The Baltimore
city council became the fourth Maryland jurisdiction to
pass a resolution supporting the expansion of civil marriage
for same-sex couples.
The Baltimore
city council became the fourth Maryland jurisdiction to
pass a resolution supporting the expansion of civil marriage
for same-sex couples. The resolution was passed by a
9-3-3 vote on Monday. Baltimore joins College Park,
Kensington, and Takoma Park in supporting the
Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act,
according to Equality Maryland. Of the 24 state
legislators who represent Baltimore, at least 11 have
committed to voting for the act.
"Expanding civil
marriage to include same-sex couples is the fair thing
to do," council member Bill Henry, who introduced the
resolution, said in a statement. "I am proud of my
colleagues who stood up for all of our families in
Baltimore. I hope this resolution will nudge those
state legislators from Baltimore who are not yet
enthusiastically supporting this historic legislation to
rethink their position."
In February, city
council president Stephanie Rawlings-Blake submitted
testimony in support of the act. "Marriage is a unique
institution on many levels: religious, spiritual, and
social," she wrote. "Marriage is also a civil
institution that affords many economic and contractual
benefits that are not afforded to people as individuals. I
do not believe that people should be denied any of
these rights just because they do not fall under the
legal definition of marriage." (The Advocate)
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