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MsTinkerbelly · 01-26-2011, 03:17 PM

Moving forward in Maryland
By Adam Bink

Yesterday, legislation was formally introduced at a press conference in Annapolis to legalize the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. I didn’t have time to write about it the last two days, but some background via press release:

On January 25, 2011, Equality Maryland, along with Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola, House Majority Leader Kumar Barve, Senator Rich Madaleno, Senator Jamie Raskin, Delegate Ben Barnes, Delegate Keiffer Mitchell and community partners who support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Maryland, will hold a press conference at the state capital to announce the introduction of the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act. This bill ends the exclusion of committed same sex couples from civil marriage and protects the religious freedom of churches and synagogues.

[...]

Speakers:

Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (District 15)

· Sen. Rich Madaleno (District 18)

· Sen. Jamie Raskin (District 20)

· Majority Leader Kumar Barve (District 17)

· Del. Benjamin Barnes (District 21)

· Del. Keiffer Mitchell, Jr. (District 44)

· Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director, Equality Maryland

· Sean Eldridge, Political Director, Freedom to Marry

· Melissa Goemann, Legislative Director, ACLU Maryland

· Maryland Representative from Catholics for Equality

· Representative from Maryland Black Family Alliance

· Representative from the Maryland NAACP

· Sister Jeannine Gramick, Maryland Coordination for National Coalition of American Nuns

· Frank DeBernardo, Executive Director, New Ways Ministry

· Rion Dennis, President, Progressive Maryland

An impressive and worthwhile lineup.

Concurrently, a new poll showed that 51% of Maryland residents support allowing same-sex couples to marry, with 44% opposed.

As we’re doing in New Hampshire with our Granite State Camp Courage trainings, teaching local supporters to organize in their communities, we’re looking to help as much as we can in Maryland, and more on that in the coming weeks.

01-26-2011, 03:17 PM	#3
MsTinkerbelly Timed Out - TOS Drama How Do You Identify?: ... Preferred Pronoun?: ... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: ... Posts: 6,573 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,737 Thanked 22,907 Times in 5,017 Posts Rep Power: 0	PROP 8 TRIAL TRACKER...Maryland Moving forward in Maryland By Adam Bink Yesterday, legislation was formally introduced at a press conference in Annapolis to legalize the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. I didn’t have time to write about it the last two days, but some background via press release: On January 25, 2011, Equality Maryland, along with Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola, House Majority Leader Kumar Barve, Senator Rich Madaleno, Senator Jamie Raskin, Delegate Ben Barnes, Delegate Keiffer Mitchell and community partners who support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Maryland, will hold a press conference at the state capital to announce the introduction of the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act. This bill ends the exclusion of committed same sex couples from civil marriage and protects the religious freedom of churches and synagogues. [...] Speakers: Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (District 15) · Sen. Rich Madaleno (District 18) · Sen. Jamie Raskin (District 20) · Majority Leader Kumar Barve (District 17) · Del. Benjamin Barnes (District 21) · Del. Keiffer Mitchell, Jr. (District 44) · Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director, Equality Maryland · Sean Eldridge, Political Director, Freedom to Marry · Melissa Goemann, Legislative Director, ACLU Maryland · Maryland Representative from Catholics for Equality · Representative from Maryland Black Family Alliance · Representative from the Maryland NAACP · Sister Jeannine Gramick, Maryland Coordination for National Coalition of American Nuns · Frank DeBernardo, Executive Director, New Ways Ministry · Rion Dennis, President, Progressive Maryland An impressive and worthwhile lineup. Concurrently, a new poll showed that 51% of Maryland residents support allowing same-sex couples to marry, with 44% opposed. As we’re doing in New Hampshire with our Granite State Camp Courage trainings, teaching local supporters to organize in their communities, we’re looking to help as much as we can in Maryland, and more on that in the coming weeks.