Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Defense of Marriage Act denies immigration by marriage for same-sex spouses.
While Maryland approved same-sex marriage in early November and licenses for those marriages will be available in many Maryland counties this week, the dream of marriage equality for some couples could end in separation by deportation, according to a recent Washington Post story. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines marriage as "the legal union between a man and a woman" and effectively denies access to pension and inheritance funds as well as the legal right to immigrate via marriage. That could spell deportation for spouses in the U.S. on temporary visas. In fact, the article states that more than 36,000 couples face this possibility. Since the passage of DOMA, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legislated to allow …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Numerous key laws passed in 2012 by the Maryland General Assembly take effect on Jan. 1.
Same-sex marriage, a first-in-the-nation arsenic ban for chicken feed and a law designed to protect children's credit reports are among the Maryland laws taking effect on Jan. 1. Some, including the marriage law and a Baltimore City charter amendment, were passed by voters in November. Others tweak existing rules, like renewable energy credits and car insurance. Here are the key laws you need to know about that take effect, according to a Maryland General Assembly document. Same-sex marriage: The Civil Marriage Protection Act, passed in the 2012 session, petitioned to referendum and ratified by Maryland voters in November, takes effect as scheduled on Jan. 1. Maryland was one of the first three states to ratify same-sex marriage at the …
Monday, December 10, 2012
In Prince George's County, 49 percent of the African-American community voted in favor of same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage opponents counted African-American voters among their allies leading up to November's election, expecting them to help overturn legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maryland. Polls in the months prior to November's referendum on same-sex marriage seemed to back them up, with African-Americans showing less support than whites. But as the months wore on, opposition softened, especially in the face of endorsements from President Obama and prominent entertainers, as well as a media campaign that included clergy, athletes and other public figures. By Election Day, voters in the state's large, predominantly black jurisdictions -- Baltimore and Prince George's County -- joined to support same-sex marriage by a 4-…
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Victors attribute the wins to Democratic Party dominance, among other factors.
Capital News Service A dominant state Democratic Party, a progressive electorate, a national trend toward socially liberal policies and the need for more revenue in tough economic times converged in Maryland to bring passage of same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for some illegal immigrants, expanded gambling and a gerrymandered political map, political observers say. All of Maryland's ballot initiatives passed on election night. "(Gov. Martin) O'Malley and the Democrats have complete control," said Blair Lee, political columnist at The Gazette newspapers. "The only (political) competition and conversation was among Democrats … the Republicans are almost now gone the way of the Whig Party in terms of influence and presence." In Maryland, …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
"Chefs for Equality" event will raise funds to support the campaign to win Maryland's referendum next month on same-sex marriage.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and "Project Runway" host Tim Gunn will be among the guests of honor later this month for an event to support same-sex marriage in a referendum vote in Maryland, reports The Huffington Post. Human Rights Campaign and food columnist David Hagedorn are co-hosting the $300-a-ticket "Chefs for Equality" fundraiser Oct. 24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. The event also features a special auction in which each table of eight will feast on a unique five-course menu prepared by a who's-who of DC chefs. Read more about it on The Huffington Post.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Bob Ross says supporting same-sex marriage is the 'fair thing to do.'
The head of the Prince George's County branch of the NAACP says he supports efforts to uphold same-sex marriage in Maryland. In a video posted Tuesday by Marylanders for Marriage Equality, an advocacy group backing same-sex marriage as it heads to a referendum in November, Prince George's NAACP leader Bob Ross said he would vote for Question 6. “Question 6 gives gays and lesbians the right to obtain a marriage license,” Ross said in the video posted to YouTube. “It is a fair thing to do for all citizens in the state of Maryland to have the right to obtain a marriage license.” Ross is following the lead of the NAACP, whose national board of directors announced the organization would support same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue earlier …
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The younger you are, the more likely you are to support same-sex marriage. What does this mean for Maryland?
Based on Maryland's age distribution and a changing national attitude on same sex marriage, one could expect–surprise–a close referendum fight in November. Earlier this week, you may have read that increasing acceptance of same-sex marriage is not the result of a nationwide change of heart, but because those opposed tend to be older and are literally dying off. A study by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life found that the increase of acceptance for same-sex marriage is the result of changing, aging demographics and "generational replacement," defined by Pew as "the arrival of younger, more supportive generations making up a larger share of the population." Nationally, 48 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 35 …
Monday, June 25, 2012
A popular College Park bike shop recently changed ownership because the federal government does not acknowledge same-sex marriage.
Proteus Bicycle Shop owner Jill DeMauro loves her shop and the community of College Park, but when federal laws forced her partner to move back to Canada, she decided to give it all up to be with her. DiMauro, who has owned College Park’s Proteus Bicycle Shop since 2002, sold the shop in May so she could be with her partner of seven years, the Gazette reports. Her partner is not a U.S. citizen, and because federal law does not recognize same-sex marriage, she was forced to move back to Canada for at least the next year, when she will be eligible to apply for another work visa. DiMauro will move to upstate New York to be closer to her, according to DCist. The two were legally married in 2007 in Canada, a country that recognizes full …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
In an interview on ABC News, the president says he supports same-sex marriage. The issue is likely to go to referendum in Maryland this fall.
President Barack Obama picked the day after a decisive vote in North Carolina to announce that his "evolution" on the issue of same-sex marriage was complete—he now supports it. In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Obama said: I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage—at a …
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Patch has a review of tonight's Mayor and Council agenda items.
The College Park Mayor and Council public worksession will begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers of City Hall, following an executive session to discuss legal matters. Those who will be attending should remember to pick up a free parking pass on the first floor of city hall. A breakdown of some of the agenda items for this evening is below, and the complete agenda accompanies this post. Recycling The city’s Committee for a Better Environment (CBE) suggests that the city takes steps to increase recycling among residents and businesses. This would not only conserve energy and natural resources, but save the city money, CBE argues. CBE will suggest specific strategies, as well as pinpoint entities in College Park that could boost …
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