Comments on: Will Maryland recognize gay marriages? http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/ The daily news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:01:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Shai http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-2/#comment-60405 Shai Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:36:20 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60405 @drewski - you've nailed it. Marriage is marriage and everyone knows what that means. RDP's, Civil Unions - there just isn't the societal or cultural history in our country to have a universal understanding of these various terms. My wife and I are one of the 18,000 legally married Lesbian/Gay couples in a State that has just upheld an (IMHO) unconstitutional - constitutional change which states that Gay and Lesbians can't get legally married. So we've got a Constitution in California that's in conflict with itself. We've been advised to carry a copy of our marriage certificate in case of emergency room visits (which are an unfortunate reality in our lives). Marriage and only marriage will suffice as long as our society and all the legal, medical and governmental entities use that specific word to mean specific, culturally understood and accepted things. Our community deserves nothing less than full equality. @drewski – you’ve nailed it.

Marriage is marriage and everyone knows what that means. RDP’s, Civil Unions – there just isn’t the societal or cultural history in our country to have a universal understanding of these various terms.

My wife and I are one of the 18,000 legally married Lesbian/Gay couples in a State that has just upheld an (IMHO) unconstitutional – constitutional change which states that Gay and Lesbians can’t get legally married. So we’ve got a Constitution in California that’s in conflict with itself. We’ve been advised to carry a copy of our marriage certificate in case of emergency room visits (which are an unfortunate reality in our lives).

Marriage and only marriage will suffice as long as our society and all the legal, medical and governmental entities use that specific word to mean specific, culturally understood and accepted things. Our community deserves nothing less than full equality.

]]> By: cheese & crackers http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-2/#comment-60317 cheese & crackers Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:18:06 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60317 Morgan, I reluctantly left Maryland (and my family there) 5 years ago for California. I left because I thought I needed to go to a gay Mecca (San Francisco) to feel like part of a community and put behind me some of my issues about being gay. I love SF, but Maryland is home and always will be. I know that there are l.ots of fair-minded and good-hearted people in Maryland. I am very thankful for people like you who stayed in Maryland to fight the fight. One day I would love to live in Maryland again, and I would like to take my same-sex husband with me. Thanks for working to make my home a fair place. Give em hell! Morgan,

I reluctantly left Maryland (and my family there) 5 years ago for California. I left because I thought I needed to go to a gay Mecca (San Francisco) to feel like part of a community and put behind me some of my issues about being gay. I love SF, but Maryland is home and always will be. I know that there are l.ots of fair-minded and good-hearted people in Maryland. I am very thankful for people like you who stayed in Maryland to fight the fight. One day I would love to live in Maryland again, and I would like to take my same-sex husband with me. Thanks for working to make my home a fair place. Give em hell!

]]> By: Morgan http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-2/#comment-60256 Morgan Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:03:36 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60256 Steve, I lived in Maryland for 43 years. Is SSM the only qualification for being a blue state? While MD is not as liberal as New England, Blue means a Democrat majority state and is exactly what MD is, a Democrat majority state. MD is better that Virginia, with same-sex couples leaving Virginia to live in Maryland it is granted not as far along as is New Jersey. NJ gov Corzine won the NJ Dem primary yesterday and he faces antimarriage equality GOP contender who won the NJ GOP primary in the NJ general election. Corzine says he will sign NJ marriage equality into law when it reaches his desk, whereas Chris Christie says he will veto the same bill if it reaches him should he become the next NJ gov. MD is along the marriage equality path of evolution somewhat like this: NH may or may not become the 6th marriage equality state today, NJ may be next in line and this year, Illinois may come up next for civil unions this year, 2010 Maryland may or may not see civil unions with marriage equality unlikely for a few more years, a try for overturning Prop 8 at the ballot box likely in CA in 2010, a possibility for marriage equality in RI in 2011 or 2012 may more likely by the fact that anti marriage equality RI Gov Carcieri cannot serve beyond 2011 due to RI's term limits and all the Dem contenders for RI gov are currently all pro-marriage equality including a run by the gay mayor of Providence Cicilline. NY State may possibly see marriage equality in 2012 or maybe earlier. We will see how things unfold, this timeline is merely a prediction. Steve, I lived in Maryland for 43 years.
Is SSM the only qualification for being a blue state? While MD is not as liberal as New England, Blue means a Democrat majority state and is exactly what MD is, a Democrat majority state. MD is better that Virginia, with same-sex couples leaving Virginia to live in Maryland it is granted not as far along as is New Jersey. NJ gov Corzine won the NJ Dem primary yesterday and he faces antimarriage equality GOP contender who won the NJ GOP primary in the NJ general election. Corzine says he will sign NJ marriage equality into law when it reaches his desk, whereas Chris Christie says he will veto the same bill if it reaches him should he become the next NJ gov.

MD is along the marriage equality path of evolution somewhat like this: NH may or may not become the 6th marriage equality state today, NJ may be next in line and this year, Illinois may come up next for civil unions this year, 2010 Maryland may or may not see civil unions with marriage equality unlikely for a few more years, a try for overturning Prop 8 at the ballot box likely in CA in 2010, a possibility for marriage equality in RI in 2011 or 2012 may more likely by the fact that anti marriage equality RI Gov Carcieri cannot serve beyond 2011 due to RI’s term limits and all the Dem contenders for RI gov are currently all pro-marriage equality including a run by the gay mayor of Providence Cicilline. NY State may possibly see marriage equality in 2012 or maybe earlier.

We will see how things unfold, this timeline is merely a prediction.

]]> By: Morgan http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60117 Morgan Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:23:50 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60117 Cheese and Crackers, From a fellow Marylander, one who has lived in another part of Central MD for 43+ years in Montgomery County near the MD/DC line. That area which has a progressive attitude is official gay-friendly Montgomery County which is one of the 2 closest counties to DC. The closer in toward DC one is in Montgomery County, generally the more in common that part of the county has with Northwest DC for liberal and progressive thought, gay friendliness and similarity of beautiful house and landscape styles along the border areas of Southern Montgomery County, MD and upper Northwest DC. The county as a whole is a good place to gay people to live as the county has gay friendly leadership and this county has a generally good quality of life. SEveral of the reps from my area of the county to Annapolis ARE ALL GAY-FRIENDLY, progressive, hard-working, approachable, and popular with a generally good reputation. Montgonery County has for employees of its county government with same-sex partners, if I know rights certain benefits, health or insurance benefits, I am not sure several years after our former county executive Duncan who pushed for that what it it entails. But it was enough to cause 11 county residents to contact Pat Robertson's legal people who initiated a lawsuit against the same-sex county benefits. The judge disagreed, saying the county was within its authority to have this benefits package that only applies to a few employees of the county government, and just a drop in a multi-million dollar budget of a county as territorially big as ours. Our county stretches from the MD state line with 2 Virginia counties and DC halfway to PA in a central but slightly northwest direction. Cheese and Crackers,

From a fellow Marylander, one who has lived in another part of Central MD for 43+ years in Montgomery County near the MD/DC line. That area which has a progressive attitude is official gay-friendly Montgomery County which is one of the 2 closest counties to DC. The closer in toward DC one is in Montgomery County, generally the more in common that part of the county has with Northwest DC for liberal and progressive thought, gay friendliness and similarity of beautiful house and landscape styles along the border areas of Southern Montgomery County, MD and upper Northwest DC.

The county as a whole is a good place to gay people to live as the county has gay friendly leadership and this county has a generally good quality of life. SEveral of the reps from my area of the county to Annapolis ARE ALL GAY-FRIENDLY, progressive, hard-working, approachable, and popular with a generally good reputation.

Montgonery County has for employees of its county government with same-sex partners, if I know rights certain benefits, health or insurance benefits, I am not sure several years after our former county executive Duncan who pushed for that what it it entails.

But it was enough to cause 11 county residents to contact Pat Robertson’s legal people who initiated a lawsuit against the same-sex county benefits. The judge disagreed, saying the county was within its authority to have this benefits package that only applies to a few employees of the county government, and just a drop in a multi-million dollar budget of a county as territorially big as ours. Our county stretches from the MD state line with 2 Virginia counties and DC halfway to PA in a central but slightly northwest direction.

]]> By: cheese & crackers http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60065 cheese & crackers Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:18:13 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60065 I was born and raised Maryland and I will always consider it home. The Maryland I know (the Baltimore area)has always had a more enlightened and tolerant attitude about gay issues than many other areas of the country. I hope Maryland takes a step forward towards equality. It would make me bery proud. I was born and raised Maryland and I will always consider it home. The Maryland I know (the Baltimore area)has always had a more enlightened and tolerant attitude about gay issues than many other areas of the country. I hope Maryland takes a step forward towards equality. It would make me bery proud.

]]> By: Steve http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60047 Steve Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:32:33 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60047 @Bill S. You may be right that the FFC allows Congress to regulate this issue, but that issue is not settled by established caselaw. More to the point, DOMA is irrelevant to the issue discussed in this article. The question for the state attorney general is whether Maryland's existing marriage-recognition rules provide for recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriage. While DOMA purports to allow states to ignore out-of-state same-sex marriages, the Maryland legislature has refused for more than a decade to enact a law specifically exercising that option. All Maryland has is an ambiguous 1973 law that does not specifically address out-of-state same-sex marriages. @Bill S.

You may be right that the FFC allows Congress to regulate this issue, but that issue is not settled by established caselaw.

More to the point, DOMA is irrelevant to the issue discussed in this article. The question for the state attorney general is whether Maryland’s existing marriage-recognition rules provide for recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriage. While DOMA purports to allow states to ignore out-of-state same-sex marriages, the Maryland legislature has refused for more than a decade to enact a law specifically exercising that option. All Maryland has is an ambiguous 1973 law that does not specifically address out-of-state same-sex marriages.

]]> By: Steve of Vermont http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60038 Steve of Vermont Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:02:22 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60038 DOMA and DADT should be fully repealed. Obama hates us and lied to us. 11 states still ban SSMs (yellow states on wikipedia maps) unfortunatly, Maryland is a yellow state, not a blue state like New York were they do recognise SSMs (wikipedia maps) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg "have extended a number of rights and benefits to gay and lesbian couples, they have stopped short of endorsing same-sex unions" What does that mean anyway??????? Remind we Obama: What was the main justification into changing, modifying or flip-flopping on the policy on DOMA and DADT recently? DOMA and DADT should be fully repealed. Obama hates us and lied to us. 11 states still ban SSMs (yellow states on wikipedia maps) unfortunatly, Maryland is a yellow state, not a blue state like New York were they do recognise SSMs (wikipedia maps)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg

“have extended a number of rights and benefits to gay and lesbian couples, they have stopped short of endorsing same-sex unions”

What does that mean anyway???????

Remind we Obama:
What was the main justification into changing, modifying or flip-flopping on the policy on DOMA and DADT recently?

]]> By: Ginelle http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60008 Ginelle Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:15:18 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60008 As New York currently recognizes marriages performed in other jurisdictions but at the same time is on the path towards legalizing the practice itself, I wonder if New Jersey is about to follow the same route. And why not, they are side by side states, commuters daily cross the Hudson River between the states largest cities of Newark, Jersey City and New York City itself - definitely a natural fit to have the entire region with marriage equality. As New York currently recognizes marriages performed in other jurisdictions but at the same time is on the path towards legalizing the practice itself, I wonder if New Jersey is about to follow the same route. And why not, they are side by side states, commuters daily cross the Hudson River between the states largest cities of Newark, Jersey City and New York City itself – definitely a natural fit to have the entire region with marriage equality.

]]> By: drewski http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-60000 drewski Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:29:07 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-60000 @Ben--Did you fall asleep in class? Sooner or later, if you don't call it what it is, it won't be recognized. Maybe it'll look nice on a piece of paper, but Connecticut and New Jersey have already demonstrated that pseudo-marriage DOES NOT have to be recognized by your insurance company, by the probate court when your pseudo-spouse dies, or by the hospital if one of you is sick. This isn't abstract complaining--it's exactly why Connecticut extended marriage laws to apply to gays, because all kinds of small things that shouldn't have required litigation were coming into the courts. That's thousands, or tens of thousands, of dollars for every case. You want Jim Crow? Go to a museum down South and have lunch with him. Meanwhile, don't visit your wishes on others, because maybe other people want equality rather than glorified toilet paper. @Ben–Did you fall asleep in class? Sooner or later, if you don’t call it what it is, it won’t be recognized. Maybe it’ll look nice on a piece of paper, but Connecticut and New Jersey have already demonstrated that pseudo-marriage DOES NOT have to be recognized by your insurance company, by the probate court when your pseudo-spouse dies, or by the hospital if one of you is sick. This isn’t abstract complaining–it’s exactly why Connecticut extended marriage laws to apply to gays, because all kinds of small things that shouldn’t have required litigation were coming into the courts. That’s thousands, or tens of thousands, of dollars for every case. You want Jim Crow? Go to a museum down South and have lunch with him. Meanwhile, don’t visit your wishes on others, because maybe other people want equality rather than glorified toilet paper.

]]> By: Ben http://www.365gay.com/news/will-maryland-recognize-gay-marriages/comment-page-1/#comment-59983 Ben Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:33:30 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=7735#comment-59983 BJ. Acting upon your sexuality is a choice. People don't choose their sexuality. BJ. Acting upon your sexuality is a choice. People don’t choose their sexuality.

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