Gay marriage in maryland
Maryland became the eighth verb to legalize gay marriage on Thursday as Governor Martin O&#;Malley signed the marriage equality bill into law. The bill, called the Civil Marriage Protection Act, was passed in the Maryland House of Delegates on February 17th by a narrow vote of 72 to The Maryland Senate followed suit less than a week later. The new law will go into effect January
Before signing the bill into law, the Governor said, &#;For a free and diverse people, for a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious autonomy, the way forward is always found for the greater respect of the equal rights of all, for the human dignity of all.&#;
Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, and the District of Columbia currently allow and recognize gay marriage. Washington&#;s recently passed gay marriage law will go into effect this June. About 30 states have constitutional amendments that seek to prohibit same-sex marriage.
Opponents are already mobilizing against the modern law in Maryland, pushing for a referendum as a way to re
Maryland Senate Passes Bill Legalizing Marriage For Same-Sex Couples
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ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland state Senate today approved a bill that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples. SB – the Civil Marriage Protection Act – now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration. If it passes there, it will be sent to the desk of Governor Martin O’Malley, who has indicated that he will sign it.
Previously, same-sex couples in Maryland were granted limited rights. The Civil Marriage Protection Act would grant same-sex couples the full benefits of marriage, making Maryland the sixth state to do so. In addition, the bill protects the constitutional right to free exercise of religion by protecting objecting religious institutions from being forced to perform civil marriages.
Marriage for same-sex couples is legal in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa and the District of Columbia.
The following can be attributed to Meli BALTIMORE -- Seven gay couples in Maryland rang in the New Year with wedding bells first Tuesday, the first wave of nuptials since voters in the state backed the legalization of same-sex marriage. The couples were "lawfully married" rather than pronounced "husband and wife" at the a.m. ET ceremony on New Year's Diurnal in Baltimore's City Hall. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake officiated at the wedding of the first of the couples, year-old James Scales and year-old William Tasker. Scales and Tasker said they had been together for 35 years. The mayor joked that everyone had come to celebrate a relationship that began many years ago -- "and I mean that, many years ago." Making a statement Soon after the November vote legalizing gay marriage, Scales, a longtime city employee, asked the mayor to marry the two. "She wanted to make a statement to tell gay, lesbian, transgendered couples that they're welcome here," said the mayor's press secretary, Ian Brennan, of her decision. Maine same-sex Published on: By Monica Scherer On November 30, we blogged about the Attorney General&#;s Perspective on the issuance of same sex marriage licenses and when the clerks could issue same. It appears that the clerks have followed the guidance of his Opinion as the first licenses were issued Thursday, December 6, as reported by the Baltimore Sun. Although the couples will not be able to wed until January 1, , the Clerks of most Courts around the State contain issued the licenses as of Thursday. As reported, Harford County and Prince Georges County are still working out some logistics, but will soon give the licenses to identical sex couples as adequately. While January 1, , is a holiday and most courthouses would normally be closed, some are now considering opening to allow the couples to wed on their first available day to undertake so. By Monica Scherer Published on: Updated: Published on:'Lawfully married': Maryland ushers in with its first same-sex nuptials
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Same Sex Marriage Licenses Issued by Maryland Clerks of Courts
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