HRC: Losing Recognition By Crossing State Lines

This personal reflection on testifying before a Maryland House committee comes from HRC’s Youth and Campus Outreach Associate Director, Candace Gingrich-Jones:

Yesterday I had the honor of traveling with my wife to Annapolis to testify against HB 90 in front of the Maryland House Judiciary Committee. HB 90 was introduced by Del. Emmet Burns and would make it law that Maryland would never recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Rebecca and I are one of those couples — when we married in Boston last summer we were living in the District, which had recently decided to recognize marriages like ours. But we bought a house and moved to Maryland and as soon as we crossed from Michigan Avenue in Northeast DC to Queens Chapel Road in Maryland we were no longer recognized as a legally married couple. There were 5 people who testified in support of the bill, including Delegate Burns and at least 20 who testified against it, including former HRC Legislative Counsel Liz Seaton. Testimony came from House delegates, lawyers, people of faith, couples & professionals, and ranged from sound legal opinion to impassioned life stories – all showing overwhelming evidence why this bill should not be passed out of committee.

I am hopeful that the Judiciary Committee will not vote favorable for this bill and in the coming weeks Attorney General Doug Gansler will rule that Maryland will begin recognizing out of state same-sex marriages. This will give thousands of Maryland families the rights, responsibilities and benefits that they so greatly deserve. And Rebecca and I won’t have to stop being recognized when we leave the District and go home at night.

Read Gingrich-Jones’ full testimony after the jump …