Morgan State University – Baltimore Maryland, Tuesday, October 9th
Maryland Delegate Keiffer Mitchell, Jr. and (NOM Founder) Maggie Gallagher debated Question 6 (The Civil Marriage Protection Act) on Tuesday night at Morgan State University. The debate was organized by the Baltimore City League of Woman Voters and moderated by Marc Steiner.
Roughly 70 people were in attendance in a theater that appeared it could hold several hundred.
Each speaker had ten minutes to make an introductory speech. Audience members had an opportunity to write their questions on index cards which were then selectively presented to the panelists.
Both speakers talked of their personal involvement with the Question 6 issue.
Delegate Mitchell spoke of his personal involvement with the legislative debate in Annapolis when the bill was passed in February 2012 and his impressive family history which included his grandmother Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Parren Mitchell III, Clarence Mitchell, Jr. whom all had involvement in the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Delegate Mitchell made it clear that he thinks marriage equality is first and foremost an issue of “fairness and equality”, then he went on to say he thought marriage equality is also a civil rights issue. “Not in the same sense as THE Civil Rights Movement is, but we in the African American community cannot say ‘I got mine, now you can’t have any.’” He continued with, “As a father I want my children to grow up and get married whether they turn out to be gay or straight.”
Maggie Gallagher argued from the oppositional point of view.
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