The Issues:
Marriage Equality

Businesses and Civic Leaders opposed to a constitutional amendment

Click here to join a growing list of Maryland business and civic leaders who are taking a stand in support of equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in opposition to any discriminatory constitutional amendments intended to deny our families the rights and protections all citizens deserve. No amendment to the Maryland Constitution has ever been ratified that sought to limit the rights of one group of citizens.

As you may know, the ACLU and Equality Maryland filed a lawsuit, Deane and Polyak v. Conaway, on behalf of nine same-sex couples and a widower seeking the right to marry in Maryland. The lawsuit charges that excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the state Constitution's guarantees of equality. On January 20, 2006, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Brooke Murdock issued a written decision that Maryland's statutory prohibition against same-sex marriage cannot withstand this Constitutional challenge "because it discriminates, based on gender against a suspect class; and is not narrowly tailored to serve any compelling governmental interests." Oral arguments are scheduled before Maryland's Court of Appeals, our highest court, for December.

Some state legislators have called for a Constitutional Amendment to take away rights from loving families and their children. As the litigation moves forward, these anti-gay legislators will work overtime to pass an amendment. A public referendum on this question would be ugly and disruptive to our citizenry and our economy. It would paralyze the state and make it more difficult for business, civic and government leaders to focus on the issues that are truly important for the quality of life in Maryland, including job creation, energy, education and health care. It would also draw negative attention to the state that will make it harder for businesses to attract the best and most diverse employees to their Maryland-based companies.

We are asking you to join many of your peers in signing the Business and Civic Leaders for Equality Statement of Support. We need your help to achieve equality for all families and to ensure that a discriminatory measure is not added to the Maryland Constitution.

Thank you for your consideration. If you would like, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and the reasons your voice would be an important one in valuing all Maryland families. Again, many thanks.

For Equality,

Dan Furmansky
Executive Director
Equality Maryland
(301) 587-7500
dan@EqualityMaryland.org

To sign the Statement of Support, click here.

Click here to return to the Supporters main page.