Maryland House Votes For Marriage Equality – Reactions And Responses

This evening the Maryland House voted in favor of same-sex marriage equality, 71-67. Here are responses from LGBT advocacy groups and others.

READ: Maryland House, After Thwarted Attempts, Passes A Same-Sex Marriage Bill

HRC

“We could not be more grateful to the Delegates who today voted to make all Maryland families stronger,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “Today, we took a giant step toward marriage equality becoming law – and we are in this position due to the unwavering leadership and resolve of Governor O’Malley, Speaker Busch and our legislative allies.”

The Civil Marriage Protection Act allows committed gay and lesbian couples to obtain a marriage license while providing religious exemptions for churches and other religious institutions. Clergy, for example, do not have to perform any marriage they do not agree with. The bill protects religious liberty.

PFLAG

“PFLAG National commends the delegates of the Maryland House for their
votes in support of marriage equality. PFLAGers have worked
tirelessly, in coalition with other marriage equality advocates, to
secure full marriage rights for their LGBT loved ones, and we are
happy to celebrate this advance for recognition and support of all
families in the Free State.” –Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director

Victory Fund

“We’re very proud of the gay and lesbian delegates whose leadership has been crucial in this debate.  Maryland’s lawmakers understand better the necessity of legal marriage for all couples because they serve alongside gays and lesbians whose loving, committed relationships reflect their own,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.

New Ways Ministry

New Ways Ministry thanks and congratulates Maryland’s House of Delegates for passing marriage equality legislation today, insuring that human dignity is honored, discrimination is eradicated, and ALL Maryland families are protected.

“Throughout the years of debate on this bill, New Ways Ministry has maintained, along with the majority of Catholics, that marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples is the proper Catholic thing to do.  It is a simple matter of social justice, which is one of the highest values that our faith professes.  We were proud to publicly testify for this bill in legislative hearings.

“The bill in Maryland still has to be voted on by the state Senate, where it was passed last year.  No senator has said that he or she will be changing a vote from last year.

“Martin O’Malley, the state’s Catholic governor, has vowed to sign the bill.  Mr. O’Malley has worked ardently for the bill’s passage. We are proud that this man of faith has stood up to do the right thing for our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters. We hope that his witness emboldens other Catholic lawmakers to follow his path of courage.

“Please keep Maryland in your prayers, as the bill takes its final steps to becoming a law, which will make Maryland the eighth state (plus the District of Columbia) to enact marriage equality.”

We’ll add more responses as they come in — stay tuned!

Image of Governor Martin O’Malley via his Twitter feed, with the comment, “We are one Maryland.”