Posted on 01/20/2006 10:31:58 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Md. Judge Strikes Down Gay-Marriage Ban
(AP) BALTIMORE A judge on Friday struck down a 33-year-old Maryland law against same-sex marriage, agreeing with 19 gay men and women that it violates the state constitution's guarantee of equal rights.
The ruling by Judge M. Brooke Murdock rejected a state argument that the government had a legitimate interest in protecting the traditional family unit of heterosexual parents.
"Although tradition and societal values are important, they cannot be given so much weight that they alone will justify a discriminatory" law, she wrote.
The judge immediately stayed her order to give the state time to file an expected appeal in Maryland's highest court, the Court of Appeals.
"This is such an exciting moment," said Lisa Polyak, a plaintiff with partner Gita Deane.
"Our participation in this lawsuit has always been about family protections for our children. Tonight, we will rest a little easier knowing that those protections are within reach," Polyak said.
Gov. Robert Ehrlich's lawyers were reviewing the ruling, his spokesman Henry Fawell said. The Republican governor has said he believes marriage should be between one man and one woman.
(Excerpt) Read more at wcbstv.com ...
Actually, sounds like they're building up momentum! ;-)
I am sick of these judges.
By happy coincidence it looks like I'll be leaving Maryland and going to Virginia soon. The stench of state politics was getting to be way too much for me anyway.
the west coast of maryland is starting its slide... the county wants to start an arts district by offering incentives... the farmers are getting the boot...
teeman
This is funny.
When the LDS appealed the rulings against Polygamy, the federal courts gave exactly the opposite reasoning, basically stating that the traditional and societal values of marriage are so important they override the First Amendment religious protections afforded the Latter-Day Saints.
The societal implications of condoning, encouraging and accepting psychologically aberrant behavior should be obvious.
No, they are not good people or they wouldn't adopt a child into what has been objectively proven to be an unhealthy environment for normal human psychosexual development.
They are selfish people who demand others accomodate their dysfunction, and attempt to push it on a child in one case.
They just happen to be polite, tell good jokes and maybe have nice and pleasant dinner parties.
Bill Clinton was supposed to be tons of fun to have around, too. Witty and pleasant company.
I disagree. Gay people, like straight people, should be encouraged to settle down.
Whatever happened to "Marriage is a sacrament"?
Civil unions if gays wish, but marriage, not. It is not up to courts to legislate that a psychologically disordered group has a "right" to a religiously derived sacrament.
That is up to the churches ('nother issue there).
There has been a HUGE fight to block a vote on a state constitutional ban on marriage other between one man one woman. The opponents kept saying that marriage between homosexuals is illegal so there's no reason for the constitutional ban. They cried that they were having their faces rubbed in the ban. Gee... a liberal judge declares the law unconstitutional. Of course the liberals fighting the constitutional ban knew that some liberal judge in Maryland would strike down the law.
Yeah, homosexuality only takes, on average, 20 years off of one's life. Let's promote it as a wonderful lifestyle to our country's children via endorsing the lifestyle choice by equating it to a married man and woman. And since it's a choice (if it were not there would be no ex-homosexuals) the kids can experiment with it, spread AIDS, have all kinds of fun! While we're at it lets promote drunk driving too. Who cares? It's just a lifestyle choice - some say alcoholism is even genetic...
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