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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 25, 2008
Equality Maryland Applauds Introduction Of The Religious Freedom And Civil Marriage Protection Act
Senators Madaleno and Raskin and Delegates Barnes, McIntosh, Kaiser, Mizeur and Schuler Take the Lead to End Marriage Discrimination
CONTACT:
Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Cell: (301) 461-4900
Annapolis, Md. – The lead sponsors of The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act announced today the introduction of this historic measure in the Senate and House of Delegates with nearly 50 cosponsors. The legislation expands civil marriage in Maryland to include same-sex couples while preserving the rights of religious institutions and leaders to perform and recognize only those marriages that are consistent with the tenets of their faith.
"For those naysayers who say that Maryland isn't ready to end marriage discrimination, I ask you, if not now, when?" said Executive Director Dan Furmansky. "Thousands of same-sex couples are denied the more than 1,000 basic legal protections of a marriage license. Granting these families the stability that marriage provides is good for their health, good for their children, and good for society."
On Sept. 18, 2007, a divided Maryland Court of Appeals ruled 4-3 it was not a violation of the state constitution to deny marriage licenses to same-couples. Within days of the decision, Senator Gwendolyn Britt and Delegate Ben Barnes announced they would serve as the lead sponsors of legislation to end marriage discrimination. Following the sudden death of Sen. Britt on January 12th, Senators Rich Madaleno and Jamie Raskin announced they would lead efforts in the Senate to pass the measure.
Hearing dates for the bills should be set in the coming week.
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Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest LGBT civil rights organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland. Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the public about the issues faced by our diverse community.
Sponsors and Cosponsors of The Religious Freedom
And Civil Marriage Protection Act
SENATE (9)
Madaleno – Primary, Raskin – Primary
Forehand
Gladden
Kramer
Lennett
McFadden
Pinsky
Pugh
HOUSE (40)
Barnes – Primary, McIntosh – Primary, Kaiser – Primary, Mizeur – Primary, Schuler – Primary
Ali
Anderson
Barkley
Barve
Bobo
Bronrott
Carr
Carter
Dumais
Feldman
Frick
Frush
Gaines
Gilchrist
Gutierrez
Guzzone
Heller
Hixson
Hubbard
Hucker
Ivey
Lee
Manno
Montgomery
Niemann
Peña-Melnyk
Pendergrass
Ramirez
Reznik
Rice
Rosenberg
Stukes
Turner, F.
Valderrama
Waldstreicher
Selected Quotes
"When we deny civil rights to one group of citizens we demean and debase our entire society. Just as the Jim Crow South is a scar on a great nation, so too is denying the protections of marriage to gay and lesbian families. This Bill will give us in the Maryland Legislature an opportunity to choose; we can choose to stand for equality with great civil rights leaders like, Gwen Britt, John Lewis and Julian Bond or we can choose the path of intolerance. Today I choose the path that these leaders have set forth."
Delegate Ben Barnes, Primary Sponsor
"On this momentous occasion we take another step forward on our nation's long march for equality. Today, by introducing this bill, we are placing our faith in the legislators of the great state of Maryland; that they will put equality for all of their constituents at the forefront of their minds that they will move past divisiveness and come together and support equality and unity, for all citizens in our one Maryland."
Delegate Anne Kaiser, Primary Sponsor
"That my wife would be allowed at my death bed in the hospital is one of the over 400 state and 1,100 federal rights that she and I are able to take for granted. Gay families have to fight at every turn for these rights and I am proud to join them in that fight."
Delegate Todd Schuler, Primary Sponsor
"I am pleased today to announce that Senator Jamie Raskin and I have introduced the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act (SB 290). I am also pleased that we were joined by seven of our colleagues as cosponsors. This brief but monumental bill will provide full equality under the law for thousands of same-gender couples in our state. The bill also reiterates that no religious denomination will be required to recognize, perform, or bless any marriage that is against their beliefs.
"This important legislation will help ensure that families like mine will be provided the rights and protections that most married couples take for granted. Without marriage, I am at the mercy of doctors, nurses, and security guards for my partner to gain access to me in a hospital. Without marriage, all of our financial planning and savings could be wiped out to pay inheritance taxes upon the untimely death of one of us. Without marriage, we live in a state of legal limbo that exacts a significant emotional and financial toll on our families, our children, and ourselves. With marriage, we can live our lives secure in the knowledge that we have the same legal rights, responsibilities, obligations, and protections that our fellow citizens enjoy.
"Over our history, marriage has changed to reflect changes in the broader culture. Our culture has changed in regard to this issue. It is time for our laws to reflect the lives thousands of Maryland couples are living."
Senator Rich Madaleno, Primary Sponsor
"Civil marriage is a civil institution and must be open to all Marylanders without discrimination or prejudice. Religious marriage is completely different; no church should ever be forced to marry anyone it does not want to. A church may refuse to marry interfaith couples, interracial couples or same-sex couples. This bill protects this autonomy of the churches, and I would gladly defend the free exercise and free speech rights of a church to refuse to marry anyone it doesn't want to. But, as a matter of civil law in our state, we are all equal and the hundreds of benefits attendant to marriage, including medical decision-making, hospital visitation and property inheritance, should not be denied to any citizen of our state. This is an historic moment for us moving forward to vindicate the equality of all Marylanders."
Senator Jamie Raskin, Primary Sponsor
"Marriage equality is an issue of fundamental fairness and equal protection under the law. The time has come."
Delegate Roger Manno, Cosponsor
"As a person who has been married for over fifty years, my husband and I have no problems with The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act."
Delegate Karen Montgomery, Cosponsor
"I support this bill 100%."
Travis Britt, husband of the late Sen. Gwendolyn Britt
"This is the civil rights issue of our time. I don't want to look back 20 years from now and regret being on the wrong side of history. Marriage equality is the right thing to do, and now is the right time to do it."
Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher, Cosponsor
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND CIVIL MARRIAGE PROTECTION ACT
Article – Family Law
§2-201.
(A) Only a marriage between [a man and a woman] TWO PEOPLE, NOT OTHERWISE PROHIBITED FROM MARRYING, is valid in this State.
(B) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO INVALIDATE OTHER SECTIONS IN THIS TITLE
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT NO OFFICIAL OF A RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION OR BODY AUTHORIZED TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SOLEMNIZE ANY MARRIAGE IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION GUARANTEED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND BY THE MARYLAND CONSTITUTION AND MARYLAND DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT OCTOBER 1, 2008.