Civil Unions

Sen. Allan Kittleman insists that he was not forced out of his job as Senate minority leader because of his proposal to create civil unions for gay and straight people alike. No vote was taken in the Republican caucus, and no one asked him to leave. But those mitigating details don't paper over the fact that the other members of the caucus were not comfortable with having a leader who was an outspoken advocate for ensuring equal rights for all. A week after the GOP caucus in the Senate shrank from 14 to 12, and at a time when increasing numbers of Marylanders support ending the state's decades-old ban on gay marriage, holding on to prejudice as a litmus test seems like a poor avenue to return to relevance.

State Sen. Allan H. Kittleman shocked Maryland Republicans by announcing Tuesday that he will step down as Senate minority leader, a decision he said he made after fellow caucus members voiced discomfort with legislation he is pushing to recognize same-sex civil unions. "I'm a social moderate, and I wanted to stand up for what I believe in," the Howard County Republican said in a brief interview Tuesday morning on his way to the Senate chamber. He has held the position for two years.

Equality Maryland says it will be asking primary voters today about same-sex marriage -- grassroots outreach that the gay-rights group hopes will put it in touch with hundreds of voters. In a release this morning, Equality Maryland described the exit polling as a "massive voter ID effort" that will occur throughout the day in Anne Arundel, Frederick and Prince George's counties. Anne Arundel and Frederick feature a mix of Democratic and Republican voters, while heavily Democratic Prince George's contains voters with more conservative social values.

In the old story, a preacher gives an inspiring sermon, which he concludes by asking his congregants to stand up if they want to go to heaven. Everyone rises except one nervous-looking fellow. "Brother," asks the incredulous pastor, "don't you want to ascend to paradise when you die?" Says the holdout: "When I die? Sure! I thought you were getting up a group to go right now." That's pretty much how I feel about the California Supreme Court's decision granting the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Gay and lesbian activists thought they had a friend in Martin O'Malley. As a progressive mayor in Baltimore, O'Malley attended gay pride parades and signed into law a measure to protect transgender people from discrimination. When he ran for governor, he said he supported civil unions and wanted to extend benefits to same-sex partners of state employees, as he had done for city workers. But two years into O'Malley's first term in Annapolis, neither has happened. He largely stayed out of the debate over legal recognition for same-sex unions that fizzled in the General Assembly, and aides say his financially strapped administration probably won't grant benefits for at least another year.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act would legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland. The proposal presumes to invalidate religious opposition by exempting religious institutions from performing same-sex marriages - an unnecessary exemption, as no church can be forced to marry anyone. Proponents of same-sex marriage - as well as such marriage-equivalency arrangements as civil unions and domestic partnerships - claim that bills to legally create those relationships deal only with civil law and should be of no concern to people of faith.

Concerned that they won't be able to muster the votes for a comprehensive bill on same-sex unions this year, state lawmakers are considering a tactical shift toward legislation that would grant a number of rights to gay and lesbian couples but stop short of full-fledged marriage or civil unions. Such a bill would create a legal relationship for gay and lesbian couples that confers as many as possible of the several hundred rights granted to married couples under state law. "We're looking at a smaller basket of rights and benefits," said Sen. Jamie Raskin, a Montgomery County Democrat.

Opponents of gay marriage vowed yesterday to bring the fractious debate over same-sex unions to a vote in the Maryland General Assembly and possibly to voters on the November ballot. Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. is circulating a petition to take a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage directly to the floor of the House of Delegates without a committee vote. He also is seeking signatures to bring to the House floor a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. While the Anne Arundel Republican is a fervent gay-rights opponent, he said Marylanders deserve to know their legislators' views.

The Maryland General Assembly will soon consider legislation to remove the state's ban on same-sex marriage. We wholeheartedly support the effort. Numerous are the rewards - to the individuals involved and society as a whole - that spring from this vital social institution. The broad range of benefits (and obligations) that come with marriage should not be denied certain people because of sexual preference. But it would be foolish not to recognize that the proposal has little chance of passage this year.

As the General Assembly gears up for a debate on the rights of gay couples, a solid majority of Maryland voters supports some form of legalized same-sex unions, according to a recent Sun poll. Nineteen percent of likely voters said they support gay marriage, and 39 percent said they back civil unions, meaning that nearly three out of five believe the state should formally recognize same-sex relationships. Maryland law bans same-sex marriage. Thirty-one percent of those polled said they disagree with granting either form of same-sex unions, but only half of those opponents said a constitutional amendment is needed to ban them.