Press Conference on Marriage Equality

I was honored to speak at a press conference today in Annapolis urging the Maryland General Assembly to pass the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act during the 2011 legislative session. I was the lead sponsor of a resolution adopted unanimously by the County Council on Feb. 5 urging the General Assembly to enact marriage equality for all Marylanders.

The current law that denies same-sex couples in Maryland the right to marry is not fair to couples, and it’s not fair to families. Denied the freedom to marry, same-sex couples and their families are deprived of the critical safety-net that comes with marriage especially at times of great vulnerability such as birth, death, illness, disability and unemployment.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act will allow same-sex couples in Maryland to apply for and receive marriage licenses and would extend to them all state-administered legal benefits, protections and obligations. It would not compel any religious institution or members of the clergy to marry same-sex couples.

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee heard public testimony on the bill following the press conference.