NEWS RELEASE
Friday, Nov. 21, 2003                        

FREE STATE JUSTICE
Contact: Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone:    Office 410-685-6567
Cell    301-461-4900
Email:    dan@equalitymaryland.org

FREE STATE JUSTICE CONDEMNS CALLS FOR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FAMILIES HEADED BY SAME-SEX COUPLES

Governor Says "Gay Marriage" is an "Oxymoron" while Legislator Calls for Discriminatory Legislation  

BALTIMORE - Free State Justice, Maryland's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, expressed frustration and disappointment today following comments by Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. (D-Baltimore County) and Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) indicating they will block efforts to provide same-sex couples with crucial rights and protections under the law and will also support so-called "defense of marriage" legislation.    "I don't want to live next door to people who have a same-sex relationship and have children and have my children playing with them," Delegate Burns said in Thursday's Washington Post.

"I'm not going to play a part in further weakening this incredibly important institution," Gov. Ehrlich said in today's Washington Post.   "It's a little bit like partial-birth abortion or the assault weapons ban.if the major issue here is gay rights, for instance, this [same-sex marriage] is an edge issue, a marginal issue."

Governor Ehrlich's remarks come in response to Tuesday's ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which found that same-sex couples deserve equal civil marriage rights under the Massachusetts Constitution. The ruling in Goodridge et al. v. Department of Public Health would make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to grant same-sex couples the right to a civil marriage license.  

"While we have seen such comments in the past from Del. Burns, there is no excuse for his failure to treat all Maryland families with dignity and respect," said Dan Furmansky, Executive Director of Free State Justice.   "It is further upsetting to see Gov. Ehrlich, who was elected on a moderate platform, using inflammatory rhetoric. The Governor is responsible for representing all Marylanders, yet his comments and tone have effectively marginalized countless thousands of residents and dismissed the concerns of our families.   We seek to strengthen, not weaken the institution of marriage.   Our families need the crucial protections that accompany a civil marriage license, such as the right to visit a partner in the hospital or to make medical decisions if he or she is ill."  

Free State Justice and allied groups, including the ACLU, Log Cabin Republicans, PFLAG, and the Human Rights Campaign, have requested a meeting with Governor Ehrlich to discuss the community's concerns and further a dialogue about the needs of families headed by same-sex couples.   "It is our hope that we can initiate a conversation with the Governor and show that behind all the smoke and mirrors of this debate are very real issues faced by loving couples and their children," Furmansky said.  

According to 2000 census data, there are more than 11,000 families headed by same-sex couples in Maryland, residing in every county in the state.   Maryland does not recognize relationships between gay and lesbian couples, no matter how long the commitment.  

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Free State Justice is Maryland's largest civil rights organization focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland.   Free State Justice can be found online at www.freestatejustice.org .