Poll: Should Maryland Legalize Same-Sex Marriage?

Gov. Martin O’Malley introduced legislation this week that would make same-sex marriage legal in Maryland.

Same-sex marriage was debated in Annapolis last year, but it ended up stalling in the House of Delegates.

This year, O’Malley said “momentum is growing” for same-sex marriage in Maryland, which has endorsements this month that include labor organizations AFL-CIO and SEIU 1199.

Washington, D.C., as well as six other states, have laws allowing same-sex marriage, according to the Baltimore Sun.

“Other states have found a way to do this.  We can find a way to do this, too,” O’Malley said during a press conference Tuesday morning, which was posted on YouTube.

The Maryland Catholic Conference of Roman Catholics, as well as the Maryland Marriage Alliance, a group of churches and faith-based organizations, are among those that have mobilized to oppose the legislation.

The Maryland Marriage Alliance is sponsoring a rally in Annapolis at 6 p.m. Jan. 30 entitled “Rally for Marriage!” regarding the proposal. Marylanders for Marriage Equality, a group that supports same-sex marriage, is organizing phone banking sessions on the issue in the region.

Marylanders as a whole continue to be split on their feelings on same-sex marriage.

According to a poll published in January by Gonzales Research & Marketing, based in Arnold, 49 percent surveyed support a law allowing same-sex marriage, while 47 percent oppose it.

Weigh in below or in our Patch poll. Do you support same-sex marriage in Maryland?