Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley on
Friday said he would strongly back a new push for gay marriage in his
state, the AP reported.
O'Malley made his remarks at the
National Governors Association meeting in Salt Lake City.
On Tuesday – less than four months
after a marriage bill was suddenly shelved in the Maryland House
after passage in the Senate – proponents of gay marriage unveiled a
broader campaign to win marriage equality in the state.
The push in Maryland will be
spearheaded by the nascent group Marylanders for Marriage Equality,
which will include Equality Maryland, Freedom to Marry, Progressive
Maryland, labor unions Service Employees International Union and
Communications Workers of America, and the American Civil Liberties
Union.
Also involved is the nationwide gay
rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the group behind the
yearlong – seemingly unending – campaign of celebrity video
endorsements.
Proponents had called on the Democratic
governor, who supported this year's bill, to take on a more visible
role in advocating for the measure.
“I think that would really help build
our chances next session if the governor was one of the chief people
advocating for this bill vocally,” Darrell Carrington told the
Gazette.net. “That would have a huge effect on the outcome.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo played a
critical role in the passage of a gay marriage bill that takes effect
in the Empire State on July 24.