Maryland state Senate passes marriage equality bill

The Maryland State Senate on Thursday, Feb. 24, voted 25-21 to approve a measure that would allow gays and lesbians to marry.

"We are proud of all the 25 senators who stood up for the fairness today and voted to support SB 116," said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality Maryland. "We also thank the thousands of Marylanders who have not only worked tirelessly, but also opened their hearts to share their stories and their experiences with their senators to explain why marriage matters."

State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County), who co-sponsored the measure alongside state Sen. Rob Garagiola (D-Montgomery County), also applauded the vote. "The Maryland Senate's vote today passing the Civil Marriage Protection Act is a reflection of the values we share as Marylanders and Americans," said Madaleno. "It demonstrates our commitment to civil rights and equality for all."

The bill's passage comes a little more than a day after the Obama administration announced it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. The District of Columbia, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont currently allow gays and lesbians to marry.

"Following the monumental announcement by President Obama that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act's refusal to respect the marriages of same-sex couples is unconstitutional, it's fitting that the Maryland Senate has taken another important step forward in extending the national trend of fairness and dignity for all families," said James Esseks, director of the ACLU's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project. "Committed same-sex couples deserve the security, protection and respect for their relationships that only comes with marriage."

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, also applauded the vote.

"Loving, committed couples in Maryland are a step closer to being able to better care for and protect themselves and their families thanks to today's vote by the state Senate," she said.

The Maryland House of Delegates is scheduled to debate a version of the bill on Friday, Feb. 25. Governor Martin O'Malley has said he will sign a marriage equality measure into law.