The Issues:
Marriage Equality
Say No to Discrimination in the Maryland Constitution
“This amendment will create a class of ‘second-class’ citizens, permanently stigmatize an entire group of people, and deny legal rights and protections to Maryland’s citizens.”
Rabbi Sarah Meytin, on behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington
On January 20, 2006, Judge M. Brooke Murdock ruled in favor of marriage equality in the ACLU and Equality Maryland's historic lawsuit, Deane and Polyak v. Conaway. The case will be heard by Maryland's highest court (called the Court of Appeals) on December 4, 2006.
In the wake of this decision, some Maryland legislators have introduced measures to reverse her ruling by means of a constitutional amendment. In 2006, Equality Maryland helped defeat seven such proposals introduced in the Maryland General Assembly.
Pictured here are Marylanders gathered in Annapolis for a rally at Equality Maryland's Lobby Day, held in February of 2006. (Photo courtesy of Rudy K.)
In this section we provide some information and resources to help you understand the issues and fight to keep discrimination out of our constitution.
- View resolutions of support and read statements from community leaders in opposition to the amendment.
- Find out about organizations, business and civic leaders, and clergy who oppose any amendment to the Maryland Constitution that would ban civil marriage and its vital protections for same-sex couples.
- View testimony from civil rights leaders, child welfare experts, children and parents of LGBT citizens, constitutional law experts, and others opposed to the amendment.
- Read a brief history of marriage discrimination and constitutional amendments.
- Equality
Maryland fact sheets and op-eds:
- Fact sheet on anti-gay constitutional amendments (PDF, 85 kb)
- Fact sheet on marriage vs. civil unions (PDF, 65 kb)
- Fact sheet on why anti-gay constitutional amendments are bad for business (PDF, 105 kb)
- Op-ed by Dan Furmansky: "Why Not Civil Unions?"
- Essays:
- The
countermajoritarian nature of the Maryland Constitution
by Dan Friedman - Md.
courts should ignore N.Y. same-sex decision
by Steven D. Schwinn
- The
countermajoritarian nature of the Maryland Constitution
- Opinion
pieces and editorials:
- Whose Right To Marry? (Baltimore Sun, 8/31/2005)
- Marriage Equality (Baltimore Sun, 1/22/2006)
- Gay Marriage Politics (Washington Post, 1/29/2006)
- Votes and Marriage (Baltimore Sun, 2/5/2006)
- Civil Rights Belong To Everyone (Carroll County Times, 2/22/2006)
- Nothing better to do? (Baltimore Sun, 6/6/2006)
- Find out what you can do to ensure Marriage Equality in Maryland!
Click here to return to the Marriage Equality main page.