Jul 16, 2004  |  By: JOE CREA  | COMMENTS     

MOUNT RAINIER, Md. — A lesbian City Councilmember here has refused to support a resolution that calls upon public and private entities to support marriage rights for same-sex couples, according to city officials.

City Councilmember Carol Gandee (Ward 1), who voiced her support for the resolution on two occasions after fellow councilmember Pedro Briones (Ward 2) introduced it, has since changed her mind but refused to explain why.

The resolution condemns the denial of marriage licenses to gay couples, acknowledges the city’s commitment to equal rights for gays, calls upon insurance companies and other benefits providers to recognize gay marriage and urges the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The resolution was discussed briefly last week and the council took public comment on Friday but decided not to take action. Briones said the measure would likely be brought to a vote sometime in the fall.

The city’s gay mayor, Bryan Knedler, said that about 40 residents representing both sides of the debate attended the special meeting on Friday. The meeting included several preachers. Some criticized the council for trying to pass the resolution “under the radar” without enough advance public notice, Knedler said.

Knedler said the council held the special meeting at the request of Councilmember Malinda Miles (Ward 2) because Briones was leaving town for a month.

In a brief and volatile phone interview with the Blade, Gandee refused to explain why she does not support the resolution.

“I resent the fact that you are calling me about this and I am not going to answer your question,” Gandee said, before abruptly hanging up the phone.
Briones said he twice asked for Gandee’s support, which he said she gave.

“It’s unfortunate that she backed down on it,” Briones said. “She caters to a very small, conservative, grumpy political base.”

When Briones won his race in January, the Washington Post noted that Mount Ranier had become the fourth jurisdiction in the country with a majority of gay elected officials. Briones said Gandee was upset by that report, because it called attention to her sexual orientation.

According to Knedler, Gandee told him that she did not run on the gay marriage issue and that since her constituents didn’t support it, neither would she.

Knedler said that Gandee is interested in higher office, having already opposed him for mayor in a special October 2002 election. He added that Miles is interested in running for the seat on the Prince George’s County Council being vacated by Peter A. Shapiro, who is resigning to accept a job at the University of Maryland. His last day is Friday, July 16.

Candidates must file by Aug. 16. The primary election is scheduled to take place on Sept. 14 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 2.

Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, attended the public comment period on Friday in Mount Rainier.

“It is clear that in a progressive city like Mount Rainier, so much more education is necessary on this issue for people to grasp the fundamental legal components of the dialogue,” Furmansky said after the meeting.

Joe Crea can be reached at jcrea@washblade.com.