Hot on the heels of Hawaii’s legalization of same-sex civil unions, Maryland’s Senate voted in favor of same-sex couples having the same full marriage rights as heterosexual couples. One Republican, Allan Kittleman, joined 24 Democrat senators to vote in favor of the bill. The bill does include provisions that allow religious groups from being forced to participate in gay weddings, but would grant the same title and rights as those granted to heterosexual couples. If the state’s House of Delegates approves the bill, Democratic governor Martin O’Malley has promised to approve it. If passed, Maryland would be the sixth U.S. state to approve gay marriage.
Maryland Senate Votes To Approve Gay Marriage Rights [HuffPo]
