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Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich was noticeably absent from the “Defend Maryland
Marriage” rally in Annapolis last week, which drew about 1,000 protesters
to Annapolis calling for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the
state.
In his place, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele made an appearance and expressed his
support for traditional unions while remaining mum on whether he backs an amendment
to the Maryland Constitution barring gay couples from marrying.
“We are here to affirm that marriage is only between a man and a woman,”
Steele said. “We need to make it clear where Maryland stands.”
Shareese N. DeLeaver, Ehrlich’s press secretary, said that the governor
would have attended the rally but was in New York accepting an award from an
Ivy League football group.
Steele told the crowd that the governor would have spoken had he not had a
scheduling conflict.
“Please know he is here in spirit as I am here physically,” Steele
said.
Steele’s reluctance to state whether or not he supports an amendment
to prohibit gay marriage remains consistent with his previous statements. In
September, the lieutenant governor told the Washington Times that a premature
discussion regarding a state constitutional amendment was detracting from more
important issues during the 2004 election.
His press spokesperson, Regan Hopper, did not respond to Blade inquiries this
week.
Ehrlich opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples. After a lawsuit was filed
in July by the American Civil Liberties Union claiming that the state’s
current law prohibiting gay marriage violates the Maryland Constitution, Ehrlich
condemned the action as part of the ACLU’s “far left agenda.”
He added that “traditional marriage in my view and the view of most Marylanders
and Americans is the cornerstone of our society.”
Yet the governor has yet to publicly express support for an amendment banning
gay marriage even as members of his own party, including Del. Donald Dwyer (R-Anne
Arundel), are spearheading the effort to pass such a ban.
“[Ehrlich] wants it both ways,” said gay delegate Rich Madaleno
(D-Montgomery County). “He wants to tell the righteous wing of the party
that he’s with them on marriage being between a man and a woman but doesn’t
want to alienate the reasonable wing of the party, the independent voters who
are not comfortable with singling out people in our constitution.
“He won the last election by promising to be a moderate. The people who
are out there leading the charge on the constitutional amendment could never
be mistaken for moderates.”
Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, issued a warning about
Ehrlich’s opinions on gay marriage.
“Governor Ehrlich is portraying in the media that he is tepid to the
idea of a constitutional amendment or DOMA,” Furmansky said. “But
we can’t presuppose anything when there is a wink of the eye and a pat
on the back from the second in command to a group of zealots with no respect
for the separation of church and state, and no respect for the constitutional
rights of thousands of Marylanders.”
Anthony McCarthy, a political commentator for WYPR radio in Baltimore who is
gay, said the governor is playing smart politics because he is running for re-election
next year.
“A majority of Marylanders may not support same-sex marriage but they
do recognize that the leadership of the anti-gay marriage movement comes off
as very extremist and mean-spirited,” McCarthy said. “I am not sure
they want to be so closely associated with that kind of base.”
Early last year the General Assembly rejected attempts to reinforce a law that
already stipulates that marriage in Maryland is between a man and a woman. In
March, the House Judiciary Committee voted 11-9 to kill a bill that would have
prohibited Maryland from recognizing a gay marriage performed in another state
or foreign country.
Another defeated bill, sponsored by Del. Charles R. Boutin (R-Cecil, Harford
Counties), sought to amend Maryland’s Constitution to read, “Only
a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this state.”
Marriage has been limited to opposite-sex couples in Maryland since 1973 under
Section 2-201 of the Family Law Article, which provides, “Only a marriage
between a man and a woman is valid in this state.”
Organizers of last week’s rally had predicted tens of thousands of protesters
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