Marriage Equality is headed for a vote on Nov 6th. Many Maryland organizations have joined Marylanders for Marriage Equality to work as a coalition effort. The opposition has also formed an alliance and is working hard to keep their string of 31 votes alive. It will be heartwarming to see the first state in the country pass a referendum vote in favor of marriage equality. When they do, jpmassar (here on Daily Kos) predicts, “Heads at NOM will explode.” The last true talking point still worthy of discussion will die. “No state has ever voted for Marriage Equality,” will fade into obscurity.
Of course we in Maryland hope that we will be that first state. Maine is also likely to pass their referendum vote, but their polls close two hour later than here in Maryland. Washington State has the best poll numbers of all three. The future of Anti-marriage Equality is doomed.
Last week a moderate Maryland Republican elected official told me he thinks Question 6 will pass this year. A week earlier a writer for a Republican publication told me “it wouldn’t be much longer,” after she suggested that the LGBT community might get to marriage equity faster if we first accepted civil unions and waited for marriage to happen later. My response to her was, “I have been asking for equality since 1978 when I came out, and I’m tired of waiting to be equal to my heterosexual sisters who were born with their civil rights.
The pressure is on. Money and energy are being poured into this campaign to a degree greater than I can recall in Maryland history. Marylanders for Marriage Equality (the coalition) is encouraging people to talk to people and tell their personal stories. Tell people why marriage is important to you or your family. Repeat the mantra: “Vote for 6.”
PFLAG (Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) have been busy volunteering with the coalition, making t-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons and now yard signs supporting Question 6. “Vote for Question 6” is every other sentence out of June Horner’s’ mouth. June has been an adamant ally since she first attended a PFLAG meeting in 1983. A year later she formed the first PFLAG Chapter in Baltimore. Earlier this year June was the Grand Marshall of the Pride Parade in Baltimore.
June has also personally attended and encouraged other PFLAG members to help out Light Brigade Maryland (LBM). Light Brigade Maryland bridge parties have been held in Cumberland (western Maryland), Havre de Grace (north eastern) Maryland, last Saturday in Frederick and multiple "Light Parties" throughout the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Last week Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley stopped by lending his support at one of the Light Brigade Maryland events in Baltimore.
The battle over who will win is a matter of two things. Which side works harder to raise the most funds for advertising and who works harder to get voters to the polls on Election Day. The effort is furious on both sides. At the moment polls (collected by the Baltimore Sun) show pro marriage equality supporters with a lead. But, the margin is smaller than the percentage of undecided voters. It’s not time for complacency folks. It’s time to dig in our heels and pull the rope with all of our might. We will permanently tip the Marriage Equality scales when we win this vote.
You can help. Volunteering your time, donating money, Knocking on doors, or participating in a phone bank are the most productive ways to make this happen. If none of those things appeal to you, go gorilla activist with Light Brigade Maryland.