Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.
(Annapolis, MD, March 1, 2012)—Today, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed HB 438—a bill providing full marriage rights for same-sex couples—into law.
Maryland will become the 11th jurisdiction in the country in which same-sex couples can marry when the law goes into effect on January 1, 2013. Opponents have pledged to try to put the new law up for a popular vote before it takes effect.
Maryland joins seven other states, Washington D.C., and two tribal nations that no longer discriminate against same-sex couples in marriage.
Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.:
“There is no doubt that 2012 is off to a firecracker start when it comes to tipping the scales in favor of full equality for our relationships and a future where the promise of justice for all is realized. Governor Martin O’Malley, like Washington Governor Chris Gregoire last month, has distinguished himself as a political leader who takes seriously his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. We know we have farther to go before every LGBTQ person can live fully and freely, but today in Maryland our brothers and sisters can rest easier, knowing that their families are recognized and secure under the law.”
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.
www.NCLRights.org .