Former governor now supports gay marriage
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
www.gayonlinenews.com
Tom Schaller is commended for his thoughtful commentary in the Baltimore Sun regarding marriage equality for same-gender couples (“Md. should be a leader on gay marriage,” Aug. 25). While serving as Prince George’s County executive and governor of Maryland, I was a forceful advocate for enacting laws that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Despite our successes, however, in addressing employment, housing and public accommodations discrimination against gays and lesbians, I was firm in my statements that I believed “marriage should be between a man and a woman.” This was especially true during my 1998 re-election campaign.
I was wrong! Allowing same-gender couples to join in the institution of marriage, and to experience the commitment and security of being legally married, does nothing to diminish or alter the institution of marriage itself. It does, however, promote healthy, stable families.
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