ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has signed an historic bill extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples in the state.
In a grand signing ceremony in Annapolis O’Malley said, “For a free and diverse people, for a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious freedom, the way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights of all, for the human dignity of all.
“Religious freedom was the very reason for our state’s founding, and at the heart of religious freedom is the freedom of individual conscience.
“If there is a thread that unites all of our work here together, it is the thread of human dignity, the dignity of work, the dignity of a job, the dignity of every child’s home, the dignity of every individual.”
But, Maryland’s law doesn’t take effect until January 2013 and between now and then, opponents of marriage equality will very likely force a ballot referendum on the issue, giving voters a chance to undo what O’Malley and state lawmakers have already done
Pending this process, Maryland now joins six other states – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont – plus the District of Columbia in recognizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples under the law. Additionally, Washington state passed marriage equality earlier this year and that bill is expected to be on the ballot in November as well. 8 states – California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island – provide same-sex couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.
A January poll by the Washington Post showed 50 percent of Marylanders support gay and lesbian couples getting married with 44 percent opposed.
