Same-Sex Marriage Bill Falls Short in Maryland

[Smash255]

Looks like Maryland will be the next state to allow same-sex marriage.

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http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/12/maryland.same.sex.marriage/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It'll go to a 2012 referendum if it passes.

[Free Palestine]

It would be the first sort-of Southern state to legalize it.

Good to hear.

[Holmes]

News organizations are acting as if getting 50k petition signatures will be really difficult... why is this? I know these people always lie while getting signatures, but 50k is a low number to begin with.

[Brittain33]

It'll go to a 2012 referendum if it passes.

Yes, won't that be fun for the gays. Obama came out against Prop 8 when it was on the ballot in 2008 despite saying he didn't support marriage equality at the time; no doubt he's going to have to walk that same line in 2012, in which he fools nobody, but I have to hope he would have an impact on Maryland voters to get them to defeat the repeal. We're going to win one of these referenda one of these days, I just don't know when it will start.

[ottermax]

It'll go to a 2012 referendum if it passes.

Yes, won't that be fun for the gays. Obama came out against Prop 8 when it was on the ballot in 2008 despite saying he didn't support marriage equality at the time; no doubt he's going to have to walk that same line in 2012, in which he fools nobody, but I have to hope he would have an impact on Maryland voters to get them to defeat the repeal. We're going to win one of these referenda one of these days, I just don't know when it will start.

ironically, arizona.

[Brittain33]

It'll go to a 2012 referendum if it passes.

Yes, won't that be fun for the gays. Obama came out against Prop 8 when it was on the ballot in 2008 despite saying he didn't support marriage equality at the time; no doubt he's going to have to walk that same line in 2012, in which he fools nobody, but I have to hope he would have an impact on Maryland voters to get them to defeat the repeal. We're going to win one of these referenda one of these days, I just don't know when it will start.

ironically, arizona.

True, but there were special circumstances in the wording of that law which make the results hard to repeat.

[nclib]

So would the referendum actually be on whether or not to legalize gay marriage, in contrast to the other states where the referendum was about whether or not to put anti-gay discrimination into the constitution?

[Brittain33]

It looks like the Maine situation where people vote to overturn the law.

[Thomas D]

On one hand I obviously want this to pass. But then it will be on the ballot in 2012 and those campaigns are always so ugly.

[Badger]

The heavy black vote coming out to support Obama's reelection, sadly, will seriously hurt this at the polls. Much like CA in 08.

[Brittain33]

The heavy black vote coming out to support Obama's reelection, sadly, will seriously hurt this at the polls. Much like CA in 08.

Black opposition in CA was overstated... there was an early exit poll showing high support for Prop 8 that was not borne out by other polls and by analysis of precincts. African-American support for gay marriage is on a par with the electorate as a whole. But it's not in line with Democratic voting patterns, plus many people have unrealistic expectations of African-American voters seeing this as a civil rights issue, so it gets commentary.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

News organizations are acting as if getting 50k petition signatures will be really difficult... why is this? I know these people always lie while getting signatures, but 50k is a low number to begin with.

How do they lie while getting signatures?

[Thomas D]

News organizations are acting as if getting 50k petition signatures will be really difficult... why is this? I know these people always lie while getting signatures, but 50k is a low number to begin with.

How do they lie while getting signatures?

We had something like this 10 years ago. The people would ask if the person supported gay rights, and if they said yes the person taking signatures would say something like: "This is a petition to support gay rights."

They got to 50,000 but a Judge threw them out. Which is why the nondiscrimination bill signed in 2001 was not on the 2002 ballot.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Oh ok... I thought he meant lied about the number.  Yeah, people who lie about petitions are scum (although, I really don't see why anybody wouldn't read the petition before signing it).

[Smash255]

The heavy black vote coming out to support Obama's reelection, sadly, will seriously hurt this at the polls. Much like CA in 08.

As Britain pointed out black opposition was overstated in 08.  Majority were still against it, but not in the numbers the initial exit poll suggested.

Also as more time goes on (four years beyond 08) the opposition will diminish.  You also have the well educated factor.  More than likely, just like whites, opposition diminishes with education, and Maryland likely has a higher % of of well educated blacks (especially in Prince George's County) than California.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

Look for an amendment to ban gay marriage in Indiana by 2012. Now that the GOP has full legislative control. Also we have the governors mansion and it's likely that we'll be keeping it at least till 2016. So be ready to hear that Indiana has banned gay marriage in a landslide.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

Look for an amendment to ban gay marriage in Indiana by 2012. Now that the GOP has full legislative control. Also we have the governors mansion and it's likely that we'll be keeping it at least till 2016. So be ready to hear that Indiana has banned gay marriage in a landslide.

It's coming to all 50 states......where will you move to get away from the gayz couplez then?

[Landslide Lyndon]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

Look for an amendment to ban gay marriage in Indiana by 2012. Now that the GOP has full legislative control. Also we have the governors mansion and it's likely that we'll be keeping it at least till 2016. So be ready to hear that Indiana has banned gay marriage in a landslide.

It's coming to all 50 states......where will you move to get away from the gayz couplez then?

We will always have Oklahoma Gramps.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

Look for an amendment to ban gay marriage in Indiana by 2012. Now that the GOP has full legislative control. Also we have the governors mansion and it's likely that we'll be keeping it at least till 2016. So be ready to hear that Indiana has banned gay marriage in a landslide.

It's coming to all 50 states......where will you move to get away from the gayz couplez then?

Are you aware that EVERY TIME the issue of marriage has been on the ballot, GAY MARRIAGE GETS DEFEATED. Even in California. The Federal judge that got Prop 8 overturned is an outspoken gay. The people Of California chose to protect traditional marriage and the judge has NO JURISDICTION regarding the issue. We have this thing called Article 1 Section 8 and the 10th Amendment and marriage is a state issue not a federal one. Though personally I think government should leave marriage to the faith communities.

[Smash255]

I hope the people of Maryland decide to say no to allowing gay marriage.

They won't, and it will be coming to your state soon.........

Look for an amendment to ban gay marriage in Indiana by 2012. Now that the GOP has full legislative control. Also we have the governors mansion and it's likely that we'll be keeping it at least till 2016. So be ready to hear that Indiana has banned gay marriage in a landslide.

It's coming to all 50 states......where will you move to get away from the gayz couplez then?

Are you aware that EVERY TIME the issue of marriage has been on the ballot, GAY MARRIAGE GETS DEFEATED. Even in California. The Federal judge that got Prop 8 overturned is an outspoken gay. The people Of California chose to protect traditional marriage and the judge has NO JURISDICTION regarding the issue. We have this thing called Article 1 Section 8 and the 10th Amendment and marriage is a state issue not a federal one. Though personally I think government should leave marriage to the faith communities.

Its absolutely disgusting that a Civil Rights Issue is left up to the voters.   Aside from that, the will of the people is certainly turning, and Gay marriage is gaining more acceptance.  If it gets to the ballot in Indiana in 2012, an Amendment probably would pass (though probably not by the amount you think).   If a referendum is in Maryland, I highly doubt they will overturn Gay Marriage.

[Brittain33]

The Federal judge that got Prop 8 overturned is an outspoken gay.

Setting aside whether only straight people should be allowed to rule on this, as if they aren't biased by being unaffected by laws excluding same-sex couples from legal protections... that's not true. He's not outspoken at all, and to the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been confirmed as something more than "everyone knows but it is not public."

[Brittain33]

We have this thing called Article 1 Section 8 and the 10th Amendment and marriage is a state issue not a federal one.

Really? The consequence of that is that DOMA is unconstitutional when the federal government declines to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in states where they are legal. I have been paying $1,000+ a year in extra income tax to the federal government because my partner's health care is considered taxable income and the federal government doesn't recognize our marriage. If it did, it would be tax free. How does it advance your morality for me to pay out of pocket like that? Do you consider the financial cost your attitude has on people like me, without dissuading me in any way from being gay?