by Isabel Paterson ’12

On March 14, the bill to allow gay marriage in Maryland was defeated by a narrow margin of votes. The bill’s failure to pass came as somewhat of a shock, as Maryland is traditionally thought to be a liberal state.The bill initially made it through the State Senate a day after President Obama ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act opposing same-sex marriage because he believes it is unconstitutional. However, it failed to pass in the House of Delegates.

One factor that contributed to the bill’s failure to pass is the significant influence of African American religious leaders, especially in Prince George’s County, who protested against same-sex marriage. Additional factors include the switching of some legislators votes from for to against the bill, primarily due to intense lobbying. Unsuccessful attempts to pass this bill came as a surprise to its supporters since the State Senate, which is more conservative, had already passed it. A few wavering legislators proved enough to kill the entire bill.

“I remain hopeful that we will grant these basic civil rights in the not too distant future,” said State Delegate Craig Zucker, a District 14 representative.

Perhaps part of this bill’s unexpected failure to pass is due to the assumption among some more liberal members of the State Assembly that it would pass easily. Failing to prepare fully for the fact that some in their own Democratic party would be against it, many liberals felt the bill was on its way to full passage. The bill was similar to the gay marriage law in Washington D.C. in that it would exempt religious leaders from performing ceremonies if they object to same-gender marriage; however, that was not enough for religious leaders.

According to The Associated Press, “Opposition from some religious groups grew after the Senate narrowly passed its version of the measure Feb. 24. Then some black Democratic lawmakers withdrew their support, while freshman legislators had trouble determining what constituents wanted.”

With national polls showing that Americans are becoming tolerant of same-sex marriage and gay relationships in general, it is inevitable that bills like this will pop up across the country. The speaker of Maryland’s House vowed that Democrats would try again next year to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage, according to The Washington Post.

“I still believe that Maryland has an opportunity to be a national leader on this issue,” said Zucker. Maryland would become the sixth state to allow same-sex marriage, a sign of the country’s ongoing shift. Advocates of same-sex marriage are hoping that President Obama will more forcefully lend his support to same-sex marriage initiatives around the country. in the same way he nudged the military to end its “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.

“Marriage equality is still alive and well. We will continue to hear about it during this session as well as in future sessions,” said Zucker.