The Baltimore city council became the fourth Maryland jurisdiction to pass a resolution supporting the expansion of civil marriage for same-sex couples. The resolution was passed by a 9-3-3 vote on Monday. Baltimore joins College Park, Kensington, and Takoma Park in supporting the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, according to Equality Maryland. Of the 24 state legislators who represent Baltimore, at least 11 have committed to voting for the act.
"Expanding civil marriage to include same-sex couples is the fair thing to do," council member Bill Henry, who introduced the resolution, said in a statement. "I am proud of my colleagues who stood up for all of our families in Baltimore. I hope this resolution will nudge those state legislators from Baltimore who are not yet enthusiastically supporting this historic legislation to rethink their position."
In February, city council president Stephanie Rawlings-Blake submitted testimony in support of the act. "Marriage is a unique institution on many levels: religious, spiritual, and social," she wrote. "Marriage is also a civil institution that affords many economic and contractual benefits that are not afforded to people as individuals. I do not believe that people should be denied any of these rights just because they do not fall under the legal definition of marriage." (The Advocate)