Resolution to Wed
Kensington Town Council calls on Maryland legislators to pass marriage equality bill
The Kensington, Md., Town Council passed a civil marriage equality resolution on Monday, Dec. 10, calling on Maryland legislators to enact the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act.
”It’s a nonbinding resolution,” says Dan Furmansky, executive director of Maryland’s equal rights organization Equality Maryland. ”The municipalities don’t give out marriage licensees, counties do, and obviously without a change in state law that’s not going to happen in Maryland.”
Furmansky says the Montgomery County town’s resolution, passed unanimously by the four-member council and Mayor Peter C. Fosselman last week, calls on the General Assembly to pass a marriage bill.
In addition to the city of Takoma Park, Kensington is the only other jurisdiction in the state to formally support the expansion of civil marriage to include same-gender couples, according to Equality Maryland.
Upon announcing the resolution, Fosselman, who is gay, said he supports the effort because it’s time ”to end the hardships faced by same-sex couples in Kensington and in Maryland who are legal strangers to one another.
”We are proud to join other communities around the state and country who have expressed support for the freedom to marry, and hope Annapolis lawmakers will act swiftly in 2008 to pass marriage equality legislation.”
The General Assembly convenes on Jan. 9, 2008.
For more information visit www.equalitymaryland.org, or http://tok.md.gov.
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