed couples. Advocates like Rev. Dorothy Harris, pastor of Unity Fellowship Church of Columbia, and Pastor Larry Brumfield with Westminster's Church of the Brethren are standing firmly in solidarity.

Jamie Washington is a pastor of the Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore, and a person I have met on many occasions, had this to say:

Our LGBT brothers and sisters want the same things as everyone else. They want what is at the core of marriage equality — to make a lifelong promise in front of family, friends and God to commit to each other and take care of one another.

I'm hoping their work will break through the old prejudices held by the many in the Black community.

New Poll: 59% of African-Americans oppose Redefining Marriage in Maryland

This is not cute. In the Gonzales poll, the Black community highly opposed gay marriage.

Here are the poll results:

Same-Sex Marriage
Among Maryland voters today, 48% would favor (38% “strongly” favor and 10% “somewhat” favor) a law in Maryland allowing same-sex couples to marry, “giving them the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples in areas such as tax exemptions, inheritance and pension coverage,” while 49% would oppose (39% “strongly” oppose and 10% “somewhat” oppose) such a law, and 3% offered no opinion.
The results by party and race:
                                               FAVOR   OPPOSE
Democrats                                  64%      32%
Republicans                               20%      79%
Independents                              47%      51%
White                                         51%      46%
African-American                     41%       59%

I am glad to see 41% in favor of gay marriage. But more work needs to be done to change my community from opposing marriage equality.




To see the poll results, go here

a wink to Mad Professah /Ron Buckmire for the info.

Interesting Quote: Elbridge James, Executive Director of Maryland Black Family Alliance

"Transgender Marylanders, especially transpeople of color, face significant discrimination, violence, and harassment in almost every aspect of their lives. The struggle to find ones identity should never be diminished by discrimination, harassment, or violence. Discrimination in Maryland comes at a price and is unjust. It's time for our state to join 12 other states across the country in ending discrimination against transgender Marylanders."

He's talking about House Bill 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, a bill that will protect transgender people in housing, employment and credit in Maryland.


Update the House just passed the bill

Today the Maryland House voted 86-52 to pass HB 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, legislation that would end discrimination in employment, housing and credit for Transgender Marylanders.


A report put out in February 2011 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 1 in 5 transgender people in Maryland have lost a job due to discrimination and 12% have become homeless.

Advocates emphasize that this law is a matter of life-or-death for some Marylanders and call on supporters to help secure passage this year.

Equality Maryland, along with members of the House of Delegates, and the LGBT Caucus, celebrate this victory and acknowledge the work ahead.

This is great news to start the day!

Maryland House Stops Gay Marriage, for now

Today, the Maryland House of Delegates killed the gay marriage bill for this year. The bill will be sent back to Judiciary Committee. Hopefully, next year they will get enough votes to move this forward.

Fam in Maryland, please take note of the folks who voted "no" or who straddled the fence. Let them know that this will return next year and they better be ready.

WATCH: Maggie Gallagher ramble about Gay Marriage in Maryland

source

MSNBC's Thomas Roberts and Jonathan Capehart discuss the Maryland Marriage Equality Drama

Maryland House Committee votes 12-10 for Gay Marriage

Great news! The House Committee voted in favor of Gay Marriage.
Metro Weekly has the scoop

Maryland's House Judiciary Committee voted today 12-10 in favor of the passage of Senate Bill 116.

The bill now moves on to the House of Delegates for a floor vote. SB-116 passed through the Senate on Feb. 24, with a 25-21 vote.

The vote came after several amendments were discussed on March 4, including one by Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington County) to allow grandmothers to marry their grandsons. That amendment was withdrawn. 
If signed into law, the legislation would grant same-sex couples in the state legal marriage recognition, while also protecting the rights of religious institutions to handle issues of marriage however they see fit.

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.

WATCH: Some of the Maryland Gay Marriage Hearings

Maggie's evil ass


The Evil Alliance Defense team


Thanks to Nelson for uploading these videos

Senate approves Gay Marriage in Maryland

Big step in the right direction!

Maryland is getting there! Gay Marriage moves from the Senate to the House!

Same-sex couples in Maryland would have the same full marriage rights as heterosexuals under a bill that cleared the Senate Thursday. If the House of Delegates approves it and the governor signs it, Maryland would be the sixth U.S. state to approve gay marriage.

Opponents, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Calvert, promised that if it does become law that a referendum question would be on the 2012 ballot so voters have the final decision.
Before it passed, senators amended the bill to include protections for religious groups and institutions to keep them from being forced to participate in gay weddings. The bill would grant the same title and rights to same-sex couples as married straight couples.

If the measure passes the House, Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley has said he would sign it into law.

The vote was 25-21

source

Interesting Quote: Julian Bond

Standing for the freedom to marry is about supporting all families, but I would be remiss without highlighting the impact that this inequality has on black same-sex couples, who statistically are already economically disadvantaged compared to their straight sisters and brothers. In comparison to black opposite-sex couples and white same-sex couples, black same-sex couples are more likely to parent children and earn a lower annual income. The lack of marriage rights negatively affects black same-sex couples because they are also more likely to work in the public sector, relying on health insurance that is often only afforded to married couples.


Furthermore, I firmly believe that marriage strengthens communities. Allowing more couples the opportunity to marry will strengthen the communities — and families — that most need it.


I served for 20 years in the Georgia State House and Senate; I recall difficult decisions my colleagues and I had to make, often torn between conscience and public opinion. I hope the General Assembly will stand for what's right and bring the freedom to marry to Maryland.

 Well said, Julian.

source

Maryland panel Approves the Gay Marriage bill, now it's off to the Senate

This just came out:

The Maryland Senate will likely take up a civil unions bill next week after the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee approved the measure today. 

The panel voted 7-4 to forward the bill to the full Senate.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller told reporters that the debate on gay marriage would likely begin on Tuesday and predicted that the final vote would be taken on Monday, Feb. 28.

Observers say 23 state senators – all but one are Democrats -- have indicated their support for passage, but 24 votes are needed. Three senators – all Democrats -- have not declared their intentions yet, but one of them has broadly hinted support for the bill. The other 21 senators have indicated they will vote against gay marriage, including 10 Democrats.

source

WATCH the Battle of Gay Marriage in Maryland

Even Evil Maggie Gallagher and Family Research Council was there