Marriage Amendment Victories Inspire Maryland Pastors to Rally Against Same-sex Marriage
Hoping to experience the same success of passing marriage amendments as the 11 states on Election Day, around 70 Maryland pastors plan to rally 100,000 early next year in support of stiffer laws outlawing same-sex marriage, reported the Associated Press report.
The “Defend Maryland Marriage Rally” is scheduled on Jan. 27 at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
The push for stricter laws against same-sex marriage also involves the collaboration between Maryland lawmakers and 500 Maryland church congregations, according to Family Research Council.
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"This is a great victory for the conservative movement,” Tony Perkins, president of FRC, said in a statement. “We have 17 states with approved state constitutional amendments protecting marriage and at least 9 states working towards their own state amendments.
“We have a long fight ahead of us but the enthusiasm for marriage is contagious and we are very excited for Maryland and for the continued support around the country for traditional marriage.”
While Maryland was the first state to define marriage by law as a union between a man and a woman, reports AP, it is among few states that outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Nine homosexual couples, with help from The American Civil Liberties Union and Equality of Maryland, sued the state in July after court clerks in Baltimore City and several counties refused to issue marriage licenses to them. The lawsuit seeks to declare Maryland’s marriage law unconstitutional and to legalize marriage between homosexuals.
David Rocah, staff attorney for the ACLU, suggested that the rally would not sway public opinion.
"I think Maryland is a very tolerant state, and I think Marylanders understand that denying their neighbors the ability to obtain the legal protections for their committed relationships is unfair,” he told AP.
The coalition of pastors also hope to draw attention to the hearing by holding a demonstration on March 10, four days before the Baltimore Circuit Court is scheduled to hear the suit.
However, not all pastors in the area oppose the suit.
The ACLU suit has gained the support of one of the Presbyterian Church (USA) districts, the Presbytery of Baltimore, which agreed on Nov. 18 to file an amicus brief on behalf of the homosexual plaintiffs. The district’s support of the legalization of homosexual marriage goes against the position held by the PC (USA), which believes marriage is only between a man and a woman.
On Tuesday, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals Friday stayed the proceedings of the ACLU suit to allow Robert Duckworth, the Anne Arundel County Clerk, time to appeal a decision denying him permission to intervene as a defendant in the case.
Duckworth is represented by Steven Tiedemann, an attorney allied with Alliance Defense Fund.
“Mr. Duckworth has a serious personal interest in the outcome of this case because it could create a situation where he would be subject to civil and criminal penalties,” said Glen Lavy, senior vice president of the ADF’s Marriage Litigation Center.
“Same-sex couples have no right to redefine marriage to mean anything and ultimately nothing,” Lavy added. “The ACLU is pursuing this case because they have a different vision for America that they want to impose on the country, including the people of Maryland.”
The case is Gitanjali Deane v. Frank Conaway.
