Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley has
apologized for calling opponents of a gay marriage bill “cowards,”
The
Washington Post reported.
O'Malley made her remarks Thursday at
the annual Creating Change conference sponsored by the National Gay &
Lesbian Task Force.
Speaking to a crowd at the Baltimore
Hilton, O'Malley said of last year's effort to pass marriage equality
in the state, “We didn't expect the things that happened in the
House of Delegates to occur, but sadly they did, and there were some
cowards that prevented it from passing.”
In a statement released the following
day, O'Malley, a district court judge, said that she “let my
feelings get the better of me.”
“I deeply respect that there are
strongly held and differing views on marriage equality in Maryland
but hope that our state's elected officials will come together to
fairly address this important issue for our families and children,”
she said.
Democratic Delegate Jay Walker, who
voted last year against the bill, called O'Malley's remark
“borderline insulting.”
“Call me a coward, but I'm going to
stand by my faith and my principles, as well as on my constituents'
beliefs. Forget politics, my mom and dad did not raise a coward. …
When you start name calling, you cross the line of respect,” Walker
said.
(Related: Chris
Gregoire, Martin O'Malley on Chris Christie's proposed marriage
referendum.)