Yesterday, Maryland's Attorney General Douglas Gansler announced that the state will begin recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. The Old Line State will now join Washington, D.C. and New York, both of which made similar decisions on acknowledging out-of-state marriages.
In other good news, gay couples in D.C. may be able to apply for marriage licenses as soon as March 3rd, after the D.C. Council approved a bill this past December. Let's hope Maryland will follow in their footsteps and make the jump beyond recognition…
– Dewitt
it will take eternity for the whole united states to finally recognize same sex marriage.
gosh, so behind so many countries in the world in terms of social development.
Not that I expect factual accuracy on a Manhunt blog, but this entry is incorrect.
Gansler’s opinion applies to state agencies and is meant to guide judges, but it does not apply to private companies. For example, a private company that offers medical benefits to an opposite-sex spouse, would not be required to offer benefits to a same-sex spouse married outside of Maryland.
A big step in the right direction, but obviously not far enough.
The document itself is available here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/acrobat/2010-02/52406251.pdf
You know, if someone would actually try to press it, the full faith and credit clause in the constitution requires states to honor documents (marriages, official documents, etc) from other states at prima facie value. Article IV section 1. Someone should press it.