January 25, 2008
Md. Gay Marriage Bill Gets New Sponsors
The Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act will be introduced by two state senators today. Senators Jamie Raskin and Rich Madaleno, both Democrats from Montgomery County, will be named as the bill's lead Senate sponsors. They will fill the sponsorship void left by Senator Gwendolyn Britt, who passed away a couple of weeks ago.
The proposed bill validates marriages between "two people, not otherwise prohibited from marrying" instead of the one male and one female rule currently outlined in state law. Further, the bill states that anyone authorized to perform marriages in Maryland will not be required to perform any that go against their religious beliefs.
A press conference will be held in Annapolis at 11:30 a.m. to announce the bill's introduction.
The bill's chances of passage are rather slim, though. Despite the expected sponsorship in the House and Senate, legislative leaders and Gov. Martin O'Malley don't intend to promote the bill this term. Senate Democratic Leader Edward Kasemeyer told the Associated Press, "There's probably not a desire to take it up until some kind of consensus develops on what to do, and I don't see it happening."
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This is good news! All we have to do is wait for some consensus to develop...just like the time it took America to fully get behind the idea that slavery is immoral, and that women deserve to vote.
A right is not something to be extended to a group of people only once a majority of people have decided that they deserve it. A right is something to which someone is entitled without qualification. Gay marriage isn't right if a majority of voters or legislators come to support it. Gay marriage is right because it extends the right to marry universally, without governmental discrimination as to who "deserves" it.