Ever since January, when Baltimore Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock ruled that Maryland’s law banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory and unconstitutional, the state has been a major battle ground for same-sex marriage advocates around the country. Today, Maryland’s Court of Appeals put an effective end to this chapter of the struggle’s future in the state, ruling that the ban does not violate Maryland’s state constitution.
The Associated Press via WTOP has more on the 4-3 decision, which cannot be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Openly gay Maryland State Sen. Richard Madaleno is expected to introduce a bill to allow same-sex marriage in the state.
Massachusetts is still the only state where gay marriage is legal outright. Nine other states, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, have passed measures giving formal spousal rights for same-sex couples, though not explicitly through the institution of marriage.
Image from graemeking
