Plaintiffs in a
lawsuit challenging Maryland's ban on same-sex marriage
are working to rally more clergy to their cause ahead of an
August 30 hearing in the case, supporters said
Wednesday. Aiming to counter a perception that
religious groups oppose legalizing same-sex civil unions,
two of the 19 plaintiffs spoke to about 50 Frederick-area
clergy and laypeople at a meeting organized by the
American Civil Liberties Union and Equality Maryland,
a gay rights group. "Equality is going to
happen," said John Lestitian of Hagerstown, one of the
plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in Baltimore circuit
court in July 2004. "It needs to happen now, and we
all need to be vocal about it."
The meeting,
attended largely by people who favor same-sex marriage, was
held at the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ in
downtown Frederick. Dan Furmansky, Equality Maryland's
executive director, said similar events may be held on
the Eastern Shore and southern Maryland to invite
church leaders to join a rally in Baltimore on August 29,
the eve of the court hearing.
In February, 28
religious groups and 48 spiritual leaders from Maryland
signed a document supporting same-sex civil marriages. "The
religious community does not speak with one voice on
this issue, much to contrary belief," said Meredith
Curtis, public education director for the Maryland
ACLU.
Douglas Stiegler,
who heads two groups opposed to same-sex marriage, the
Family Protection Lobby and the Association of Maryland
Families, said that while some churches may support
marriage equality for gays, "the Bible-believing
religious community doesn't hold that feeling." He
said more than 350 Maryland churches have joined the
opposition, which also plans to publicize its position
as the court date approaches. "There will be some
response, whether it's a press release, a press
conference, or actual rally--there will be something,"
Stiegler said.
Earlier this year
Gov. Robert Ehrlich vetoed two bills that would have
expanded domestic-partnership rights for same-sex
partners. One would have allowed gay and straight
partners to make medical decisions for each other. The
other would have granted a transfer-tax exemption to
gay couples who make their partners co-owners of property.
Furmansky said Equality Maryland hopes legislators
override those vetoes in January. He said the group
also will collect signatures this fall on a letter
opposing a state constitutional amendment that would define
marriage as the union of a man and a woman. That
definition currently is contained in a state law
dating to 1973.
Republican state
senator Alex X. Mooney, a leading opponent of what he
calls special rights for gays, said the push for a
constitutional amendment would continue despite the
measure's failure in the last general assembly. "Those
who want to destroy and redefine marriage to be
between two men and two women are going to keep pushing
their agenda, so we have to be ready with our
legislation," Mooney said. (AP)