Eric Hartley: Gay marriage opponents already lost

Published 01/13/08

Here's how inevitable gay marriage is in Maryland, in one form or another.

There was a debate on the issue last week in Annapolis, and the supporters didn't even bother speaking.

True, it wasn't actually a debate over a marriage or civil union bill; it was a General Assembly committee hearing about insurance regulations, not ordinarily one of the more scintillating shows in town.

But make no mistake, this was about gay marriage. By a 12-4 vote, a joint Senate-House committee approved inserting a definition of "domestic partner" into state insurance rules.

And give them credit: The self-appointed...

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Thanks Eric - January 20, 2008

Watching the gay marriage debate is like looking back in history, and our society seems to be so slow in changing. Ending slavery, allowing blacks to marry, allowing women to vote, giving workers a say about their workplace, integrating our armed forces, ending segregation, and eliminating laws prohibiting inter-racial marriage - every one of these past battles were opposed by conservative, usually religious people. "Family values, "traditional marriage", the "erosion of marriage", etc are just the same "charged words" used in the past to excite the populace against progress to give us a more civil society. One way or another, our gay citizens will ultimately achieve legal ?marriage? equality under our CIVIL LAWS. And it is so interesting to note that marriage is failing as an institution, with a 50% divorce rate etc, all by hetero couples. Meanwhile gay people want to help set the example of couples living together and being committed under the legal institution of marriage. The homophobia and even hatred that underlay those who denigrate and deny our gay citizens legal equality is one of America's great shames, and a sin that stands against everything Jesus' life on Earth was meant to teach us. It is time for all people help to end the ordeal of third class citizenship for our gay citizens. It?s already happened in almost all of western europe, Israel, Republic of South Africa, Canada, Hungary, Uraguay, and parts of Mexico and Argentina. Those nations all guarantee gay people equality under the civil marriage law. It is about time America joined the 21?st century.

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Stephen Kay - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Bad

Gay Marriage opponents - January 13, 2008

I am glad to know that Gay marriage opponents have already lost and citizens in Maryland have already connected the dots and are okay with the resulting picture. Good Luck to all G.L.B.T.'s in Maryland who plan to civilly-wed and live a life. Michael civillywedd.com

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Michael H. - Linares, CA - Karma: Bad