Guide for Maryland Same-Sex Couples Married Out of State

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Advocacy Groups Release FAQ Guide for Maryland Same-Sex Couples Married Out of State

Posted by Melanie Nathan ( March 13, 2010) – Lambda Legal, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality Maryland, and the American Civil Liberties Union released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide for same-sex couples in Maryland who married out of state.

These leading advocacy groups have jointly released the following statement:

“This FAQ follows a favorable opinion by Maryland Attorney Douglas Gansler that says recognition of out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples is consistent with Maryland law, and a response by Maryland’s Governor assuring residents that they should expect state agencies to comply. This is a big step forward for Maryland and should bring greater security, protections, and peac e of mind for many married couples living, working, and visiting in Maryland – though true equality will come only when same-sex couples in Maryland can marry in their home state. In the meantime, couples who married in other jurisdictions should live their lives as all married couples do and expect to receive respect in Maryland in a broad range of areas.

“This is a new and emerging area of law and this FAQ addresses just the tip of the iceberg. This is an exciting time as State and local governments, private parties, and members of our communities assess all the ways that marriage recognition brings protections to same-sex couples in Maryland and how to implement it, but we should be aware that many answers await further developments and analysis.

“Legal conflicts may arise, but rushing into court may not be the answer, as we work to clarify all that marriage recognition brings to Maryland families. Litigation on this issue could have widespread impact for many couples and should be considered with care. If you are denied a service or protection to which married couples are entitled, please contact one of our organizations for assistance.”

To download the pdf: http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/factsheets/fs_fqa-about-marriage-recognition-for-ss-couples-in-md.html

Signed on to Guidline:

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

The American Civil Liberties Union is America’s foremost advocate of individual rights. It fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and public education.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.

Equality Maryland is Maryland’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland. Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the public about the issues faced by our diverse community.

The Maryland ACLU works to ensure that all people in the state of Maryland are free to think and speak as they choose and can lead their lives free from discrimination and unwarranted government intrusion. We are guided in our work by the United States Bill of Rights and the Maryland Declaration of Rights. The Maryland ACLU acts without partisanship to achieve these goals.

By Melanie Nathan, www.privatecourts.com
nathan@privatecourts.com

Bi-National UAFA Column by Melanie Nathan

http://lezgetreal.com/?cat=5029

Same-sex couples marry in Mexico (news.bbc.co.uk)
Maryland Recognizes Same-Sex Marriages From Other Jurisdictions (joemygod.blogspot.com)
Action Alert: Help support same sex marriage recognition in Maryland (bilerico.com)
Maryland’s Marriage Recognition Opinion (lezgetreal.com)

Friday, March 12, 2010

Maryland – Next big battleground in the fight for equality!

Dear Friends,

On February 24, 2010, Attorney General Doug Gansler released an official opinion instructing state agencies to begin the process of recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages. This means that our home state will now honor the marriages of many Maryland couples. This is a big step forward for our community, but we are already under attack.

Anti-equality forces, from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to the grandstanding Bishop Harry Jackson, have set their sights on Maryland and will stop at nothing to ban marriage recognition for same-sex couples. Delegate Don Dwyer of Anne Arundel County is introducing articles of impeachment against Attorney General Gansler. Even worse, there have been six different bills attempting to roll back this recent gain or in some cases even take away the relationship recognitions that are already on the books – things like hospital visitation and medical decision making.

Despite these attacks, we are moving forward in the Free State. A recent comprehensive poll demonstrates that for the first time, a majority of Marylanders support civil marriage for our community. During the 2010 General Assembly Session, we added 4 new co-sponsors on marriage equality legislation and continue to soundly defeat anti-equality constitutional amendments. We also brought in new partners in our work to enact protections for transgender Marylanders. National equality groups are looking to Maryland to be a leader on civil marriage and anti-discrimination in the coming year. We’re even hosting a national conference for state equality leaders in Baltimore this summer.

Without a doubt, Maryland is one of the key battleground states in the fight for equality!

We are grateful to each and every supporter of Equality Maryland. Their generosity has truly made a difference!

Can we count on you? We can continue to make advancements and defend the Attorney General’s Opinion, but we need your continued support. Please make a contribution TODAY of $50, $100, $250 or whatever you can afford to help us beat back these attacks and move forward in our work to create true and lasting equality.

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication over the years. We are honored to have you by our side in this important work!

Sincerely,

Morgan Meneses-Sheets
Executive Director

P.S. We need your support more than ever! Please, donate online TODAY at www.equalitymaryland.org/donate/supporteqmd.htm. Thank you for investing in your statewide LGBT civil rights organization!

http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/01/07/unfinished-business-as-lawmakers-prepare-to-convene/