Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Maryland
A marriage equality bill has been introduced in Maryland:
This morning, Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (pictured) of Montgomery County introduced the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (SB116), the preferred plan of gay-rights activists. The legislation would permit same-sex couples to marry but would not require churches to perform the unions.
The House version of that bill is scheduled to be introduced next week by House Majority Leader Kumar Barve of Montgomery County. Equality Maryland, the majority leaders and other lawmakers and same-sex couples will promote the twin bills at a press conference Tuesday in Annapolis.
Also, on deck are a similar bill with the same name to be introduced by Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons. The Baltimore SSun makes note of it but does not elaborate, only saying that it "appears to be slightly different." Another lawmaker, Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, a Howard County Republican, is planning the introduction of a civil unions bill.
And the opposition is ready:
This morning, Del. Don H. Dwyer Jr., an Anne Arundel Coutny Republican, was talking to fellow colleagues about a bill he will soon introduce to counteract Maryland's new policy of extending marriage protections to same-sex unions that were lawfully performed in other states.
LGBT advocates are extremely positive about the chances for passing marriage equality in Maryland this year. A recent poll found that most Maryland residents support it.
Jeremy Hooper at Good as You has a look at NOM's Maryland team.
I realize politics is about compromise, but why give in to LIES, thus giving them more life? I have seen a few bills like this,
"The legislation would permit same-sex couples to marry but would not require churches to perform the unions." -- the thing is, for NO marriage is a church EVER "required" to perform the ceremony to validate it. Thats why there is CIVIL marriage.
Including this language to pacify the haters, only gives credence to the LIE that the haters have spread the past decade that somehow if we get civil marriage equality, churches would be forced to do the same. That will not happen, has never happened, and here in Canada over the past 10 years has NEVER happened. Why not fight the lies and just ask for equality for Chrissakes!
Posted by: Strepsi | Jan 21, 2011 1:22:08 PM
Before everone gets too excited about this, let me remind you that Maryland law is basically the same as Maine, meaning that even if passed by the legislature it is subject to a vote of the people. So passing this bill will not bring marriage equality to Maryland, it will just put in on the ballot in 2012. And poll numbers are not as good as they were in Maine or California a year before the vote. So I'm not optimistic about this, hope I'm wrong.
Posted by: Ken | Jan 21, 2011 2:16:45 PM
What are they going to do with marriage equality in Maryland, get married? And then what? Eat a burger, go to Blockbuster, commute to work and get stuck in traffic. Just like everyone else.
Posted by: Natira | Jan 21, 2011 2:22:30 PM
Streps, I totally hear what you're saying, but there have been a handful of same-sex couples (and might be others down the road) who, in the name of "making a statement" or maybe to try to get damages, have tried or might indeed try to sue a church for discrimination if it refuses to marry them. I think this is a smart CYA on the part of the legislature, in that then they really can say to the churches, "Look, you don't have to perform them, so it's not hurting you, so stay out of it." Calling these religions out on their fears seems actually canny to me, because it then makes them look unduly unreasonable.
Posted by: Dback | Jan 21, 2011 7:52:54 PM
Dear Streps,
As DBack points out, including the language that bigots in churches would not be forced to perform marriages that they don't approve of eliminates even the garbage claim that any two people would want to trash their own wedding by trying to insist that they be married by a religious screwball.
Unfortunately, we have learned to our dismay -- well, SOME of us have learned -- that ignoring the misinformation and disinformation spread by anti-social elements does not stop them from further disseminating, nor does absence of countering them seem to do much in deterring otherwise rational people from listening to them.
Posted by: EdA | Jan 23, 2011 12:44:44 AM