The Issues:
Marriage Equality
About the Marriage Equality Lawsuit
“The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.”
-US Supreme Court: Loving v. Virginia, 1967
On July 7, 2004, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), working closely with Equality Maryland, filed a lawsuit (Conaway v. Deane and Polyak) on behalf of nine loving, same-sex couples and a recently widowed man 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. Pictured here are the plaintiffs gathering prior to oral arguments at Baltimore City Circuit Court on August 30, 2005.
On January 20, 2006, Judge M. Brooke Murdock ruled in favor of marriage equality, writing that "Maryland's statutory prohibition against same-sex marriage cannot withstand this constitutional challenge." Oral arguments for the state's appeal of her ruling are scheduled to be heard before the Maryland Court of Appeals on Dec. 4, 2006. (To learn more about the history of Conaway v. Deane and Polyak, click here.)
We've assembled some resources to help you understand the lawsuit, keep track of developments, and advocate for marriage equality.
- Read legal documents relating to the case, including the original complaint, Judge Murdock's ruling, and friend-of-the-court briefs.
- View a list of questions and answers about Conaway v. Deane and Polyak.
- Read "Marriage Inequality in the State of Maryland," a detailed report on the legal obstacles couples must face to secure the most basic protections of marriage.
- Read statements on gay parenting from child welfare experts, and a list of responses to arguments against gay parenting.
- Read news articles and editorials relating to Conaway v. Deane and Polyak.
- Learn more about the couples involved in Conaway v. Deane and Polyak.
- Read some tips about writing and submitting a letter to the editor in support of marriage equality.
- Find out what you can do to ensure Marriage Equality in Maryland!
Click here to return to the Marriage Equality main page.