NEWS RELEASE
February 9 , 2005

EQUALITY MARYLAND
Contact: Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone:    Office 301-587-7500
Cell    301-461-4900
Email:  dan@equalitymaryland.org

HUNDREDS SET TO RALLY FOR FAIRNESS IN ANNAPOLIS ON VALENTINE'S DAY

Maya Marcel-Keyes, Daughter of Alan Keyes, Joins Judy Shepard as a Speaker

ANNAPOLIS -- Just two weeks after an anti-gay rally in Annapolis decrying legal protections for families headed by same-sex couples, Equality Maryland, Maryland's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization, announced today a pro-fairness rally in front of the Maryland State House to coincide with the organization's annual lobby day on February 14. The rally, scheduled for 5:00 p.m., will feature community leaders, extraordinary Maryland citizens, elected officials, as well as Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard. Mrs. Shepard is a vocal supporter of hate crimes initiatives throughout the country and heads the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Its mission includes developing solutions to problems that are rooted in ignorance and hatred.

A notable addition to the roster of speakers is Maya Marcel-Keyes, a self-described "young queer activist," who is the daughter of ultra-conservative Alan Keyes, a political commentator who recently lost his bid for an Illinois Senate seat.

"Given the harsh rhetoric that has come from Alan Keyes over the past several years, many in the LGBT community will relate to Maya's story, and understand the complexities she faces in disagreeing so fundamentally with someone she loves," said Executive Director Dan Furmansky. "It shows a tremendous amount of bravery and strength for someone to open up their heart and expose their life to the public in order to be an agent of change, and I commend Maya for doing just that."

Ms. Marcel-Keyes grew up in Darnestown, MD. She attended high school at Oakcrest Preparatory School, a conservative Catholic school for girls in McLean, VA. After graduation, she spent a year in the south of India, where she worked for a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) focused on tribal rights. She plans to attend Brown University in the fall.

The rally will focus partly on key elements of the 2005 legislative agenda, which includes defeating any anti-gay legislation, as well as passing the Medical Decision Making Act and Hate Crimes Penalties Act. Other speakers addressing the crowd include parents of children who are gay, children of gay parents, elected officials, clergy, and leaders within the LGBT African-American community.

"Right now, it literally feels like open season on LGBT individuals in this country," Furmansky said. "We can't just sit around while hate crimes are on the rise, children of gay couples are left without the same protections as other children, transgender individuals are victims of baseless violence and discrimination, LGBT individuals are demonized, and anti-gay organizations are working furiously to break down the separation of church and state. It's time to say 'enough is enough'!"

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Equality Maryland is Maryland’s largest civil rights organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland. Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the public about the issues faced by our diverse community.

Equality Maryland can be found online at www.EqualityMaryland.org