NMR-Maryland Gay Marriage

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:13 am

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/breaking-news-maryland-moves-closer-to.html

Quote:

BREAKING NEWS: Maryland Moves Closer to Same Sex Marriage
by Rob in Baltimore - 1/20/2006 12:15:00 PM

Equal marriage rights for gay couples in Maryland took a HUGE step forward this morning. From the Baltimore Sun (registration required):

A Baltimore Circuit Court judge today struck down Maryland's 33-year-old law against same-sex marriage, ruling in favor of 19 gay men and women who contended the prohibition violated the state's equal rights amendments.

Anticipating that her decision eventually would be appealed to Maryland's highest court, the Court of Appeals, Judge M. Brooke Murdock stayed action on her ruling pending that appeal.

"After much study and serious reflection, this court holds that Maryland's statutory prohibition against same-sex marriage cannot withstand this constitutional challenge," Murdock wrote in her decision.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Equality Maryland and plaintiffs hailed the decision.

"This is such an exciting moment," said Lisa Polyak, who was one of the plaintiffs in the case along with her partner, Gita Deane. "Our participation in this lawsuit has always been about family protections for our children. Tonight, we will rest a little easier knowing that those protections are within reach."

...
But in her ruling today, Murdock wrote that the law "discriminates based on gender."

"There is no apparent compelling state interest in a statutory prohibition of same-sex marriage discriminating, on the basis of sex, against those individuals whose gender is identical to their intended spouses," Murdock wrote. "Indeed, this court is unable to even find that the prohibition of same-sex marriage rationally relates to a legitimate state interest."

Finch Platte · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:48 am

Yayyyy!

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 1:23 pm

At the same time, the General Assembly just passed a rule change prohibiting constitutional amendments to be tacked on to bills.

I'm no fan of Speaker of the House Michael Busch (he's from my district), but he did do the right thing by not allowing that troll and Hannity wannabe Delegate Don Dwyer (R-Glen Burnie) from slipping the anti-gay marriage amendment into something like an appropriations bill.

The legislature is very obviously diving head first into an attempt to unseat Governor Ehrlich this election year by immediately overriding vetoes on the Wal-Mart bill and the minimum wage bill, but this move is a good one.

ayah · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:03 pm **Posts:** 6402

go terps.

pollysix · **Joined:** Tue Oct 26, 2004 2:56 am **Posts:** 5174

HaqDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:02 pm

great, get ready for another hurricane.

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:52 pm

HaqDiesel Wrote:

great, get ready for another hurricane.

or a bad crab season. Finally my state can be seen as progressive. Woot.

Dusty Chalk · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:59 pm

And right next to Virginia, too (one of the more conservative states: oral sex -- same sex or otherwise -- is illegal).

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:58 am

Kiev Wrote:

Dusty Chalk Wrote:

And right next to Virginia, too (one of the more conservative states: oral sex -- same sex or otherwise -- is illegal).

I got a hummer in Virginia - I feel like such a desperado.

I still hate the fuckin' Eagles. Great story, though.

Borg166 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:06 am

You east-coast liberals are going to hell.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:13 am

Borg166 Wrote:

You east-coast liberals are going to hell.

Can we borrow your river of fire to take with us?

Red House Vincent · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:26 am

MotherFUCK. :shock:

Well, be back in Baltimore in 2 months.

Dusty Chalk · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:15 am

Kiev Wrote:

Dusty Chalk Wrote:

And right next to Virginia, too (one of the more conservative states: oral sex -- same sex or otherwise -- is illegal).

I allegedly got a hummer in Virginia...

OPA! · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:43 pm

scottycash99 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 10, 2004 1:46 am **Posts:** 1149

am i the only one that things its odd that an odd number of people were behind this? like someone jumped on the bandwagon thinking: "well im single right now, but wouldnt mind getting married in the future"

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

Flying Rabbit Wrote:

HaqDiesel Wrote:

great, get ready for another hurricane.

or a bad crab season. Finally my state can be seen as progressive. Woot.

I always thought MD was pretty progressive, considering.

Evil Dr. K · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am **Posts:** 6327

Flying Rabbit Wrote:

or a bad crab season.

You'd think more people getting married would have the opposite effect.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:51 pm

Elvis Fu Wrote:

Borg166 Wrote:

You east-coast liberals are going to hell.

Can we borrow your river of fire to take with us?

Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Funniest thing to ever happen. Ever. Oh, our river on fire.

NMR-Maryland Gay Marriage

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