Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has
said he thinks voters will uphold a gay marriage law.
O'Malley, who championed marriage
equality in his annual State of the State address and at committee
hearings debating the bill, said at a signing ceremony held in
Annapolis that he supports gay nuptials because the state has an
obligation to protect all children, including those of gay couples.
Opponents of the law have vowed to
repeal it through a voter referendum.
Appearing last night on MSNBC's The
Rachel Maddow Show, O'Malley conceded that the challenge to the
law was real, but added that he believes voters will side with “human
dignity,” a phrase he's used often during the debate.
(Related: Martin
O'Malley on gay marriage: Even 4-year-old values human dignity.)
“There has been a conversation that
has been taking place among our elected representatives over the last
year, and the fruit of that conversation was that together we
concluded that in fact we could pass a law that protects religious
freedom and the rights of individuals equally, and to do that at the
same time. In the end, we concluded that human dignity – the
dignity of every person, the dignity of every child’s home – as
the principle where we could come together. And I think that's what
people are going to do now as they talk around their own kitchen
tables, in their family living rooms, and at work. So if there's a
referendum, I believe that the people of our state will once again
side on the side of human dignity.” (Watch
the entire exchange at MSNBC.)
A poll released earlier this week found
that a
narrow majority (52%) of Maryland voters would “definitely” or
“probably” vote to uphold the law.