EQUALITY MARYLAND DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT DEFEATED - WE WILL TRIUMPH
Maryland's LGBT advocacy organization vows to keep up the fight.
After lengthy debate and support from thousands of Marylanders from all over the state, the House of Delegates recommitted the Civil Marriage Protection Act to committee.
Statement by the Staff and Board of Equality Maryland; Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director and Charles Butler, Board President
Though we are disappointed that we must continue to fight for marriage equality, today's move was a strategic step that will allow us to fight and win in the future.
We celebrate that-for the first time-marriage equality legislation made it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, the Senate, the House Judiciary Committee, and was debated in the House of Delegates.
We are extraordinarily grateful to the many leaders who have stood by us throughout this journey especially our lead sponsors - Senators Rob Garagiola (D-15), Jamie Raskin (D-20) and Rich Madaleno (D-18) and Delegates Kumar Barve (D-17), Ben Barnes (D-21) and Keiffer Mitchell. We are also extremely fortunate to have such terrific leaders in the members of Maryland's LGBT Caucus and proud to call them not just our partners but our friends. Special thanks to Delegates Maggie McIntosh (D-43), Heather Mizeur (D-20), Anne Kaiser (D-14), Luke Clippinger (D-46), Bonnie Cullison (D-19), Mary Washington (D-43) and Peter Murphy (D-28). None could have done more to push for the passage of this legislation.
