The State of Maryland Signs Same-Sex Marriage into Law Today

Hunky Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley

The State of Maryland will become the 8th State of the 50 United States to legalize same-sex marriage today.  Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who gets the award as America's hunkiest governor, will sign the legislation passed by the Maryland Legislature  last week into law later today.


However, the law will not take effect for another 10 months, until January 1, 2013. Opponents of same-sex marriage in Maryland will probably collect enough signatures get a referendum on the November 2012 general election ballot to overturn the new law. Although polls indicate narrow public support for the measure, significant opposition from conservative churches and synagogues exists. 

The Vote Will Be Close in Maryland

Maryland lies just north of Washington D.C. and has a population of 5.8 million, as much as the country of Denmark or the State of Victoria in Australia. Maryland contains the colorful city of Baltimore, which is really a great place to visit --with a great downtown and harbor area.

Maryland is the wealthiest state in the United States in terms of per-capita income, and consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections. Although Maryland is a traditional Southern State, and had racist Jim Crow laws in effect enforcing segregation between the races through the 1960's, it has in the past 20 years become a very liberal and tolerant bastion.

Maryland, the Old Line State

In the meantime, Marylanders who want a same-sex marriage can head over to next-door Washington, D.C.. Maryland honors same-sex marriages if they are performed in another state or jurisdiction at the current time.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the United States in:

Massachusetts
New York
Vermont
Connecticut
New Hampshire (where it is facing a challenge)
Iowa
Washington (State)

and the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)

Same-sex marriage was legal but was overturned in:

Maine (by popular referendum)
California (by popular referendum, but waiting a final say by the United States Supreme Court)