2011: The year for marriage in Maryland
December 16, 2010
By Cameron Tolle, Freedom to Marry's Online Organizer
It’s been quite the year! Despite (even more than usual) ups and downs of legislative politics and less-than-desirable election results in some states, 2010 was a winning year for the freedom to marry! And with your help, we’ll make 2011 a turning point for ending discrimination against gay and lesbian couples and their families!
You might remember the good news we shared after Election Day: pro-marriage Governors won in key states. Reflecting the two national polls that show a majority of Americans in support of the freedom to marry, voters in Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland cast their ballots for governors who made their pro-marriage stances known in their campaigns.
And while the momentum for marriage is escalating in each of these states, the prospects for winning marriage in Maryland in 2011 are particularly strong. Our friends at Equality Maryland have been working hard over the past year to lay the groundwork for a marriage bill in the 2011 legislative session. EQMD is serious about ending marriage discrimination in the Free State, which is why every day, they’re out talking to voters about the importance of marriage for same-sex couples.
When the legislative session begins on January 12th, Equality Maryland and their partner organizations will be pushing hard to ensure the passage of a marriage bill in the early months of 2011. And today’s Washington Post proves exactly that. Reporting that Equality Maryland has invested in a well-known lobbying firm for the upcoming legislative session, the Post notes, ”The move underscores the greatly improved outlook for passage of such legislation [marriage and gender identity anti-discrimination protections] after last month's elections.”
Marriage legislation has been introduced in previous sessions but hasfailed to advance beyond the Judicial Proceedings Committee in the Senate. Thisyear, however, is different. Changes in the makeup of that committee“ make it nearly certain that the committee will vote to send the bill to the Senate floor” according to the Washington Blade. Likewise, Speaker of the House Mike Busch has committed to maintaining apro-equality majority on the house Judiciary Committee, meaning that the bill should receive a full chamber vote.
And once the marriage bill receives a full House and Senate vote, the outlook is positive! In each chamber, pro-marriage supporters are just a handful of votes shy of ensuring passage, which means that grassroots support and contact from constituents will make all the difference in making marriage a reality in Maryland. The groundwork for victory is there! Now it’s up to each of us to push forward on the path to ending marriage discrimination against gay Marylanders and their families.
Freedom to Marry is proud to support the great work of Equality Maryland and their coalition partners! We will have field and new media staff on the ground in Maryland between now and the end of the legislative session working alongside the Equality Maryland team.
Be sure to like Equality Maryland on Facebook to stay connected with the latest developments in the campaign to win marriage in the Free State!