LAWSUIT IN MD: From the Baltimore Sun

Propelling Maryland into the national debate over the nature of marriage, nine same-sex couples filed suit yesterday in Baltimore Circuit Court to overturn a law prohibiting gay marriage, saying it violates the state constitution.

The plaintiffs, following a strategy similar to the one used to legalize gay marriage in Massachusetts, sued Baltimore City Clerk Frank Conaway and clerks in four other Maryland jurisdictions for refusing to issue them marriage licenses last week. In the 39-page complaint, the plaintiffs argue that a 1973 Maryland law that says only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid violates constitutional protections of due process, equality and prohibitions against sex discrimination.

At a news conference yesterday, the couples said they were suing not only on legal principle, but also to receive the practical benefits of marriage, from access to health insurance under a spouse's policy to family visitation rights in hospitals.

"Today, we are here to seek marriage equality in the interest of creating a stable, safe and secure future for our families and children," said Lisa Polyak, 43, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Army Medical Department, as she stood with her partner, Gita Deane, 42, a learning specialist at Goucher College. "I hope there will come a time when no family is set aside and all the children and parents in Maryland will be treated equally in the eyes of the law."

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation in New York, its Maryland branch and local attorneys collaborated on the complaint. With its filing, Maryland joins at least five other states--Oregon, New York, Washington, Florida and New Jersey--where gay rights advocates have sued to marry. ...

Yesterday, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. reiterated his opposition to gay marriage and said Maryland needs a Defense of Marriage Act, which would add another legal hurdle to the suit filed yesterday. "Traditional marriage, in my view and in the view of the vast majority of Marylanders and Americans, is the cornerstone of society," Ehrlich said. "That used to be common sense. I look forward to the day when that returns to the category of common sense."

The attorney general's office has 30 days to respond to the complaint. Regardless of how the Circuit Court rules, the case is almost certain to be resolved by the Maryland Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. Kenneth Choe, a staff attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project in New York, said the U.S. Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over the matter because it pertains to a state constitution.

Choe said the ACLU is pursuing a case in Maryland for reasons that include strong support from the gay community here, as well as what gay rights activists say is a relatively friendly legal and political environment. ...

Choe cited a 1998 ruling in which the Maryland Court of Appeals said that sexual orientation is not relevant in determining the best interests of a child regarding custody and visitation. He also said that for many years, Maryland courts have permitted both members of a gay couple to serve as legally adoptive parents, which he said recognizes that gay couples can form families.

Legal opponents, though, questioned whether Maryland was the best state in which to file such a suit now. An official at the state attorney general's office said that Maryland judges tend to follow federal legal protection standards, which do not extend to gay marriage. ...

Furmansky said gay rights advocates have been encouraged by the General Assembly's willingness to defend their interests. He said that Maryland is one of 14 states that prohibits discrimination regarding employment and public accommodation based on sexual orientation. Furmansky also cited the House of Delegates' overwhelming passage of a bill this year that would have extended to gay partners many of the legal rights married people have regarding serious medical decisions involving their spouses. ...

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said he did not expect the suit to provoke a legislative backlash and a flurry of bills for the next legislative session, which begins in January.

"I don't think there's going to be any act or legislation because of this lawsuit," said Miller, a Democrat who represents Prince George's and Calvert counties. "Hopefully, the matter can be decided by the court."

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