 |
 |
| Del. Emmett C. Burns, Jr. (center) introduced a bill that would prohibit Maryland
from recognizing gay marriages performed outside the state. He said he does not
want gays to ‘sashay your way up to the altar and demand marriage.’
|
|
|
| | |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: JOE CREA COMMENTS
 
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Fearful that same-sex marriage
recognition could become a reality in Maryland, socially conservative legislators
are sponsoring two anti-gay marriage bills that would define marriage as a heterosexual
union.
Del. Emmett C. Burns, Jr. (D-Baltimore County) has introduced HB 728, which
would prohibit Maryland from recognizing a same-sex marriage performed in another
state or foreign country and would declare that marriage between individuals
of the same-sex is “against the public policy of this State.”
“I feel that it is the right thing to do,” Burns said. “Most gays and lesbians
don’t want to get married, and I think some who do are pushing their agenda
so far that they are hurting their own cause.
“Now, a lot of people have accused me of being homophobic. I’m not. If homosexuals
want to go at it and do their thing, that’s fine. But don’t sashay your way
up to the altar and demand marriage.”
The bill has 11 co-sponsors and has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
“I do believe in the rights of individuals, the rights to jobs, housing, but
this [gay marriage] gets involved in my religion and that’s why I’m against
it [gay marriage],” said Del. Rudolph C. Cane (D-Dorchester & Wicomico Counties).
Meanwhile, Del. Charles R. Boutin (R-Cecil & Harford Counties), has introduced
a more symbolic measure, HB 16, which would amend the Maryland Constitution
to read, “only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this State.”
A section of the Maryland Family Code already contains this language and was
read in the Judiciary Committee on Jan 14.
Del. Rosetta C. Parker (D-Prince George’s County) said she strongly opposes
any kind of law or amendment that would prohibit gay marriage.
“Couples are coming to me and want to get married,” Parker said. “We can’t
stop them from getting married so we might as well extend the benefits. [Gay
men and lesbians] are putting into the economy just like everyone else. They
should be able to live under the rules as everyone else.”
Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), chair of the House Judiciary
Committee, did not respond to Blade inquiries.
Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, Maryland’s gay rights
lobbying group, said defeating the anti-gay marriage bills is the organization’s
No. 1 priority.
“We are taking it very seriously,” Furmansky said. “Now is a very precarious
time for our community. There is tremendous backlash to the Massachusetts ruling
and it’s important to put all of our lobbying efforts into defeating such measures.”
Burns said it was “questionable” whether his measure will pass this year but
added that he has “additional ammunition” considering the developments in Massachusetts
regarding gay marriage.
Gay Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) said a constitutional amendment
banning gay marriage in Maryland is unlikely since such a measure would have
to be passed by three-fifths of the legislators in both houses of the General
Assembly and ratified by voters on the November 2004 ballot.
“I just don’t see it passing,” Madaleno said. “It passed the state Senate when
DOMA legislation was fashionable in the late ’90s but it died in the House.
And now you have a more progressive majority in both chambers.”
Burns noted that he would not be in favor of extending any benefits to gay
couples “because you don’t do that for heterosexuals.”
Burns said that while the Maryland Family Code has defined marriage as the
union of one man and one woman since 1973, the state is not protected from being
forced to recognize a gay marriage performed in another state. Maryland does
not have a DOMA law on the books.
“It doesn’t speak to someone who has been previously married in Maryland and
given the Full Faith & Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Maryland may
be obliged to accept that intrusion, if you please, or that coming. My bill
prevents that,” Burns said.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said he would rather leave
the issue of gay marriage up to the courts and Senate President Thomas V. Mike
Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said he doesn’t want to touch the issue this year, either,
according to reports in the Washington Post.
Maryland is one of 12 states that does not have a Defense ...
| 
