ANNAPOLIS,
Md.
—
Fearful
that
same-sex
marriage
recognition
could
become
a
reality
in
Maryland,
socially
conservative
legislators
are
sponsoring
two
anti-gay
marriage
bills
that
would
define
marriage
as
a
heterosexual
union.
Del.
Emmett
C.
Burns,
Jr.
(D-Baltimore
County)
has
introduced
HB
728,
which
would
prohibit
Maryland
from
recognizing
a
same-sex
marriage
performed
in
another
state
or
foreign
country
and
would
declare
that
marriage
between
individuals
of
the
same-sex
is
“against
the
public
policy
of
this
State.”
“I
feel
that
it
is
the
right
thing
to
do,”
Burns
said.
“Most
gays
and
lesbians
don’t
want
to
get
married,
and
I
think
some
who
do
are
pushing
their
agenda
so
far
that
they
are
hurting
their
own
cause.
“Now,
a
lot
of
people
have
accused
me
of
being
homophobic.
I’m
not.
If
homosexuals
want
to
go
at
it
and
do
their
thing,
that’s
fine.
But
don’t
sashay
your
way
up
to
the
altar
and
demand
marriage.”
The
bill
has
11
co-sponsors
and
has
been
assigned
to
the
House
Judiciary
Committee.
“I
do
believe
in
the
rights
of
individuals,
the
rights
to
jobs,
housing,
but
this
[gay
marriage]
gets
involved
in
my
religion
and
that’s
why
I’m
against
it
[gay
marriage],”
said
Del.
Rudolph
C.
Cane
(D-Dorchester
&
Wicomico
Counties).
Meanwhile,
Del.
Charles
R.
Boutin
(R-Cecil
&
Harford
Counties),
has
introduced
a
more
symbolic
measure,
HB
16,
which
would
amend
the
Maryland
Constitution
to
read,
“only
a
marriage
between
a
man
and
a
woman
is
valid
in
this
State.”
A
section
of
the
Maryland
Family
Code
already
contains
this
language
and
was
read
in
the
Judiciary
Committee
on
Jan
14.
Del.
Rosetta
C.
Parker
(D-Prince
George’s
County)
said
she
strongly
opposes
any
kind
of
law
or
amendment
that
would
prohibit
gay
marriage.
“Couples
are
coming
to
me
and
want
to
get
married,”
Parker
said.
“We
can’t
stop
them
from
getting
married
so
we
might
as
well
extend
the
benefits.
[Gay
men
and
lesbians]
are
putting
into
the
economy
just
like
everyone
else.
They
should
be
able
to
live
under
the
rules
as
everyone
else.”
Del.
Joseph
F.
Vallario
Jr.
(D-Prince
George’s),
chair
of
the
House
Judiciary
Committee,
did
not
respond
to
Blade
inquiries.
Dan
Furmansky,
executive
director
of
Equality
Maryland,
Maryland’s
gay
rights
lobbying
group,
said
defeating
the
anti-gay
marriage
bills
is
the
organization’s
No.
1
priority.
“We
are
taking
it
very
seriously,”
Furmansky
said.
“Now
is
a
very
precarious
time
for
our
community.
There
is
tremendous
backlash
to
the
Massachusetts
ruling
and
it’s
important
to
put
all
of
our
lobbying
efforts
into
defeating
such
measures.”
Burns
said
it
was
“questionable”
whether
his
measure
will
pass
this
year
but
added
that
he
has
“additional
ammunition”
considering
the
developments
in
Massachusetts
regarding
gay
marriage.
Gay
Del.
Richard
S.
Madaleno
Jr.
(D-Montgomery)
said
a
constitutional
amendment
banning
gay
marriage
in
Maryland
is
unlikely
since
such
a
measure
would
have
to
be
passed
by
three-fifths
of
the
legislators
in
both
houses
of
the
General
Assembly
and
ratified
by
voters
on
the
November
2004
ballot.
“I
just
don’t
see
it
passing,”
Madaleno
said.
“It
passed
the
state
Senate
when
DOMA
legislation
was
fashionable
in
the
late
’90s
but
it
died
in
the
House.
And
now
you
have
a
more
progressive
majority
in
both
chambers.”
Burns
noted
that
he
would
not
be
in
favor
of
extending
any
benefits
to
gay
couples
“because
you
don’t
do
that
for
heterosexuals.”
Burns
said
that
while
the
Maryland
Family
Code
has
defined
marriage
as
the
union
of
one
man
and
one
woman
since
1973,
the
state
is
not
protected
from
being
forced
to
recognize
a
gay
marriage
performed
in
another
state.
Maryland
does
not
have
a
DOMA
law
on
the
books.
“It
doesn’t
speak
to
someone
who
has
been
previously
married
in
Maryland
and
given
the
Full
Faith
&
Credit
Clause
of
the
U.S.
Constitution,
Maryland
may
be
obliged
to
accept
that
intrusion,
if
you
please,
or
that
coming.
My
bill
prevents
that,”
Burns
said.
House
Speaker
Michael
E.
Busch
(D-Anne
Arundel)
said
he
would
rather
leave
the
issue
of
gay
marriage
up
to
the
courts
and
Senate
President
Thomas
V.
Mike
Miller
Jr.
(D-Calvert)
said
he
doesn’t
want
to
touch
the
issue
this
year,
either,
according
to
reports
in
the
Washington
Post.
Maryland
is
one
of
12
states
that
does
not
have
a
Defense
of
Marriage
Act.
On
Monday,
Ohio
Gov.
Bob
Taft
(R)
signed
one
of
the
nation’s
most
sweeping
DOMA
bills
that
not
only
bans
gay
marriage
but
declares
that
“specific
statutory
benefits
of
marriage”
are
against
the
“strong
public
policy
of
the
state.”
Furmansky
said
Equality
Maryland
is
lobbying
to
have
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
added
to
the
state’s
1988
hate
crimes
law
and
advocating
for
another
measure
that
would
allow
gay
partners
to
make
medical
decisions
for
one
another.
