Aug 29, 2008  |  By: JOSHUA LYNSEN  | COMMENTS     

DENVER — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley spoke briefly Monday with the Blade on the floor of the Democratic National Convention about the merits of civil unions versus civil marriage, Montgomery County’s upcoming transgender rights referendum and other gay issues.

Blade: Were you around for Ted Kennedy’s remarks?
O’Malley: Yeah, I was. It was very moving. It was hard not to get choked up when you watch a man like that whose family has suffered, endured and persevered. There’s so much personal tragedy and yet he fights every day. He’s fighting now, even with the physical challenges that he has. It was a very, very inspiring moment and everybody in the delegation was very moved by it.
Blade: One of the things he referenced was the end of rivalries. One of the rivalries that he cited was between straights and gays. Do you think that is coming to an end?
O’Malley: I think the Democratic Party for many years has been a catalyst for bringing people together for unity, for understanding who we are, one community, and that the things that unite us are far stronger than the things that divide us. So, I thought his message was, I think, right on and a classic and important message for this party to hear. This isn’t about us. This is about making progress so the next generation of Americans are far more understanding of each other and appreciative of what we have in one another, and that we repair and strengthen the fabric of community.

Blade: When we talk about that next generation, at what point do you think Maryland will be ready to embrace same-sex unions of some type, whether it be civil unions, domestic partnerships or full marriage equality?
O’Malley: Oh, I don’t know. I think that there is a growing awareness of the shortcomings of our laws and the manner in which they shortchange the children of committed couples who happen to be gay. And I think that there is certainly an awareness in the General Assembly of the need to update our laws in Maryland so that we can treat people equally, more equally, and closer to the ideal that we hold as a country that believes that individuals should have their rights protected equally. So in Maryland, I think that there’s a lot of consensus for civil unions. And the last session, some advocates chose instead to go a different route. And so, we’ll see. I don’t know. I think, increasingly, more and more Americans realize it’s not fair to children to not be able to have laws that respect equally the rights of their parents, the property of their parents, the dignity that their parents deserve as citizens of our country.

Blade: To what extent during the next session do you expect to help convey that message?
O’Malley: Well, I believe that I’ve never stopped helping to convey that message, and I’m going to continue to do it to the best of my ability. There were a number of bills that we signed in this last session that promoted equal rights and equal treatment of people, and I suspect that there will be more in the next session, and perhaps even another bill that directly addresses civil unions in a more comprehensive sense. And as I’ve said in the past, should such a bill get to my desk, I would sign it. And so, we will see. Hopefully, this November election will be an opportunity for progress and for healing and for coming together, and we’ll see what the next session holds.

Blade: So you remain committed to signing a marriage bill, should it cross your desk?
O’Malley: Yes. I believe that to insist upon the word marriage delays the progress that we could be making if we focus on it as an equal rights issue and a civil unions issue. And I know there are many committed people that tactically disagree with me and feel very idealistic in their tactical disagreement, but I do believe that the focus on civil unions is an idea that will garner consensus and will take more quickly and more readily than trying to forge a consensus around the word of marriage.

Blade: Last question. There is a transgender rights measure that is going to the ballot in Montgomery County in November. Do you expect to become involved in that battle at all to help protect the rights of transgender people?
O’Malley: You know, I think we passed a similar bill in the city of Baltimore when I was mayor, if my memory ...