Gansler: Effective immediately Md. recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere

[Ian David]

Source: The Washington Post

Gansler: Effective immediately Md. recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere

UPDATE 2:50 P.M.: Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) says effective immediately the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and state agencies should begin giving gay couples the rights they were awarded elsewhere.

UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), who requested the opinion from Gansler, said in a brief interview that he was unsure whether there would be any immediate ramifications.

"It's reaffirmation of what we thought, that Maryland can recognize gay marriage," Madaleno said.

He said that changes in state policy could result from a court ruling, legislation or administrative action. But none of those appear imminent, Madaleno said.

Original Post: A long-awaited opinion by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) out Wednesday morning concludes that the state's highest court is likely to rule at some point that same-sex marriages performed in other states are valid in Maryland.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2010/02/gansler_marylands_high_court_l.html

[closeupready]

1. OMG! There goes Western Civilization!!!!

:rofl:

[happygoluckytoyou]

16. you know when them gays produce babies... they'll be gay too... and then what?

[closeupready]

17. No end to the damned fabulousness! Ahhhh.....

Run for the hills...

[Bertha Venation]

2. My beloved and I live in Maryland and are going to marry in DC this year.

I'm speechless.

[Zhade]

5. Yay! That is awesome!

Our day is coming -- never stop fighting!

[mikeytherat]

10. Awesome! Tell me where you're gonna be registered so we can get you a totally cool gift!

mikey_the_rat

[MountainLaurel]

15. Congratulations Bertha!!

So happy for you!

[Jefferson23]

27. Congrats!!!!!

Yeah on Maryland!!!!!

[ThatsMyBarack]

30. YAY!!!

:yourock: Many years of happiness to you both!

[Taverner]

33. ROCK ON!!!

Please PM me around the date so I can send a card!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. I'm so happy for you!

~hugs~

Hang in there, hon. I'm sure the fundy set will find a way to challenge it. Best for us to be ready when they do.

[KamaAina]

3. Bawlmer native here

:bounce:

[Oregone]

4. I wonder if that includes Canada

I should open up a cross-boder marriage service here if its legal. Im an internet ordained agnostic priest

[kestrel91316]

6. I, too, am internet-ordained. I have an informal church called

The Church of Bast. I and my two cats are the only current members. But I could rename it The Church of Bast and Gay Rights and I bet I could attract a few more.

[Oregone]

7. Wow. Good for you on having your own church

My wife and I discussed starting a cult, but like everything else, I just don't have the ambition

[bear425]

9. DUzy! You made me laugh out loud. thanks! n/t

[kestrel91316]

11. Well once I sent off for my ordained minister card, no initiatiive whatsoever

was involved. I just told the cats we were a church and they were cool with it.

[DeSwiss]

8. K&R!!! n/t

[Soylent Brice]

12. excellent!

K&R

[tomm2thumbs]

13. they'll have to rename it Marry-land! nt

[Wizard777]

38. We like to think of it a Merryland.

We're not entirely Gay. Some of us only get really happy.

[Rebubula]

14. Doug Gansler

The man is a dick and despised by most Montgomery County lawyers - but this is VERY GOOD NEWS.

[Jkid]

18. About damn time...

[Tim01]

19. Good. nt

[Unvanguard]

20. Do you have another source for this?

Everything else I can find just mentions the opinion, which takes no policy action at all, and suggests that it's the governor, the courts, and the legislature who have to take action for the recognition to happen.

Edit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022403630.html?hpid=topnews">Here!

:)

[Orangepeel]

32. "absent a state court ruling or action by the General Assembly, it is the law of the land"

:thumbsup:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/2010/02/samesex_marriage_ruling_furthe.html

"Mr. Gansler’s opinion is unlikely to be the last word on the subject, but absent a state court ruling or action by the General Assembly, it is the law of the land, and state agencies must now recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages in all legal matters from licensing and health care to real estate transactions and inheritance."

The state house has already defeated a preemptive bill to ban recognizing out of state same sex marriages, so hopefully this will stand!

[Unvanguard]

34. I think it will, absent court ruling, and that doesn't seem too likely.

Both houses of the state legislature are safely Democratic, and it's a pretty liberal state, on balance.

:thumbsup:, indeed!

[radhika]

21. Maryland is very Catholic...watch out

I see a ton of fundraising via the dioceses (with Mormon help, of course). I don't know the initiative rules for my former home state, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't some legislative counter plan on the horizon.

[Ken Burch]

29. Well, yeah...but they DO keep reelecting Barbara Mikulski.

n/t.

[Unvanguard]

36. I just checked, and my (possibly inaccurate) impression

is that any referendum initiated by citizen petitions has to be targeted at a particular legislative act that has not yet come into effect (similar to Maine's "people's veto" process.) Since this ruling is based on existing, long-standing Maryland law, I don't think a initiative is possible on this issue.

[friedgreentomatoes]

22. YAY MARYLAND

My home away from home :)

[Ken Burch]

23. Fred Phelps is gonna show up in Baltimore now

Holding up signs saying "Johnny Unitas is Burning In Hell", and "God Says Puke Up All Crabcakes".

[Ken Burch]

24. "In Other News...John Waters To Start Shooting Wedding Videos".

n/t.

[Adamnan]

25. Good for Maryland!

[Ken Burch]

26. Seriously, let's hear if tor Doug Gansler...a true champion of justice for all!

n/t.

[JTFrog]

28. K&R!

[Taverner]

31. This is what it should be like for all states - given the constitution...

You know that thing the Brownshirt Birthers are waving around

[JerseygirlCT]

35. C'mon up - a summer wedding in CT would be lovely!

Great news.

[Unvanguard]

39. As of two weeks from today, same-sex couples will be able to marry in DC.

So no need for the flight to New England. :)

[JerseygirlCT]

40. Yeah, but I've lived through DC summers...

nice up here!

:)

[No Elephants]

44. There are always great reasons to visit Massachusetts. It's where the American

Revolution, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, gay marriage in America, the telephone and so many other folks and things were born. There's skiing and Cape Cod, wonderful museums, etc. And great food.

I came to Massachusetts, almost kicking and screaming, from Manhattan, but I have come to love it, especially Boston.

[Delphinus]

37. Yeah!!

Good for them!

[defendandprotect]

41. A bit more good news -- we need, more, more more --

[GoddessOfGuinness]

43. "...until challenged in court"

...which it no doubt will be.
How do we prepare for it? I want to be ready to act.

[No Elephants]

45. Unless you're Clarence Darrow, find an organization that will fight this in court

in Maryland upon behalf of same gender marriage and donate whatever you can to it.

The only one I know of is the Human Rights Campaign, but that is national. There may be local organizations wiithin Maryland.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

46. Thanks...Human Rights Campaign may know

of a group in MD.